Bear with a long post, as it is impossible to give explanation of a wonderful experience in few words.
The best time to visit Aurangabad is from August-October when the rains have subsided, and leaves greenery behind. The weather remains cloudy and is less hot and humid, making it perfect and comfortable to explore.
Reach Aurangabad from CSMT- Mumbai by Nandigram Express at night around 12. Check-in to the hotel, and have a nice sleep as a tiresome day is awaiting when you wake up the next morning. Your day 1 journey starts here.
Freshen up, get ready and if you are staying near the railway station then do have a cup of tea at the Sagar Amrutulya Tea store, just opp. of the station. Start your journey to explore the Ellora Caves at around 9 o'clock. The caves are approx 30kms from Aurangabad. Have your breakfast at the Ellora caves. There are plenty of amazing restaurants including pure veg ones as well.
Start your tour with the gateway for amazing architecture that will take you into the past. The most famous cave of the Ellora is the Cave no 16- The Kailash Temple. It's the first cave which is right at the entrance. All the caves are Monolithic (built of a single rock), carved from top to bottom and from outside to inside. The carvings and the thought put behind in the making of every single carving will mesmerize you for sure.
Suggestion: Do not forget to take a guide for the explanation. Appoint an ASI guide who will explain all the important caves. He will charge around 1600 INR for a no. of caves. But trust me it's worth it.
Every single carving has a story behind it.
After exploring the caves, have your lunch and head towards the Grushneshwar Temple. On the way back to Aurangabad, visit the tomb of Aurangzeb and the handloom factories of the paithani and himroo sarees. If you want to purchase at a cheaper price then avoid the showrooms and purchase from the factory itself.
Return to the hotel and rest for the day.
Check-out and head towards Ajanta, approx 102 kms. The road is a rough one due to the undergoing construction. But once you reach the foothills of the location all the tiredness will be gone. Do book a room in the MTDC resort at the T junction. The best one I've ever been to. Check-in and get ready for a rocky climb to the caves.
Get ready to have an unforgettable experience of the paintings from the parts of the Jataka Tales. These are the Buddhist caves built on the instructions of the Buddhist monks who hired the best craftsman from all over the world. The mesmerizing paintings and the sculptures will take you back into the times of our rich history. Do not forget to take a guide.
Visit the caves on Sunday and go to the view point on Monday if you want to get an undisturbed picturesque view of the entire caves. Ajanta remains closed on Monday. So when you go to the view point the next day, you'll have a clear view without the crowd.
The chaityas will definitely give you some peace, and you might feel like meditating.
Enjoy the lush green panoramic range from the caves.
Alert: As it is a secluded place, you won't have any restaurants near the resort. Make sure to ask your driver to drive you to any dhaba nearby.
Our Day 3 was a bit disappointing one. We had planed to visit the Lonar crater lake formed by the crashing of a meteorite. Even though the way to Lonar village was initially beautiful with green fields on both the sides, yet later it was a nightmare with big potholes. Below are few pics of the lake and a temple near by.
I would suggest to visit the zoo and the Museum in Aurangabad on this day.
Day 4 started with the city tour of Aurangabad. We started it with the undefeatable Daulatabad Fort.
Try to go early to avoid the crowd. We had an assistant working in ASI as our guide. The information he had about the fort was outstanding, nothing less than a registered guide I must say.
The architecture technique, brain behind creating the fatal hurdles for the enemies will blow the mind. The fort still stands proudly on the hill and calls for a ride into our rich past.
Have lunch and proceed to the Soneri Mahal. This is a small museum in the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University campus.
Then head towards the Panchakki. Then to Bibi-ka -Maqbara or the Mini Taj Mahal. Enjoy the Mughal architecture. Beware of the guides here. They will not inform you that they won't enter inside the gate, and will explain everything at the security check. Just enter and enjoy the beauty of the mausoleum.
Later proceed to the Aurangabad caves, of which many doesn't know. The oldest one of all the 3 is the Aurangabad caves. You can get a view of the city and the Bibi-ka-Maqbara from here.
As the sun sets, return to the hotel, freshen up and catch the return train to Mumbai. Leave Aurangabad with every mile a memory.
Below is the contact of the Driver we hired. The best we can ever get. Very professional and customer friendly.
Hope you liked this blog and has will you in planning your trip to Aurangabad.