Destination India: Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Entrance (वेस "Vaes" in Marathi)
Originally uploaded by Harshad Sharma.

Aurangabad is located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and is the closest city to the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves. The city is named after the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. In 1610, Malik Amber, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah II of Ahmednagar, founded the city at Kirki (Khadki) called Fatehpura. Aurangzeb was sent to the city in 1634 as Governor of Deccan. He moved back to Agra in 1644.

Aurangzeb returned to the city in 1681 as Emperor and used this location as a base for his campaigns to conquer the last remaining sultanates in the Deccan. He lived in Aurangabad till his death in 1707. His tomb is situated at Khultabad, a small town near Aurangabad. The city took its name after his death.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.