I was quite fascinated by the history of this ancient land. As a part of my historical tour I made a trip to the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The city is at a distance of 388 kms from Mumbai. Instead of wasting 8 hrs on the road trip, I took a flight and landed up at Aurangabad. The airport is just 10 kms from the city.

I checked in at the MTDC Holiday resort, located near the railway station. The next day was full of experiences. Early in the morning I went to see the Aurangabad caves situated just outside the city. The architecture and iconography of the caves conspicuously bear the Tantric influences. Of the total twelve caves, what I found most interesting were the 12 finely carved columns and sculptures in cave 3. The sculptures portray scenes from the Jataka tales. In cave 7 I was amused by the imposing sculpture of a Boddhisattva, praying for deliverance.

Thereafter, I headed for the Bibi - Ka - Maqbara, the only specimen of Mughal architecture in the Deccan. Built in 1679 by Aurangzeb's son, as a tribute to his mother Begum Rabia Durani, the structure bears semblence to the Taj Mahal.

I also visited the Pan Chakki, the ingenious watermill which was designed to generate energy from water, brought down from a spring on a mountain, located nearby. The energy generated was, further, used to turn the large grinding stones of the flour mill. From my guide I came to know that it was built by Malik Ambar in 1695. The gardens and fish tanks around this place serve as a memorial to a sufi saint who was much venerated by Aurangzeb.

Around the city there are quite a few monuments which deserved a visit. For instance, the imposing fortress of “Devgiri” at Daulatabad, 13 kms from the city, left me in awe. With the 5 km massive wall, artificial scarping, spiked gates, dungeons and an array of complicated defence systems, it is a marvel of military architecture.

I visited the elegant Bani Begum gardens, 24 kms from the city. But I still regret my inability to make it to the prodigious Gyaneshwar gardens, the largest garden in Maharashtra.

I must mention that Aurangabad is an excellent point of departure for those who want to visit the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves.