Aurangabad Travel Guide, India

Aurangabad is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The administrative headquarters of the Marathawada region, Aurangabad is a famous tourist destination frequented by vacationers from around the world. Being surrounded by hills on all sides, the city has unparalleled natural beauty; moreover, there are many historical monuments in the region, including world heritage sites like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

Statistics

Area: 196 sq km

Population: 1,414,918

Language: Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and English

Currency: Rupee

Architecture

You get to see various architectural influences in Aurangabad – it needs no emphasizing that these influences are characteristic of the period/reign it represents. Thus, you will come across many century-old structures like the Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad Caves, Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-Ka-Maqbara and Ghrishneshwar Temple in Aurangabad. A number of modern buildings (mostly malls/plazas and departmental stores) have also sprung up in the recent years.

Aurangabad enjoys a unique epithet, the ‘City of Gates’, because of the presence of 9 gates– Bhadkal Gate, Barapulla Gate, Dilli Gate, Jaffer Gate, Kala Darwaja, Katkat Gate, Paithan Gate, Rangin Darwaja and Roshan Gate – within the city-limits.

Aurangabad Economy and Infrastructure

Aurangabad’s strategic position on the famous "Silk Route" had earned it importance as a great trade-center in its early days and the region became famous for its typical Himroo shawls, which are woven by blending silk with locally grown cotton. Today, silk-production is done on a much reduced scale but it still remains an important contributor to the local economy as there are many who buy Aurangabadi silk, especially the Paithani silk.

Among other industries dominating Aurangabad’s economy are beverage production, pharmaceuticals, steel recycling, etc. Many IT companies have sprung up in the recent years, creating more employment opportunities.

Aurangabad has a number of banks (both public and private sector) and financial institutions.

The city has a number of shopping arcades, restaurants, bars and internet cafés. With many budget and luxury hotels in and around Aurangabad, accommodation is never going to pose any problem. Coming to transportation, Aurangabad has a well-built infrastructure. Aurangabad has an International airport; but one can also reach Aurangabad by using roadways or railways connecting it to other important cities. Bus/train services are pretty regular. For touring the city, you can take taxis/auto-rickshaws; besides, the Aurangabad Municipal Transport runs an intra-city bus service, which provides one access to all parts of the city. The horse-drawn Tonga is another grand option.

People and Culture

Ruled by several dynasties, the city of Aurangabad has become socially and culturally rich. The present-day Aurangabad is a cosmopolitan hub, where the resident Hindu and Muslim populations live in perfect harmony. In the past, Aurangabad has been a force to be reckoned in the fields of art and literature; this dominance of the Aurangabadi people continues even today.