Sambhajinagar is a city in Maharashtra state, in India. It's known for the 17th-century marble Bibi ka Maqbara shrine, styled on the Taj Mahal. The nearby Shivaji Maharaj Museum, dedicated to the Maratha king Shivaji, displays war weapons and a coin collection. North of the city, the Sambhajinagar Caves comprise ancient, rock-cut Buddhist shrines. West of the city, battlements surround the medieval Daulatabad Fort.
Area: 139 km² Population: 1.371 million (2011)The Ajanta Caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct periods, the first belonging to the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and second period that followed several centuries later.
The caves consist of 36 identifiable foundations, some of them discovered after the original numbering of the caves from 1 through 29. The later identified caves have been suffixed with the letters of the alphabet, such as 15A identified between originally numbered caves 15 and 16. The cave numbering is a convention of convenience, and has nothing to do with chronological order of their construction.
June to March June to March are the best months to visit Ajanta and Ellora Caves. It becomes a little difficult to travel around and explore the caves in summers April-May). Winters and Monsoon are ideal as the climate is pleasant from October to March and June to September which is the best time to visit the caves.
Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple caves complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra, India. The site presents monuments and artwork of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism from the 600-1000 CE period. Cave 16 of Ellora features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva. The Kailasha temple excavation also presents the gods, goddesses and mythologies found in Vaishnavism, Shaktism and relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics
The Bibi Ka Maqbara ("Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in city of Sambhajinagar. It was commissioned by the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1660, in the memory of his first wife and chief consort, Dilras Banu Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani).
It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's mother, Mumtaz Mahal. It is notable that Aurangzeb never raised monumental edifices during his half-a-century reign, but made just one exception, that is, to build the mausoleum of his wife. He was not very interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that Aurangzeb had to his credit.
Grishneshwar temple, sometimes referred to as the Grihneshwar Jyotirlinga or Dhushmeshwar temple, is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The word Ghrineshwar means "lord of compassion". The temple is an important pilgrimage site in Shaivism tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the last Jyotirlinga (linga of light). This pilgrimage site is located in Ellora (also called Verul), less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves - a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the city of Sambhajinagar.
Daulatabad also known as Devagiri, is a town which includes the Devagiri-Daulatabad fort. It is a 14th-century fort city in Maharashtra state of India, about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northwest of Sambhajinagar. The place was originally named Devagiri when it was an important uplands city along caravan routes (ca. sixth century AD), but the intervening centuries have reduced it to a village. However it is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra and a developing tourist spot.
The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by first Yadav king Bhilan in 1187.
Address
Ramakrishna Ashrama Marg,
Beed Bypass,
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar,
(Aurangabad) : 431 010,
Maharashtra, India.
Phone+91-9423791155 / 9420492066
Emailaurangabad@rkmm.org