AURANGABAD- THE CITY OF GATES

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Namaste! We have great news to share as the Government of India today issued new guidelines for the International travellers to India. As per these guidelines no quarantine will be required on arrival in India for the international travellers and there will be no differentiation of the travellers on the basis of “at risk” countries any more.

Besides these, International travellers from 82 countries are allowed to upload a certificate of full vaccination instead of a negative RT-PCR report obtained 72 hours prior to boarding. These countries include those which have an agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognised or WHO recognised vaccines or those which provide quarantine-free entry to Indian citizens. Check here the list of countries.

The new guidelines will come into effect from 14 February 2022.

Check here the detailed guidelines.

Meanwhile, in this edition we are excited to take you through the land of historic tales, heart-warming traditions, exceptional handicrafts and a city known for its medieval and majestic cultural heritage, “AURANGABAD- THE CITY OF GATES”.

Lying in the state of Maharashtra and an hour's flight away from the financial capital of India Mumbai, Aurangabad beholds rich culture and history dating back to 2nd century BCE. The city was ruled by various dynasties and therefore many different lifestyles and religions flourished here. On a visit to the city, one is sure to notice how well it has preserved the traces of three religions i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, that influenced the city between the 5th and 10th centuries.


While the city is famous for the UNESCO listed world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves, its history goes beyond them, with many other historical monuments and stories that will leave one spellbound. Aurangabad got its present and final name from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who fell in love with the city and contributed a lot to its history.

Let us take you on a journey of the city whose name kept changing with the change of rulers:

Aurangabad’s recorded history can be traced back to 2nd century BCE when the Satavahana dynasty ruled over this region and their capital was Pratishtanapura (Now known as Paithan). It was believed to be a glorious time for the region as the rulers incentivized the traders, which increased the commercial activities leading to the increase in revenues. The prosperity of the town attracted numerous artisans and traders from different parts of the country to come and settle here. Thus the city also developed the art of weaving premium quality silk sarees, now known as Paithani Sarees. These sarees, woven with gold and thread were so expensive that sometimes they were even used as currency. The heirloom, usually managed by women, was passed on from one generation to another, which is still carried out traditionally by the present generation.

A single exquisite piece of Paithani saree takes about from one month upto a year depending upon the intricacies of work. The art can be witnessed in Paithan, where it is still practiced in the same way as 2000 years ago. Watch a video on Paithani Sarees

INTERESTING FACT: In addition to the paithani sarees, Himroo is another local hand woven fabric with a Persian flair. It is unique to India and is made up of threads of both cotton and silk. It is known for its motifs in rich jewelled tones, glazed appearance and Persian designs.

As the trade in the city flourished, socio-cultural movements also increased. The caves in Ajanta, Ellora, Pitalkhora and Aurangabad caves, speaks volumes about the movements of these socio-cultural ascetics, spread over different phases of time, who took refuge here and added to the monumental grandeur of the city.

Ajanta Caves: Lying around 100 kms from Aurangabad city, a group of caves were carved out of the rock by the Buddhist monks. While the work on these rock-cut caves commenced around 2nd century BCE under Satavahana Kings, it didn't stop with the change in subsequent dynasties ruling the city. It received the same patronage under Vakataka and Chaulakya dynasties, which resulted in around 30 rock-cut caves by the 5th century CE. These caves served as meditation centers (Chaityas) and resting places (Viharas) for Buddhist monks and traders to take a halt while passing through this trade route.

Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, these caves are a blend of sculptures, paintings, and intricate carvings on roofs and pillars, along with many inscriptions. Explore Ajanta caves in this walk through.

INTERESTING FACT: Dating from 2nd century BCE to 480 CE, Ajanta caves are amongst the oldest & the best rock cut structures in India.

Ellora Caves: By the 5th century CE, the reigning rulers, Rashtrukutas, patronized the rock cut cave structures. Around 30 kms away from Aurangabad city, 100 rock-cut caves were carved out between 5th and 10th century and named as Ellora Caves. Today only 34 out of 100 caves are open for the public. While most caves in Ajanta were dedicated to Buddhism, at Ellora one will find caves belonging to the religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.

This is a testimony of the religious tolerance that has been a part and parcel of the Indian culture since time immemorial. The one that grabs everyone’s attention here is the world renowned Kailasha Temple, which is the largest monolithic rock cut excavation in the world.

Aurangabad caves: Situated around 5kms away from Aurangabad city, this group of 12 rock-cut Buddhist caves were also carved out in the same period as Ajanta caves.

What makes these caves interesting is that unlike many other Buddhist caves, these caves are believed to be used for a longer period, until the 7th century CE. In this complex while the majority of the caves are Buddhist, some are dedicated to Hindu Gods as well.

Pitalkhora caves: These caves were also carved out around the same period as Ajanta caves and Aurangabad caves. The complex has 14 Buddhist caves, wherein 10 are Viharas, and 04 are Chaityas.

Located around 80 kms from Aurangabad city and 50 kms from Ellora caves, these rock-cut caves are of the Hinayana sect. However, the paintings inside are of the Mahayana sect. These caves are the main source in determining the chronology of Ajanta and Ellora caves.

HOW THE CITY WAS BUILT?

In around 1187, Yadavas built a fortified citadel called Devagiri, around 65 kms from Paithan. The triangular fort was unique and appeared invincible due to its design and architecture. The false gates, curved walls, complex doorways provided it a strong defense.

However, Yadavas could not hold it for long, and it was captured by Alauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate in 1308. In around 1327, Muhammad Bin Tughluq of Delhi sultanate renamed the city as Daulatabad due to the city's riches, and the fort was also aptly renamed Daulatabad Fort.

A two-hour climb up to the fort provides a magnificent view of the surroundings. Here one can spot Chand Minar, a replica of Qutub Minar (in Delhi) built within the fort (closed for visit to the general public). Another attraction in the fort complex is the VIP prison built by Aurangzeb called Chini Mahal.

In 1610, Malik Abrar, the prime minister of Ahmednagar Sultanate occupied this fort. One could not resist admiring the intelligence and skills of this very strong leader of the Sultanate, whose own journey itself is very interesting to inspire anyone. He was enslaved after being captured in Ethiopia to be sold several times before landing in India as a slave. His strengths brought him to the forefront, and he remained the Sultanate leader throughout his life. He built the city on Khadki village and named it Khadkee, which means a region surrounded by rocky terrains. He built an intelligent water system that used gravitational force for irrigation and transported the water from a river flowing at a distance of 8 kms. He was such a strong leader that the Mughals could not invade Khadkee as long as he was alive. One of his victories against the Mughals made him erect a victory gate in Khadkee, called Bhadkal gate. The city's biggest gate is believed to be the first column structure in India. After his death, he was succeeded by his son Fateh Khan and the city was re-named, Fateh Nagar.

In 1633, the Deccan was captured by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb became the governor, who stayed in Daulatabad fort. As soon as he became the viceroy in 1653, he shifted his capital to Fatehnagar and the city was again renamed Aurangabad. He fortified the city to avoid Maratha invasions and built 51 gates to facilitate entry and exit from the city. Having so many gates around, it earned the city a nickname as the ‘City of Gates’. Each of the gates named as per their position and importance had its own story. However, with time, most of the gates and their stories faded away. Today, only 14 gates are left, with four main gates facing four directions.

Let us now explore some the monuments in Aurangabad:

Bibi ka Maqbara: Aurangzeb built this mausoleum in memory of his wife, Dilras Bano. Originally intended to rival the Taj Mahal, it bears a striking resemblance to the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's mother in Agra and therefore it is often called as The Taj of Deccan or Mini Taj Mahal.

Interestingly the son of the chief architect of Taj Mahal was appointed to design this monument. But due to the budget constraints most of the structure here is built of limestone instead of marble as in Taj Mahal. The motifs and carvings here makes it worth visiting.

Panchakki: It is a beautiful example of medieval engineering wherein water from the mountains (8 kms away) is channelized underground to feed the watermill.

This 17th-century watermill was used to utilize the energy of flowing water to let the wheels of the grinder to move and grind grains for the pilgrims and disciples of the mosque where this watermill is located.

From exploring prehistoric caves to visiting ancient monuments depicting architectural grandeur and finesse of the ancient Indian craftsmen, Aurangabad has a lot to experience. Come and explore this ‘City of Gates’ with us!