Tourism Places: Aurangabad

At a distance of 108 km from Shirdi, 181 km from Nashik, 232 km from Pune, 350 km from Mumbai, 482 km from Nagpur and 534 km from Hyderabad, Aurangabad is a historical city and the administrative headquarters of the Aurangabad Division or Marathwada region in Maharashtra. In 2010, the Maharashtra Tourism Minister declared Aurangabad to be the tourism capital of Maharashtra. It is one of the fastest growing cities in India also one of the top places to experince Maharashtra tourism.

Popularly known as City of Gates, Aurangabad city was founded in 1610 AD by Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar and his son Fateh Khan changed the original name Khadki to Fatehnagar. The areas around Aurangabad were under the control of Delhi Sultanates, Bahamani Sultans, Nizam Shahis, Mughals and Hyderabad Nizams. With the capture of Daulatabad by Mughals in 1633 AD, the Nizam Shahi dominions, including Fatehnagar, came under the possession of the Mughals. In 1653 when Prince Aurangzeb was appointed the viceroy of the Deccan for the second time, he made Fatehnagar his capital and called it Aurangabad. After Aurangajeb, the city became part of princely state of Hyderabad until 1956 AD when it was merged with the Bombay state and eventually the state of Maharashtra in 1960 AD.

Named after the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, Aurangabad is a tourist hub of Maharashtra. The city is surrounded by many historical monuments, including the Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Daulatabad Fort, Bibi ka Maqbara, Jama Masjid, Panchakki, and the 52 gates are the important tourist attractions in Aurangabad. There are also a number of temples, mosques, museums, and even some gardens to explore.

Aurangabad is well connected by air, rail and road to other parts of country. Aurangabad Airport is the nearest airport which is about 10 km from Aurangabad. It has regular flights from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. Aurangabad Railway Station is directly connected to many parts of the country including major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Vijayawada, Shirdi, Okha, Rameshwaram, Nagarsol, Hyderabad, Vizag, Tirupati, Chennai, Amritsar, and Okha. Aurangabad Central Bus Station is the main bus station, which is around 3 km from Aurangabad Railway Station. It is well connected by bus with Pune, Mumbai, Shirdi, Nashik, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Goa, and Nagpur.