Aurangabad was an important seat of the Mughal Empire during the Mughal rule in India. The town holds a good number of Mughal architectural marvels making it an important historical destination of Maharashtra. The town is situated on the banks of the Kham River. The medieval monuments and cultural heritage, the silk and cotton textiles and its proximity to the famous world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora attract a good number of tourists towards it every year. Though the city looks calm and quiet with not much hum drum on the streets, it is an industrialised, competitive city making its own mark on the tourist and industrial map of India. It is also interesting to note that Aurangabad was formerly known as Khirki (meaning window) because of its strategic position that provided a window view of the Deccan plateau.

Aurangabad is an offbeat destination in the state of Maharashtra. It attracts attention of tourists because of its many famous historical and religious architectural sites. It is true that Aurangabad is not a green hilly destination, though it has a good number of gardens giving you a comfortable stay in the town. Many tourists visit this place due to its proximity to some of the world famous heritage sites of India. This has helped in increasing the popularity of its locally produced traditional textiles and handicraft items too. The Aurangabad caves and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara are the two must visit architectural marvels among the many other structures of Mughal era in the town.

Once your mind becomes nostalgic seeing all the historical sites in the Aurangabad town, it is time to visit the nearby religious, historical and world heritage sites to have some more of it. Famous for its caves dedicated to Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanism of that time, Ellora makes a must visit site. Lying nearby, is Ajanta another heritage site especially related to Buddhism from the period of 200 BC to 650 AD. The caves here also have Jataka stories that are famous for their moral and religious advices. Moreover, there is Daulatabad fort and the Shirdi shrine, two most popular excursion destinations. Visiting these will complete your journey to Aurangabad.