Travel to Aurangabad

renowned centre for the production of cotton and silk textiles

Aurangabad is located in the Maharashtra province of central India, roughly 300 km (185 miles) east of Mumbai.

This major modern city, with a population of just over one million people, is a renowned centre for the production of cotton and silk textiles.

Historically it has been of great consequence throughout the centuries, at one point taking over from Delhi as the capital of northwest India. But it was under the rule of the Moghuls during the 1600s that the city experienced the greatest surge in its development and the construction of some seriously impressive buildings.

Aurangabad is located a good distance south of the more popular tourist areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, but ends up featuring in plenty of trips largely because of its proximity to the incredible Ajanta and Ellora caves, the superb rock-cut temples that were made infamous in the blockbuster movie A Passage to India.

There is also a host of other religious caves in the area, as well as ancient forts, temples and one particularly impressive mausoleum which is said to rival the Taj Mahal.

The best time of year to visit the Aurangabad area is generally considered to be during Oct-Jun, although there are considerable climatic variations over that period.

October is the transition month between the monsoon and the cool dry season. During October the daytime temperatures usually rise to around 30C/86F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 14C/57F. However the rainfall is much lower, dropping to around 25mm (1”) per month. Sunshine is around 8 hours per day (around 75% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Nov-Feb is the main cool dry season. During Nov-Feb the daytime temperatures usually rise to around 28C/77F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 12C/27F. There should be very little rainfall. Sunshine is around 9 hours per day (around 85% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Mar-May is the hot season, the often uncomfortable build-up to the main monsoon. During Mar-May the daytime temperatures can climb steeply to around 37C/99F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are up around 23C/73F. Rainfall usually increases slightly, from almost nothing in March to around 25mm (1”) in May. Sunshine is around 10 hours per day (around 90% of daylight hours), so skies are usually clear.

Jun-Sep is the main monsoon season and is generally considered to be the least favourable time to visit. During Jun-Sep the daytime temperatures drop off slightly to around 32C/90F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures remain up at a stifling 22C/72F. Rainfall climbs to around 175mm (7”) per month. Sunshine drops to around 4 hours per day (around 40% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are very often heavily overcast.

Getting there

The Aurangabad area can be accessed in a number of different ways…

By luxury train

Jaipur is visited by the following itineraries on the Deccan Odyssey luxury live-aboard train.

• Indian Odyssey : 7 nights : Delhi to Mumbai
• Maharashtra Splendor : 7 nights : Mumbai to Mumbai
• Jewels of the Deccan : 7 nights : Mumbai to Mumbai
• Maharashtra Wild Trail : 7 nights : Mumbai to Mumbai
  

By air

This area can be accessed via Aurangabad Airport, which has regular connections with cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Whilst most people will stay a couple of nights in Aurangabad to have time to take in the various sights, if you simply want to see the Ellora Caves then you can do this as a flying visit from Mumbai, coming out early in the morning and returning on the afternoon flight.

By road

The area is rarely reached by road, since the distances are so large.

However, if you are intending to explore the tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh and wish to connect down to Mumbai, then you could journey overland through this area.

Where to stay

Most of our guests who are visiting Aurangabad are on luxury live-aboard trains, so are not looking for further accommodation in this area. The remainder are obliged to choose from a rather bland range of hotels, the best of which are in the city itself, rather than out by the caves.

Another option is to visit on a luxury live-aboard train service, as listed in the Getting There section above, in which case you would not need to find accommodation in this area, since you would be sleeping on the train.

drive in from the tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh