Aurangabad - city is located in the northern part of the state of
Maharashtra in the western
region
of India. It is 403 km from Mumbai (Bombay). The city of Aurangabad is known
for its medieval monuments and cultural heritage. It was the seat of the
Mughal Empire for a short period. The city boasts of Bibi-ka-Makbara, a tomb
that has some resemblance to the Taj Mahal. The importance of Aurangabad is
great, owing to its proximity with world heritage sites of Ajanta and
Ellora. These sites have Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples. Aurangabad is
also famous for its silk and cotton textiles.
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Ajanta Caves
Nestled
in an inner fold of the Sahyadri hills, 100 kms away from Aurangabad are the
30 rock-cut caves of Ajanta, famous for its cave painting or frescoes of
many colors. They contain numerous images of Buddha. Caves 1,2,16 and 17
have the best-preserved paintings. The magnificient depictions of the
bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Padmapaniin are particularly well known.
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Aurangabad Caves
Aurangabad caves are located outside the city of Aurangabad just few
kilometres away from the famous monument Bibi Ka Maqbara. These caves were
excavated between the 2nd and 6th century AD. These caves are carved out of
the hillside and are a fine piece of architecture, housing the most
stunningly intricate carvings. In total there are twelve caves, a major
chunk of which are Viharas, of which Caves 3 and 7, are the most fascinating
ones. Caves 1 to 5 are in the western group and caves 6 to 10 are about 1-km
away in the eastern group. One can see that Tantric influences discerned in
their architecture and iconography of the caves.
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Panchakki
Panchakki(Water Wheel) takes its name from the mill that, in its days, was
considered a marvel of engineering. Driven by water brought through earthen
pipes from the river 6km away, the mill once ground grain for pilgrims.The
mill it self is to the right of the first tank as you enter. It is also the
shrine of a saint, Baba Shah Musafir.
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Bibi Ka Maquara
Bibi Ka Maqbara is the tomb of Begum Rabia Durani,wife of Emperor
Aurangazeb. The monument is an excellent example of Persian Architecture.
The arched aclove surmounted by a swelling dome, the idea had acquired its
own reputation in India. Bibi Ka Maqbara is considered to be a poor
imitation of Taj Mahal in Agra. The layout and surrounding of the tomb is
very much similar to that of Taj but some how the architecture fails to
produce the magic of Taj. Nevertheless, the monument has its own charm and
has been attracting tourist far & wide.
The weather of Aurangabad is
temperate with moderate winters (November-February) and summers
(April-June). This region experiences good southwestern monsoon rains from
June-September.
