Top Things to do in Aurangabad District
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Things to do in Aurangabad District, Maharashtra: The Best Historic Sites
Discover the best top things to do in Aurangabad District, India including Ellora Caves, Sindkhed Raja, Tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Hindu Temples at Ellora Caves, Buddhist Temples at Ellora Caves, Jama Masjid, Killa Arak.
Restaurants in Aurangabad District
1. Ellora Caves
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By LindonH - Bruny Island, Australia
I have travelled extensively in India and this has got to one of the best heritage sites in India. We were just overwhelmed with the magnificence of the unique place Tidy, well managed, clean (apart from the occasional plastic bottle) Should be visited in conjunction with the magnificent Ajunta caves. But unlike Ajunta, there are no pestering hawkers at this site. The handful of vendors are extremely respectful to visitors Our tip ... get there when the gate opens. We experienced sunrise on site and had 2 hours in the main cave until other visitor began arriving. That quiet time in there was special We got a pass-out at the exit, so that we could go back to hotel for breakfast, and return in the cool of the afternoon. Take your water with you ... as with all heritage sites ... there are no vendors within Enjoy this extra special part of India. We are so glad that we took the extra effort to visit Ellora. Thankyou Joanna Lumley!
2. Sindkhed Raja
3. Tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 206 reviews
Reviewed By drsenthil - Coimbatore, India
A simple marble covered resting place for the last mughal emperor unlike other mughal emperors tomb which are big monuments
4. Hindu Temples at Ellora Caves
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Donna_in_India - New York City, United States
There are 17 Hindu Caves at Ellora - numbers 13-29. They were excavated at the beginning of the 7th century. The Hindu caves are the centerpieces of Ellora and are so detailed and intricate that they must have required generations of planning and coordination, not to mention the 100+ years it took to actually create them. Two of the more interesting Caves were Cave 14 also known as Ravana ki Kahi and Cave 15 also known as Dashavatara. Cave 14 contains sculptures of Hindu gods/goddesses (deities) such as Durga and Vishnu. Cave 15 was double-storied (I really liked this one) and had superb sculptures. However the highlight of the Hindu Caves, and of Ellora, in fact, is Cave 16 known as Kailasanath (Kailasa/Kailasha) Temple. This temple is actually a complex - it is huge! - 266 feet by 154 feet. It was carved (top to bottom out of one single rock that is double the size of the Parthenon in Athens). It is the largest monolithic structure in the world and was sculpted with the mere use of hammer and chisel. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and there are countless carvings of him. There is an open courtyard with a towering pillar and numerous sculptured (life size) elephants, which are world famous. The two stairways leading to the Mandapa of the main temple are carved with narrative episodes from the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Those were really interesting!! I also liked the Nandi Pavillion - housing a large sculpture of Nandi, the bull which Lord Siva rides. One of my other favorite sculptures was Ganesh - I had to look hard to find him but knew he would be in the complex. Allow plenty of time for the Hindu temples, especially Kailasa. I'm not sure that I would recommend seeing Kailasa last - you may be too tired by then - and there is so much you should not miss!! If you see Kailasa first, by the time you finish the Hindu and Buddhist Caves, you may not make it over to the Jain Caves (especially if you're walking). We saw Kailasa right after seeing Jain Caves 32 & 33, and it worked out really well. (We continued on to the other Hindu Caves and the Buddhist Caves.) If for Kailasa alone, I would highly recommend having a guide. You will find out much more than you would from a guidebook.
5. Buddhist Temples at Ellora Caves
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By Donna_in_India - New York City, United States
There are 12 Buddhist Caves at Ellora - numbers 1-12. The caves comprise of Chaityas (shrines) and Viharas (monasteries). Cave number 1 is possibly the earliest excavation; the Buddhist caves date back to 500-700 A.D. In comparison to the slightly elaborate Jain Caves and the very elaborate Hindu Caves, the Buddhist Caves are almost serene. But it is that very simplicity that I found beautiful. Of course it was easy to imagine the lives of the Buddhists who prayed and meditated (and ate and slept) on the very hard rock floors! Cave 1 is a plain vihara with eight cells. The cells were bare rock and were used for solitary meditation. They indeed looked as uncomfortable as a prison cell but for some unexplainable reason, I really liked this Cave. Cave 2 is a monastery - 50 feet high - having a central hall with pillars and a gallery of Buddhas. Cave 5 was another of my favorite Buddhist Caves. It is also the largest - 117 feet long by 56 feet wide. Twenty four pillars hold up the roof. It looks like it may have been used as a classroom for young monks. At the far end of the Cave is a Buddha image in a chapel. What is interesting in Cave 6 is that in the antechamber there is a statue of the Hindu goddess of learning, Saraswati. Apparently the boundaries between Hinduism and Buddhism are fuzzy and Hindus recognize and worship some Buddhist god/goddesses as their own and vice-versa. Cave 10, also known as Visvakarma, was my favorite Buddhist Cave. It is a chaitya-hall and the only Buddhist chapel at Ellora. The monastery is on the ground floor and the chamber has 28 columns, dividing it up into a nave and aisles. At the back is a huge figure of (Teaching) Buddha carved under a votive stupa. There is a high ceiling with stone rafters. A monk would go up against a column and chant; the chant would echo through the whole monastery. I imagine it was a beautiful sound. (Our guide quietly chanted near a pillar and we were able to hear him throughout the chaitya.) Cave 12 is a three storied cave and is also known as Teen-thaal. It has an open court and has porches supported by pillars in each story. The outside is very plain looking but the hall on each floor has decorated galleries with Buddhas carved on the walls. The nicest statue is the Buddha (in deep meditation) in the shrine.
6. Jama Masjid
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 17 reviews
7. Killa Arak
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 5 reviews
