Once known as 'Devgiri', is 10th and 11th century fort. Near Aurangabad. It was built by mighty yadav It was given the name Daulatabad, the 'city of fortune', by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, Sultan who moved his capital from Delhi to Daultabad in 1328. One of the surprising thing about fort is it has survived more than 400 years of rains and summers, practically without any maintenance! Defense of this fort is so strong that it is counted as one of the strongest fort in the world, and is One of the world's best preserved fort
Also The fort has a brilliant defense system, almost INVINCIBLE. And actually the fort was never won by anybody in a battle or war. It has 7 lines of defense and each line is constructed in such a way, that even if that line is captured, it is impossible to use it to attack the fort.
The various constructions inside the fort include “baolies” (stepped wells), Court buildings, Aam Khas (Hall of public audience), Rang Mahal, Baradari, Hathi haud (elephant tank), Bharatmata mandir, and Chand Minar. Chand Minar is a tall tower built by Sultan Aladdin Bahamani by the year 1447. It is about 210 feet high with a base circumference of about 21 metres. It was built as a monument of victory. There is a tower with a hugh canon perched on the top. The canon is called as “mendha toph” (Ram canon) having face of Ram (goat like animal). It’s weight is about 14 tons. It has a firing range of 9 kms.
it's one day trip
Distances from Aurangabad:- 12 km
How to go:- You can go to Aurangabad by Aeroplane,Train or Bus,from Aurangabad you can go by Buses of MSRTC are available.
Where to stay:-Resorts by MTDC at Aurangabad(Near railway station) or various private hotels are available
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Daulatabad fort
Taj
Bibi Ka Maqbara also known as "Dakkhan Taj" is a maqbara built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam. The monument's name translates literally to 'Tomb of the Lady', but has earned the nickname 'poor man’s Taj' because it was made to rival the Taj Mahal. It is situated in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The tomb in itself represents the transition from the ostentatious architecture of Akbar and Shah Jahan to the simple architecture of the later Mughals. The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument. This Monument is also called as Dakkhani Taj.
Distances from major cities:- Mumbai 400 km,Hydrabad 432km ,Bangalore 930,Delhi 1220,Aurangabad:-2 km
How to go:- You can go to aurangabad by Aeroplane,Train or Bus,It is situated near Univercity you can go by Auto or taxi or Buses AMT are also available.
Where to stay:-Resorts by MTDC at Aurangabad(Near railway station)
Ellora caves
Ellora (Marathi: वेरूळ)- Built by the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. Famous for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture.The 34 "caves" – actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills – being Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples and monasteries, were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The
12 Buddhist (caves 1-12),
17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and
5 Jain caves (caves 30-34),
built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history.
Ellora has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.
Also near by cave there is temple of Lord Shiva(Ghrushneshwar) which is 12th(Last)Jyotirlinga.
Distances from major cities:- Mumbai 400 km,Hydrabad 432km ,Bangalore 930,Delhi 1220,Aurangabad:-26 km
How to go:- You can go to aurangabad by Aeroplane,Train or Bus,from Aurangabad many buses of MSRTC and Private Taxis are available.
Where to stay:-Resorts by MTDC at Aurangabad(Near railway station)
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Aurangabad
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.
Aurangabad geographical information
Location: Roughly 400km southeast of Mumbai
Major city: Aurangabad
Approximate area: 64,818 sq km
Languages: Marathi, Urdu (Hyderabadi accent) and Hindi
Best time to visit November-February
STD Code 0240
History
Marathwada (Marathi: मराठवाडा) is a region of India's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division.
Marathwada was part of the former Hyderabad state of India until November 1, 1956, when it was transferred to Bombay state, which in 1960 was divided into Maharastra and Gujarat.India became Independent on 15th August,1947 but Marathwada joined independent India on 17th September 1948.On this day,the Indian Army liberated the Hyderabad state from Nizam's rule in an military operation referred as Operation Polo, also popularly known as Police Action. The Nizam had refused to become a part of Independent India and was torturing Hindu community through muslim extremists known as 'Razakars'.17th September is celebrated as Marathwada Mukti Din.