By Air
Aurangabad has direct Air connections from Mumbai and Delhi. Both Indian Airlines and Jet Airways have got flights going through this route.

By Rail
Aurangabad is connected to all major cities in India, by the Indian Railways, one of the largest railway networks in the world. Trains going to Mumbai, Delhi, Manmad, Bhusawal, and towards North India, South India, and many other tourist attractions are available.

By Road
Aurangabad is easily accessible by Bus also. There are a number of luxury bus services from major towns like Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Indore, Nanded, Nasik, Etc.

City STD Code
0240

Temperature
Summer very hot- Months - May - Jun, Minimum Temp 26C & Maximum 36C.
Winters are pleasant Minimum Temp 20C & Maximum Temp 28C.

Best time to visit
October - March 

Bibi ka Maqbara
Colloquially known as the poor man s Taj Mahal , a mausoleum built in 1679 for Aurangzeb s wife, Rabia-ud-Daurani. Though it pales in comparison with the original, it is definitely worth a visit. The design is simple yet it manages to portray the typical elegance that is synonymous with Mughal architecture. The minuscule archaeological museum behind the monument is interesting for a walk-through.

Panchakki
An engineering marvel, it is a water wheel which once drew water to work the mill from a distance of 6 km through earthen pipes. The now abandoned mill used to grind flour that fed the pilgrims. A Sufi saint, Baba Shah Muzaffar (Aurangzeb s spiritual advisor) is buried within the grounds and there are tanks teeming with enormous kohl fish.

Himroo Factory
Nestling in the bylanes of the old town, adjacent to the Zafar Gate, is a quaint workshop/ factory. It manufactures the magnificent Himroo shawl where the artisan weaves lengths of gold and silver threads together with cotton to create an affordable alternative to the opulent Kam Khabs (brocade and real gold/ silver shawls), favoured by royalty in the 14th century. Though the entire process of shawl and saree-weaving has been mechanised, here one can see the traditional looms which are operated manually. Motifs in the Ajanta frescoes provide inspiration for these wonderful designs.

Purwar Museum
A peculiar 2-room museum, which exhibits the personal collection of a retired doctor. Concealed behind an antique shop on Sarafa Road, it is easy to miss if you don t know what you are looking for! Among the interesting items on show is a 500-year-old chain-mail suit, Aurangzeb s hand-written personal Koran and a 800-year-old Paithani saree. Though not crammed with antiques, the museum is good to spend a quiet hour.

Ajanta
Located about 100 km from the city, the Ajanta Caves are one of the most important sites exploring Buddhist art forms. Dating from 2nd-7th century B C, the 30 rock-hewn caves, spread out like a horseshoe, are a study in sensuality and elegance. The abundance of natural light affords the visitor an unparalled view of the brilliant cave paintings ? each telling a story of its own. The dappled rays of the fading sun cast poignant shadows on the intricately worked pillars and the vision is imprinted with startling clarity, never to fade.

Ellora
Situated not far from Ajanta (and about 30 km from Aurangabad) is the hamlet of Ellora. Steeped in historical wealth, this village reflects the soul of three different religions ? Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. These three coexist harmoniously to provide a stunning display of art and culture. The silent monuments, in a sickle-shape formation, have weathered the test of time to bring to us an offering that leaves us humbled. It is believed that the rock temples were constructed under the aegis of the Rashtrakutan king Krishna I. Though all the temples are a must-see, particularly noteworthy is the Kailasa Temple which is said to be the largest monolithic rock-carved monument of its type in the world. The inner sanctum has a lingam of the temple-deity, Shiva.

Daulatabad
Midway between Aurangabad and Ellora at only 13 km sits this 14th century hill-fortress. The brainchild of the mad Sultan of Delhi, Mohammed Tughlaq, who on a whim decided to shift his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (1,100 km)! The long, exhausting march took its toll on the weary populace and they perished in thousands. After a sojourn of 17 years, he decided to reverse his decision and marched back to Delhi. Again thousands buckled under the strain. Surrounded by a 5-km wall, the sturdy fort has magnificent doorways, a 6-m cannon, a victory tower Chand Minar and a blue-tiled Chini Mahal where the last ruler of Golconda was imprisoned.

Khuldabad or Rauza
The Karbala (holy shrine) of the Deccan is a walled city 3 km from Ellora. Is the burial site of Emperor Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler. The simple tomb is an eloquent testament to the staunch faith and the spartan lifestyle of this ruler. The tomb was built with the money he earned by stitching cloth caps. The Persian calligraphy on the tombstone reads: "No marble sheets should shield me from the sky as I lie there, one with the earth".
Inside the walls is the Alamgir Dargah, which apparently contains memorabilia of the Prophet Mohammed and is shown to the faithful only once a year.

Ghrishneshwar Temple
One of the 12 tirlingas India, the Ghrishneshwar Temple (half a kilometre from Ellora) is in Verul and was built in the 18th century. The temple is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus.

Paithan
The name says it all! The hometown of the famed Paithani sarees at 56 km from Aurangabad. Every saree is a masterpiece and takes anything between 1.5 and 2 years to complete. Other than the weaving centre also worth visiting is the Gyaneshwar Gardens, the largest in Maharashtra.

Lonar Crater
In the Buldhana district at a distance of 165 km from Aurangabad is this famous meteorite hyper-velocity impact crater. Is famed to be the third largest crater in the world. The impervious basalt rock crags in which rain water has accumulated for the last 50,000-60,000 thousand years has been tested for alkaline value of 10.7 pH. This is more than that of the Dead Sea and according to scientists no life can survive in these conditions. Miraculously, blue-green algae have been discovered and if verified then it will be a cradle for a completely new life form.

Aurangabad is well known for its soft and elegant Himroo shawls. The Mashru and Kimkhab shawls make for equally good buys. Also famous are the legendary Paithani sarees and the delicate Bidriware. Agate is a popular stone set in wonderful jewellery and is a great give-away.

 The Walled City - Shawls, bidri-ware, Paithani sarees.
 State Emporium - Regional art and craft, jewellery.