Aurangabad, a district in Maharashtra and a city with World Heritage Sites. I had to live in such a city for work. And of course a blog is needed to tell you everything. You will find everything about this city on Google, so I will introduce this city from my point of view. Aurangabad, one of my favourite cities.
When I came to this city in 2014, I knew as much as I know on Google. It had to start with “A” of Aurangabad. Coming to this city, a picture was made in my mind. But within a few days of coming here, I fell in love with this city. Now there was no need to plan for this like the rest of my trip because I was an integral part of this city. I decided to walk around this city with only one point of view, traveller & being local. At that time I was not a die-hard traveller like now but it was a great experience because I was a resident there.
Historical Elements
First of all, I got to know the history of Aurangabad. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s dream destination, built in 1610, is now recognised as one of Maharashtra’s four major cities. The history of Aurangabad can be traced back to the 2nd century BCE, when the Satavahana rulers founded their capital in Pratishtanapura, now known as Paithan.
The Yadava kings made Devagiri their capital and constructed a fort that still stands today. The fort was thought to be impregnable, but it was captured by Ala-ud-din Khilji of Delhi, who renamed it Daulatabad after laying siege to it. The city of Aurangabad was founded by Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of one of these rulers, though the name of the city then was Fatehpura.
His general, Malik Kafur, strengthened his grip on the region. Mohammad bin Tughluq took control of the fort after capturing the Delhi Sultanate. Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of one of these rulers, established the city of Aurangabad, which was then known as Fatehpura. The area changed hands several times until Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan solidified his control and appointed his son Aurangzeb as governor.
Aurangzeb made his home in this city. In 1681, he returned to the city as an emperor, eager to crush the south once and for all. He spent the last two decades of his life waging a futile fight against the Marathas. He died in 1707 in Khuldabad near Aurangabad city and was buried there — the battles ultimately resulted in the demise of his empire too.
Exploring The City
One thing that surprised me the most while exploring the city was “Gates”. Another identity of this city is the “City of Gates“. A total of 52 gates in the entire city which is the pride of Aurangabad. Out of the 52 big gates, the most famous, oldest and biggest of them is the Bhadkal Gate. The following is a list of those gates which is famous and in good conditions:
- Delhi Gate
- Rangeen Darwaza
- Katkat Gate (Islam Darwaza)
- Roshan Gate or (Jalna Gate)
- Barapulla Gate
- Paithan Gate
- Khaas Gate
- Jaffar Gate
- Naubat Darwaza
- Kaala Gate
- Mahmud Gate
- Begum Darwaza
- Mecca Gate
- Bhadkal Gate
- Chhota Bhadkal Gate
- Khizar darwaza or (Haathi Gate) or (Majnu Gate)
- Khooni darwaza
- Mir Adil Gate
Now I want to tell you that I have not seen all these gates at the same time. All these gates are no longer used for the purpose for which they were erected. Some gates are in use while some are tourist places.
Bibi-Ka-Makbara
I was taking time out from work and exploring the city. It was decided that the tourist spot in the village would be the first to go out. It started from a very famous place, Bibi-ka-Makbara. Listening to it from the beginning, Bibi Ka Maqbara looks like same to Same Taj Mahal and when I saw it, I agreed. The same grandeur but only in small form.
According to history, the tomb was built by Aurangzeb in memory of his first wife, Dilras Banu Begum (also known as Rabia-ud-Daurani). Now for those who can’t go to see the Taj Mahal, this is a kind of Taj Mahal. It is built entirely in Mughal style. So a different feeling comes when you go there.
Fine carvings, marble walls, and the four minarets adjoining it add to its splendour. Between 1668 and 1669 C.E., Bibi Ka Maqbara is thought to have been constructed. This mausoleum was planned and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect, and Hanspat Rai, an engineer, according to an inscription found on the main entrance door.
This mausoleum’s marble was sourced from mines near Jaipur. I didn’t want to go too deep into its construction, because I fell in love with it so much that I didn’t want to pay attention to the rest. Now at that time I didn’t have dslr but I took photos from the camera. Giving me as much time as I wanted to spend there, I went to see the next place.
The Watermill (पाणचक्की)
The place I went to after this was a wonderful example of construction, The Watermill (पाणचक्की). A watermill is a place where grain was once used for grinding/crushing grain. And the tools used to grind were running on water. However, looking at the Panchakki in Aurangabad, we cannot deny that mediaeval India was still up to date with science and technology of its own sort.
The root of the name is identified with the mill that was used to grind grains for pilgrims to the sight, was designed to meet the energy requirement by bringing down water from a spring in a nearby mountain. An underground conduit supplies the mill with a constant supply of water, which then descends from a great height to a cistern and generates the necessary power to run the mill.
After seeing the main attraction point in the city, one day I made a complete plan for the important place which is completely outside Aurangabad city. Then I left the house on Sunday morning with all the things I needed for that. I decided to visit three or four places in one day. I had learned that summer in Aurangabad is very hot. Now I wanted to do site-seeing in the same summer.
Bhadra Maruti Mandir
My first stop was Bhadra Maruti Mandir. This temple also has a name “Sleeping Maruti” because the idol of Lord Maruti is in Reclining position in this temple. This temple is located at Khuldabad, 20 km from Aurangabad. After going there, a question came to my mind that why is Lord Hanuman in reclining posture?
According to the Folklores, once the king was singing a devotional song for Lord Rama, as he was a devotee of the lord, Hanuman came there and was so happy to listen to the melody that he slept there. That is why the idol in the temple of Lord Hanuman is in sleeping posture. Bhadrasana asked the lord to give blessings to this place. But seeing the temples and idols made me feel very much. There is nothing wrong with visiting Aurangabad once.
Tomb of Aurangzeb
After this religious event, I set off on my next stop and reached the Tomb of Aurangzeb. This is also one of the most historical places here. This tomb is in a very small space but is very famous. Not as decorative as the rest of the Mughal tombs and but very nicely constructed in less space. Aurangzeb spent his last few years in Aurangabad and fell ill during a war and died in 1707. As per wish of Aurangzeb, his tomb is located in the south-eastern corner of the complex of the dargah of Sheikh Zainuddin.
Daulatabad Fort
After seeing all these small but important places, I headed towards the fort, Daulatabad Fort. This fort has another original name “Devagiri Fort”. Many kings ruled from this fort. Its history is well known so I am not mentioning it here. However, it informs in two sentences, Daulatabad Fort was built by Bhillama V – King of Yadava’s in 1187.
It was also ruled by Alauddin Khilji at the dawn of the 1200s. Under Md, Bin Tughlaq it was the capital of the Tughlaq dynasty. However, the capital was moved to Delhi due to water scarcity and drought eventually. By the time I reached the fort, it was 1.30 pm. I went to the small hotels next to the fort and had my lunch preferring local cuisine. I rested on the table for a while and took a bottle of water and marched towards the fort.
From a distance, it seemed that climbing the fort was very difficult and time consuming, but it was decided to take up the challenge. All afternoon when I entered through the door and the question fell, where is the fort? The fort was visible but he could not find the way / steps to go. But after going a little further, I came to life..!! I saw a pyramid with a blunt conical hilltop thousands of hands away. Felt good, saw something and not disappointed. The interest grew more upon entering the premises.
Talking about the architecture of this fort, it is three layers of defensive walls, and its moat, scrap and the sub-terrane passage are made out of solid rocks. A large pit of fire in its upper outlet gave hard times to the enemies and also helped in their progression. Chand Minar, Chini Mahal, and Baradari are three of the most popular and significant structures within the fort.
The Chand Minar
The Chand Minar, on the other hand, stands out at first glance. The Minar, also known as the Tower of the Moon, was built in 1445 by Ala-ud-din Bahmani of the Bahmani Sultanate to commemorate the fort’s capture. At first glance, it reminded me of Delhi’s Qutb Minar. It was discovered that it was simply an inspiration to construct the structure.
The Minar has four storeys, with the diameter rising as one counts down from the top little dome. The use of “Lapis Lazuli,” a deep blue rock known to have been imported from Persia at the time, is the highlight of the entire Minar. The Minar is closed for the tourists, because of a some suicide case.
Chini Mahal
As I move further into the fort, I saw the Chini Mahal, a VIP prison built by Aurangzeb. The once-compelled residence of Abul Hasan Tana Shah and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is now in ruins (Son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj). Tana Shah was imprisoned here by Aurangzeb and remained there for 12 years until his death.
Marching forward, there is a small footbridge that leads to the other side of the fort. As a defensive device, a moat 20-30 feet deep underneath the bridges was used. And if one looks down, one can’t help but shiver at the past it holds. When the location was active for conquest and fights, the moat was used as a final drop for the enemies or as another defensive tactic. It took me another hour to reach halfway of the fort.
Baradari or Octagonal Palace
For the first time, I might have wished a path to end as it was getting beyond our level of comfort. Resting for 5-10 minutes again, I started to walk the rest of the path. After almost twenty minutes of small rickety steps panting and puffing, I managed to reach the top of the summit which I first looked at the time of entering into the fort.
After reaching up the peak area which is called Baradari or Octagonal Palace, I looked in front of fort, everything was appeared to be a small. It felt good to see it return from the first location I tried. Climbing high is not easy, and once there, looking back down is a sigh of relief. The peak used to be a chamber where emperors, kings, and generals could watch what was going on around them. It used to be an observation post for approaching enemies, from which the next course of action could be planned.
The peak place was filled with groups in form of friends, families and couples. I saw a good place for me and went and sat down. It was necessary to take a good rest after walking so far because the fort was walking in full sun. But once you are gone, all the fatigue goes away. Sitting on top, the entire city of Aurangabad, the surrounding area looks very small and cool. Wherever you look, you can see the sprawling city of Aurangabad. The feeling of conquering the world comes.
Mendha Tope (Canon)
It was done by looking at the entire fort, but one important thing to see was the “Mendha Tope (Canon)”. Believed to be the second largest cannon in India made of special alloy to resist heat, it is said to be designed in Afghanistan. There was 288 canon in Daultabad Fort but in that only Mendha Tope is very famous and useful canon at that time.
The cannon with the ram’s head is called Mendha Tope as Mendha means ram and tope means cannon in Marathi. And one look at the beautiful rear end of the cannon which is shaped in the form of a ram’s head. Mendha tope was made by Muhammed Hussain Arab. In addition to Mendha cannon, there are two more cannons Kala Pahad Cannon and Durga Cannon.
The Journey Ends
The whole fort and the details of the fort were seen. It was at round 4.00 pm and started descending the fort. There was a satisfaction in my mind that today I lived a different and historic life. I also knew that I still have a lot to see. City Break – Aurangabad was not over yet. There was still a lot to see and it was worth seeing.
Let’s say goodbye and see you back in the next blog where you will visit another UNESCO site.