Aurangabad

It is located outside Aurangabad around 5 km away, this imitation of the Taj was built in 1678 by Aurangzeb’s son, Azam Shah in memory of his mother Rabia Durrani. It is also called as `poor man's Taj Mahal’ owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj. Behind the tomb is located a small archeological museum. It has four disproportionately large minarets at the ends of its raised platform. It stands in the middle of a spacious and formally planned garden with axial ponds, fountains and water channels, many defined by stone screens and lined with broad pathways.  

The most important monuments in India are the caves at Ellora, 25 km northwest of Aurangabad and 60 km away are the 30 Buddhist caves of Ajanta. The 34 caves at Ellora fall into three distinct groups – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. Buddhist caves (1 to 12) date from Chalukya period, between the 7th and 8th centuries. Hindu caves (13 to 29) were carved out between the 7th and 9th centuries and represent the peak of Ellora’s development. The Jain caves (30 to 34) date from Ellora’s last stage in the 9th century and are simpler than Hindu ones.

The caves at Ajanta lie within a horseshoe-shaped escarpment, overlooking the narrow Waghora river gorge – with spectacular waterfall during the monsoon. These caves not only contain sculptures, but remarkably preserved frescoes as well. Ajanta caves fall into two groups. The early group (2nd -1st century BC), during which Buddha was not represented in human form but only by symbols. The second group (5th – 6th centuries AD), when artistic expression was more exuberant. 

The fort was built by Raja Bhillamraj, initially a Yadav stronghold, it passed through the hands of several dynasties in the Deccan.  The fort originally known as Deogiri, it was captured in 1296 by Alauddin Khilji, the Deccan’s first Muslim invader from Delhi. He was followed by Muhammad bin Tughluq, who annexed the fort in 1328 and renamed the town Daulatabad `City of Fortune’. The pyramid shaped hill on which the imposing fort is built, stands apart from surrounding ranges and towers to a height of 183 m. The Fort itself lies in the body of an isolated hill, the steep hill - sides at the base falling so sharply to the moat that no aggressive troops could scale the height.  Daulatabad Fort is one of the world's best preserved Fort, survived without being altered.