Aurangabad Excursion

About 14 kms. northwest of Aurangabad lies Daulatabad. Founded by Raja Bhillamraj and capital of the Yadava rulers, this elevated bastion was known as Deogiri or Devagiri meaning "Hill of the Gods". The Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad Bin Tuglaq, renamed this place Daulatabad, "City Of Fortune" and even shifted his capital and its inhabitants 1100 kms. in 1338.

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22km from Aurangabad and a 5km ride from the caves, Khauladabad, also known as Rauza, is an old walled town famous for a bumper crop of tumbledown onion-domed tombs. It is believed that the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb was buried here.

170 kms from Aurangabad, is the village of Lonar. Over 30,000 years ago, a falling meteorite struck the area creating the world's largest impact crater in basaltic rock. Botanists have recently discovered vegetation life forms not found anywhere else on this planet, in the stunning lake of the crater.

Here one can see a number of resident and migratory birds. The Gyaneshwar Udyan is a planned garden on the lines of Bridavan gardens and the Moghul gardens in Kashmir. Over years the place has been a heaven for nature lovers. These second century caves are 78 kms from Aurangabad. There are 13 cave sanctuaries, chaityas and viharas on a remote land cluster. The elaborate and beautiful sculptured facade of the great vihara in an impressive sight.