INTRODUCTION

Aurangabad city is located in the northern part of the state of Maharashtra, in the western region of India. It is 375 km from Mumbai (Bombay). The city is surrounded by hills. The weather of Aurangabad is temperate with moderate winters (November-February) and summers (April-June). This region experiences good south-western monsoon rains in June-September. River Kham passes through the city of Aurangabad.

The city of Aurangabad is known for its medieval monuments and cultural heritage. It was the seat of the Mughal Empire for a short period. The city boasts of Bibi-ka-Makbara, a tomb that has some resemblance to the Taj Mahal. The importance of Aurangabad is great, owing to its proximity with world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. These sites have Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples. Aurangabad is also famous for its silk and cotton textiles.

Aurangabad cannot be called green, in spite of the several gardens. Its ambience is earthy, a blend of dust and brown soil and warm sunshine, accented by brilliant gulmohar (Delonix regia) blossoms in scarlet and orange.

The signs of a city recently revived are easily visible. Clay and mud huts and depressing acres of empty sunburnt land lie along side spanking new-cemented buildings, industrial estates, and luxury hotels. Yet, few buildings rise above three storeys, the streets remain sparingly filled, and traffic jams do not exist. It would appear to be a city sleeping in the sun, though, in fact, this is not so. It is an industrialized, competitive city, and within the walls of various structures, men work towards ambitious goals.

HISTORY

The Mauryans ushered Buddhism in this region of India, which is evident form the profusion of numerous Buddhist cave temples in and around Aurangabad. Temples built by Satvahana and Rashtrakuta rulers are located here. The famous caves of Ajanta are a part of this Buddhist tradition.

The heritage of Aurangabad is linked with different Muslim rulers and dynasties of India. The city was founded in 1610, on the site of a village named Khirki, by a local Muslim noble Malik Ambar. His son Fateh Khan ruled it and named the city as Fatehpur in 1626. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler, took over this city in 1653 and renamed it as Aurangabad. Due to its strategic location in peninsular India, Aurangzeb made Aurangabad his capital. He used this city as a base to quell the rising power of the Marathas.

The Nizam of Hyderabad also ruled it until 1948 when it was merged with the state of Maharashtra. Subsequent years witnessed its decay, and it would have become a ghost town had not the industrial sector breathed new life into it.

It is interesting to note that Aurangabad was formerly known as Khirki (meaning window) because of its strategic position that provided a window to the North Indians to view the Deccan.