A Day In Aurangabad : Bibi Ka Maqbara

The Bibi Ka Maqbara - Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan) is a tomb located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was erected by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son Azam Shah in the memory of his mother (Rabia-ud-Daurani). Aurangzeb wasn’t much interested in architecture so didn’t build much except The Pearl Mosque - Moti Masjid (smallest but elegant Mosque) in Delhi and Badshahi Mosque (one of the largest Mosques in the world) at Lahore.

Bibi Ka Maqbara, Aurangabad

We started in the morning 6 AM from Pune and reached Aurangabad around 9:45 AM due the smooth and scenic highway. Aurangabad is roughly 240 Km from Pune and one can drive it in about 4 hours comfortably. Drive was quite smooth and loved almost the entire stretch. With a few days off, and an itch to road trip in the rains, we decided on Aurangabad followed by Daman Trip in car. It was the new stretch for us and Aurangabad was in my list after watching “M.S Dhoni - The Untold Story” movie. It was a 2 day trip but after completing most the places of Aurangabad like “Bibi ka Maqbara”, “Aurangabad Caves”, “Buddha Caves” and “Ellora Caves - Kailasa Temple”, we concluded the trip and returned back to Pune on the same day.

Sunrise after Ahmednagar

Main entrance to Bibi Ka Maqbara

About Bibi Ka Maqbara

The entrance door to Bibi Ka Maqbara

Bibi ka Maqbara was designed by Ata-Ullah (an architect) and Hanspat Rai (an engineer) in between 1651 and 1661 and cost of the construction was around 7 lakhs. It is the principal monument of Aurangabad and its historic city. It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, hence it is also called as The Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan). The Mausoleum is built on a high square platform with four minarets at the corners. The main body is square with marble dome over it. The graveyard of the Queen are at the basement level which is out of reach for tourists but can be viewed from the ground level through an opening inside the monument. The atmosphere of Bibi Ka Maqbara is somehow full of sadness due to the simple white plaster of the detailing.

Taj of Deccan

Myself

After having breakfast outside Bibi Ka Maqbara’s main gate we headed towards the ticket counter near the majestic gates, after collecting the ticket we entered the main gate and the first view of Bibi Ka Maqbara was mesmerizing and it remind me about our Agra trip to Taj Mahal.

First view of Bibi Ka Maqbara

Aurangabad city was founded in 1610 by Malik Ambar, then named Khadki, and has completed over 400 years in existence. Later his son Fateh Khan, after Malik’s death, changed the name to Fateh Nagar. In 1653 when Aurangzeb was made the viceroy of the Deccan, he made Fateh Nagar his capital and renamed it Aurangabad. During the British Raj, Aurangabad was part of the princely state of Hyderabad.




We spent more time exploring the monument than originally planned, and loved every bit of it. Took plenty of photos around the monument and after spending beautiful time of the morning we reluctantly continued our road-trip to Aurangabad and Buddha caves.

Mosque build by Nizams of Hyderabad

View inside the mosque

Grave of Dilras Banu Begum

There’s plenty to see in Aurangabad and around. Panchakki is a 17th Century Water Mill, Aurangabad Caves, Buddha Caves, Ellora Caves - Kailasa Temple and Daulatabad Fort is a gorgeous example of 12th Century Yadava Dynasty Architecture. It is one of the great weekend getaway from Mumbai or Pune.



Entry fee     : India, SAARC Rs 15, Foreigner: Rs 200
Camera fee : Rs 60
Timings       : 8 AM to 8 PM
Parking       : Rs 30
Best timing to visit Aurangabad: Just after the monsoons (August) or in Winters (November to February) should be good as Aurangabad gets very hot In the summers. We visited on 26th January, 2018.

How to reach Bibi Ka Maqbara
Here's the address: Begumpura, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India

Aurangabad is easily reached by a fabulous Airport or the train station. It’s well connected by road from Mumbai and Pune. There is a large parking area right outside where you can easily park your car/bike. It is little outside to city, but Aurangabad is a much smaller city and it doesn't really matter.

Here's a map for reference:

We followed the route like “Bibi Ka Maqbara” first then “Aurangabad Cave”, “Buddha Caves” and last “Ellora Caves - Kailasa Temple” in the evening.