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Aurangabad (Sambhajinagar)

Pop: 700,000 Area Code: 0240

Aurangabad is a convenient city to use as a base when you visit the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. It has several interesting sites worth visiting. The city was originally named after Aurangzeb, but has recently been renamed Sambhajinagar, after the Hindu Maratha, Sambhaji (nagar means “city”).

The caves at Ellora and Ajanta are off the railway lines in the middle of nowhere. Most people visit them while based either in Aurangabad (Ellora is 30km northwest, and Ajanta is 106km north) or from Jalgaon (59km north of Ajanta). Jalgaon is on the main railway line from Mumbai to Allahabad. Aurangabad is off the main line. There are two direct trains from Mumbai daily.

Orientation
Aurangabad is spread out. The tourist offices, less expensive hotels, and railway station are in the southwest part of town. The bus stand is located 2km north of the railway station. It is a good distance to the older part of town in the center of the city.

Most of the higher-class hotels are located on the road going toward the airport in the east part of town, and in a few other places. Most of the middle-class hotels are located between the railway station and the old part of town.

Tourist Offices
The helpful Government of India Tourist Office (331-217), West Station Rd, is open from 8.30 am to 6 pm weekdays; 8.30 am to 12.30 pm on Saturdays.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (331-513) is at the MTDC Holiday Resort Hotel on Station Road (open daily 8 am to 7.30 pm). MTDC also has tourist information counters at the railway station and the airport (open at flight times only).

Information
The GPO (poste restante counter 1) is at Juna Bazaar Chowk, in the north part of town. Outside the post office there is someone to sew packages.
The State Bank of India is at Kranti Chowk. A good place to change money is Trade Wings, opposite Hotel Printravel (daily 9 am to 7 pm). Bank of Baroda, near Paithan Gate on Pattan Darwaza Rd, gives advances on MasterCard and Visa (Mon to Fri 1 to 2.30 pm & Sat 11 am to 12.30 pm).

MIP Travels, Hotel Amarpreet, Jalna Rd, is an established travel agency. Classic Travel (337-788; fax 338-556), inside MTDC Holiday Resorts, Station Rd, does air, train and bus bookings.

Internet access at Hotel Printravel (Rs 100 per hour) and at Mass Communication at Osmanpura Circle on Station Rd East for Rs 120 per hour.

Tours
The MTDC, the ITDC, and the State Transport Company (MSRTC) arrange tours. You can be picked up at your hotel if it is conveniently located. The ITDC tour and State Transport tours are cheaper than the MTDC tour. I was satisfied with the MTDC tour to Ajanta. The tour guide spoke English well and answered all my questions. Some people would consider it rushed. This tour is a good value and is recommended.

I also took the MTDC tour to the Ellora Caves, which includes Daulatabad. None of the guides spoke English. At the Ellora Caves they rush you around like there was a fire. If you don’t mind being rushed around it is not such a bad value.

The State Transport Corporation tours start at the Central bus stand. You book the tour at Window 1 at the City bus stand. You get ITDC tour tickets at the Hotel Aurangabad Ashok (24143). The ITDC can arrange tours in Spanish, German, French, and Japanese.

The tour to Ellora Caves includes Daulatabad Fort, Grishneswar Temple, Aurangzeb’s tomb, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, and Panchakki, and is way too rushed.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (24713) tours start from the Holiday Resort Hotel, Station Road, but they can also pick you up at your hotel.

Ajanta Cave
8 am to 5 pm Rs 160
Ellora Caves
9 am to 5 pm Rs 120

India Tourism Development Corporation tours start at the Hotel Aurangabad Ashok (24143). Arrange the tour in advance at the tourist office on Station Rd or at Ashok Tours and Travel in the hotel lobby.

Ajanta Caves
8 am to 5 pm   Rs 150
Ellora Caves
9 am to 5 pm Rs 110

MSRTC tours start at the Central bus stand.
Ajanta Caves
8 am to 5 pm Rs 120
Ellora Caves
8 am to 4 pm Rs 65

When to Visit
The best time to visit is October and November, and the second best time is from December to March. By April and May the weather is extremely hot, and this is one of the hottest areas in India.

Aurangabad Caves
These rock-cut caves, located 3km north of Aurangabad past Bibi-ka-Maqbara, are not as interesting as the caves at Ajanta and Ellora, but they are still worth visiting. The caves date back to the 4th to 8th centuries, except Cave 4, which dates back to the 1st century. The caves are mostly Buddhist, but there are some Hindu caves too. There are some good views from the caves. These caves are not visited by many people.
There are two groups of caves about 2km apart: Western (caves 1-5) and Eastern (caves 6-9). Cave 4 is a Hinayana chaitya hall (where congregational worship was done); the other caves are viharas (monasteries). It is possible to drive up to caves 6 and 7, which are the most interesting.

Cave 3 is a vihara, a residence hall for Buddhist monks. It has several beautiful carved pillars. In this cave there are the remains of paintings, depicting stories from the Jataka (pastimes of previous Buddhas).

Cave 6 has a large Buddha statue and a carving of Ganesh. There are also interesting sculptures of women. Cave 7 has interesting sculptures and is considered the best of the caves. One of the most interesting panels shows a classical dancer surrounded by six female musicians. There is a large Bodhisattva to the left of the entrance of

Cave 7.
The caves are about a twenty-minute auto-rickshaw ride north of town. You have to negotiate in advance the fare plus waiting time. The road leading to the caves is just behind the Bibi-ka-Maqbara and you can walk to the cave from there.

If you want to avoid any kind of crowd, come early in the morning. Bring a flashlight as there are no lights in the caves (parts of the caves are dark even in the middle of the day). There is a book about the caves called The Caves at Aurangabad by Carmel Berkson.

Bibi-ka-Maqbara
This white mausoleum was built by Aurangzeb for his wife, Begum Rabi’a Durani. This impressive Muslim monument has ornate jali screens and floral reliefs. It is known as the “poor-man’s Taj Mahal,” and in no way does it measure up to the Taj Mahal. The first 2m are covered with beautiful white marble and the rest is covered by plaster. It is floodlit at night.

This is a popular place and is open daily, dawn to dusk. Admission Rs 0.50.

Panchakki
Located here is an old mill, which was driven by water brought in earthern pipes from a river 6km away. It is a relatively peaceful place.
The tomb of Baba Shah Muzaffar, a Sufi saint, is also located here. The gardens and tanks here are dedicated to him. Open daily 8 am to 8 pm Admission Rs 1.

Where to Stay—Lower
Most of the inexpensive places are by the railway station. You can often get a discount between April and Sept.

The Retiring Rooms at the railway station cost Rs 75 per person.
The clean, well-managed Youth Hostel (334-892), between the main section of town and the railway station, has a few clean double rooms for Rs 150 and dorm beds (separate dorms for men and women) for Rs 50. Check-in times between 7 and 11 am and 4 to 8 pm. Curfew 10 pm. Checkout time 9 am. Recommended.
Hotel Panchavati (328-755), next to the Youth Hostel, has rooms with bath and hot water in the morning for Rs 125/175.
Hotel Natraj (324-260), West Station Rd, is one of the best cheap places, with rooms with common bath for Rs 110/135.
Tourist Home (337-212), West Station Rd, is a clean, basic place with rooms with common bath for Rs 110 and rooms with bath for Rs 135. It is one of the better cheap places.
MTDC Holiday Resort (334-259), close to the railway station, is a good value with good-sized rooms for Rs 250/300 and Rs 450/500 with A/C. Checkout time 8 am
Hotel Printravel (329707), Dr Ambedkar Rd, between the bus and railway stations, is a recommended place with fairly basic rooms for Rs 200/300 with bath and hot water. It is a big, quiet place. There is a good vegetarian restaurant in front of the hotel.
Hotel Ira, in the Samartha Nagar area near the bus stand, is a good place with rooms for Rs 300.
Shree Maya (333-093), West Station Rd, has well-maintained rooms with bath and TV for Rs 250/300 and Rs 600 with A/C.
Devpriya (339-032), near Siddarth Gardens, is a well-run family place with clean rooms for Rs 250/350. You can get a good massage here and they have a steam bath.

Where to Stay—Middle
Hotel Rajdhani (336-553), Station Rd, has clean rooms for Rs 325/400 and Rs 450/450 with A/C.
Hotel Nandavan (336-314), Station Rd, has large, decent rooms with hot water and TV for Rs 250/300 and Rs 450 with A/C. It has a vegetarian restaurant.
Hotel Ravi Raj (327-501), Dr Rajendra Prasad Marg, by Station Rd, has a good location. It has decent rooms, but they are not a very good value. Rooms go for Rs 450/600 and Rs 700/800 for an A/C rooms.
Great Punjab (336-482), Station Rd, near the train station, is a new business-type hotel with good-valued rooms with TV for Rs 300/350 and Rs 500/550 with A/C. This is the best middle-class hotel by the station.
Ashiyana (329-322), Bansilal Nagar, off Station Rd by the tourist office, is a new hotel with good-valued, clean, and quiet rooms with TV for Rs 225/300.

Where to Stay—Higher
Quality Inn Vedant (350-701; fax 350-700), East Station Rd, has central A/C and modern rooms for Rs 1795/2100. It has a pool (non-guest Rs 150) and breakfast is included in the price.
Aurangabad Ashok (332-492; fax 331-328) Dr Rajendra Prasad Marg, has A/C room for Rs 1400/2500. It has a pool and its own garden. It is not so well-maintained.
Ajanta Ambassador (485-211; fax 484-367), Chikal Thana, near the airport, is a five-star hotel with rooms for $55/70 and suites that cost up to $85. It is a well-managed place with a good pool (non-guest Rs 150) and quiet gardens.
President Park (486-201; fax 484-823), near the airport has rooms for Rs 1500/2100. It has a good pool surrounded by a garden, a health club, and has a few restaurants. It is a good value.
Welcomgroup Rama International (485-441; fax 484-768), R-3 Chikal Thana, is a first-class, marble luxury place with rooms for $55/90 and suites for up to $150. It is well-located and has large gardens.
Taj Residency (333-501; fax 331-223), 8N-12, CIDCO, has impressive gardens and is well-located. Very comfortable rooms are $55/70. Recommended.
The Meadows (677-412; fax 677-416) has modern cottages with their own gardens for Rs 2000/2500. It has a pool, health club, and a playground for children.

Where to Eat
Petang Restaurant, in front of the Printravel Hotel on West Station Rd, is a good vegetarian place. Open 11.30 am to 3 pm and 7 to 11 pm for full meals and thalis (Rs 40); snacks served throughout the day.
Radhika Restaurant, at the Hotel Nandanvan on Station Rd, has a reasonably priced, good vegetarian restaurant.
Bhoj, Dr Ambedkar Rd, is a very good, high-class South Indian vegetarian place.
Woodlands Restaurant (82822), on Jaina Road near the CIDCO bus stand and the Rama International Hotel, is most likely the best vegetarian place in town. Popular with the locals. It is about a twenty-minute auto-rickshaw ride from the train station. It has above average prices.
Food Lovers, Station Rd, has good Punjabi and Chinese food. The restaurant is set in a garden and is a pleasant place to eat.
Foodwala’s Bhoj, Station Rd (Dr Ambedkar Rd), is a good and popular vegetarian restaurant. It has good Gujarati thalis for lunch. Open 11 am to 3 pm and 7 to 11 pm.
Mingling, Rajdoot Hotel, Jalna Rd, serves good Chinese and Indian food. A main dish costs about Rs 75.
Quality Inn Vedant has a buffet breakfast (Rs 100) and lunch (Rs 150).
Chanakya, Dwarkapuri Rd, is a popular place with the elite locals.

Local Transport
To go by taxi to the Ellora Caves via Daulatabad Fort costs about Rs 500. This includes waiting time. Local taxis are Rs 250 for four hours (40km) and Rs 350 for eight hours (80km).
Regular buses from the Central bus stand go to Daulatabad, Ellora (every half-hour), Ajanta (3 hr, four direct buses daily), and Jalgaon (4½ hr). Not all buses going to Jalgaon go to Ajanta from Aurangabad. They often stop in Fardapur (4km away on the main road).

There are two stalls by the bus stand that rent out good bicycles.

WARNING Beware of the touts at the station offering all-inclusive package tours to Ellora and Ajanta. It is much cheaper and just as easy to arrange the tours yourself.

Travel 
Aurangabad is off the main Delhi-Mumbai railway line, but there are some direct trains to Mumbai and Hyderabad. Ajanta and Ellora caves are not on any train lines, so if you wish to get to these places by train, you must go either to Aurangabad or to Jalgaon (on the main Delhi-Mumbai line), and from there, take a bus or car.

Air The airport is about 10km from the center of town. There are flights to Mumbai (2 daily, $75), Delhi (daily, $150), Jaipur (daily, $125), and Udaipur (daily, $110). The Indian Airlines office (485-421; Airport: 485-012) is on Airport Rd (Jalna Rd). It is open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm. The flights are usually overbooked far in advance, so it is best to book your flight at least a week in advance if not earlier. To fly to Udaipur takes thirty minutes; by train or bus expect to travel for twenty-four hours. Jet Airways (425-877).
Train  There are two direct trains daily to Mumbai, both of which are usually heavily booked. The Tapovan Exp #7618 departs 2.45 pm and arrives in Mumbai at 10.50 pm (a bad time to try to find a hotel). At 9.35 pm the Devagiri Exp #1004 departs to Mumbai (10½ hr, arrive 5.40 am). From Mumbai the Devagiri Exp #1003 (9.20 pm, 10 hr) is a direct train to Aurangabad. From Mumbai you can also take a train to Manmad, and from there another train for the uncomfortable 110km ride to Aurangabad. This trip takes about eight hours.

You can also take a train to Jalgaon and a bus to either Ajanta or Aurangabad. If you are coming from Mumbai and then heading north, you can see the Ellora caves first, then go to Ajanta, and then catch a train from Jalgaon. Trains from Jalgaon go to Delhi, Agra, Udaipur, Calcutta, Chennai, and Varanasi.

To get to Delhi you can take a train to Manmad (2½ hr, 110km), and from there another train to Delhi. You should be able to book the train departing from Manmad to Delhi in Aurangabad.

To get to Hyderabad, there is the daily Devgiri Exp (4.45 am, 14 hr) or the Manmad Kacheguda Exp #7663 (7.20 pm, 14 hr), which goes to nearby Secunderabad. You can also travel to Hyderabad overnight by taking a 5.30 pm train to Pune and from there, another train to Hyderabad (10.30 pm). This can all be booked on the same ticket. The train from Pune does not depart until the train from Aurangabad arrives.

Bus  From the Bus station (331-217) on Dr Ambedkar Rd, 2km north of the railway station, there are buses to Jalgaon (10 daily), Ellora, Daulatabad, and Ajanta. There are long-distance buses to Pune (seven daily, 6 hr), Indore (12 hr), Nasik (five daily, 5 hr), and Mumbai.

MTDC operates a daily luxury bus from Mumbai (8.30 pm, 10 hr). The MTDC (202-6713) office in Mumbai is opposite the LIC Bldg, Madame Cama Road. Tickets can be booked at the MTDC Holiday Resort for the deluxe night bus from Aurangabad to Mumbai. There is a four-day tour out of Mumbai run by MTDC. The ticket price includes accommodations at the Aurangabad Ashok.

TPH Tours and Travels at the Hotel Rajdhani, Station Rd, books luxury buses to Mumbai.

To get to Udaipur from here, either take a bus to Indore (12 hr) and another bus from there (another 12 hr), or take a bus to Ahmedabad and from there, another bus to Udaipur.

From Mumbai you could hire a car and driver. The trip will take four days, two days actually seeing the caves.

If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:

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