2 DAY TRIP FROM MUMBAI | ELLORA - AURANGABAD - AJANTA

At a distance of 28 km from Aurangabad, 98 km from Ajanta Caves, 104 km from Shirdi, 176 km from Nashik, 253 km from Pune, and 344 km from Mumbai, Ellora Caves are ancient historical caves locally known as 'Verul Leni'. The caves are located near Verul on the Aurangabad-Chalisgaon road to the northwest of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The Ellora Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Ellora is the most visited ancient monument and also one of the top Tourist places in Maharashtra. Ellora is also one of the top tourist places to visit near Aurangabad.

The caves at Ellora were carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The carving work began around 550 AD, about the same time the Ajanta Caves were abandoned. The Ellora Caves were built at time when Buddhism was declining in India and Hinduism was beginning to reassert itself. .....

At a distance of 16 km from Aurangabad Railway Station, Daulatabad is an ancient hill fort situated on the way to Ellora Caves from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Daulatabad Fort is one of the best preserved Forts in Maharashtra and also one of the best in Aurangabad tourist places.

The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by Yadava king Bhillama V in 1187 AD. The city was then called 'Deogiri', meaning the hill of gods. Daulatabad or 'the abode of wealth' was the name given by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq when he made his capital here in 1327 AD. The region and the fort passed on into the hands of Bahamani rulers under Hasan Gangu in 1347 AD and Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar in 1499 AD. Daulatabad became the capital of Nizam Shahi dynasty in 1607 AD. The fort passed several hands, captured and re-captured by the Mughals, Marathas, Peshwas and finally placed under the control of the Nizams of Hyderabad in 1724 AD till independence.

Daulatabad .....

At a distance 5.5 km from Aurangabad Railway Station, Bibi Ka Maqbara is a beautiful mausoleum situated in Aurangabad. Maintained by Archeological Survey of India, Bibi Ka Muqbara is one of the top tourist places to visit in Aurangabad.

The Bibi-Ka-Maqbara is dedicated to Rabia-ul-Daurani alias Dilras Banu Begum, the wife of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb's son, Prince Azam Shah built the mausoleum between 1651 AD and 1661 AD in the memory of his mother Begum Rabia Durani. This mausoleum is a replica of the world famous Taj Mahal. Also known as Mini Taj, the mausoleum is far less ornamental than Taj Mahal in Agra.

An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur. Despite the layout and surrounding of the tomb is very much similar to .....

At a distance of 98 km from Aurangabad, 98 km from Ellora Caves, 202 km from Shirdi, 272 km from Nashik, 326 km from Pune and 443 km from Mumbai, Ajanta Caves are ancient Buddhist caves situated near Ajanta village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Ajanta Caves are one of the oldest UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India and also one of the top historical places in Maharashtra. The caves are now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Ajanta Caves are one of the most visited ancient monuments in India and also one of the top Tourist places in Maharashtra. The Caves were carved between 2nd Century BC and 6th Century AD. Construction of the caves was carried out in two phases; the first group of caves was built around 2nd Century BC, while the second group was built between 4th & 6th centuries.

Ajanta Caves are excavated in horse-shoe shaped bend of rock surface nearly 76 m .....