Aurangabad was founded in 1610 by Malik Ambar. Then known as Khidki meaning a window, serving as an opening through which North India could look into the Deccan, Aurangabad literally means ‘Built by the throne.’ The city was named after the mogul emperor, Aurangzeb. He used the city as a base to conquer the Deccan sultanates of south-central India.
been famous due its location on the famous ‘Silk Route’ that passed across the breadth of Asia to reach Europe. There is another interesting, little-known fact, about the city.
The “Mad King” Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, famous for his impractical futuristic thinking, was so impressed by the topography of the region that he abandoned Delhi as his capital and moved his capital to this city, renaming it as Daulatabad. Thus, Aurangabad is the only city to have served as the capital of India. Aurangabad is situated 403 km away from Mumbai, and is surrounded by hills. Situated on the banks of the Kham River, it is most famous for its historical monuments and caves. Even though the city is situated a little out of the way in the West Indian state of Maharashtra, yet, it never fails to attract the attention of tourists. This is because the city is the only tourist district of India having two-world heritage monuments, Ajanta and Ellora.
