Top 15 Places to visit in ahmednagar in 2024
Showcasing a number of black and white pictures of Sai Baba with his disciples, the Dixit Wada Museum will appeal to the devotees of Sai Baba. The museum also displays a number of personal belongings of the saint, like his robes, pipe, leather footwear, gramophone records and cooking utensils. With no big crowds or queues to deal with, you can browse around the museum with leisure. Set up by Kakasaheb Dixit, the museum was established on Ram Navami in the year 1911 with Baba's permission. He came to Baba on a close acquaintance's suggestion, when he developed a low self-esteem post injuring his leg. After meeting the saint, he was deeply touched, and went on to become one of his most exemplary devotees. After the museum was built, Dixit took up residence in a small room on the first floor, and left the rest of the building for the use of the devotees. The locals claim that the author of 'Sat Sai Charitra', Hemadpant, always stayed here, whenever he visited Shirdi. The museum served as a canteen till the mid 1990s, and got converted into a museum fairly recently. The temple committee plans to expand on the collection of museum artifacts.
The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Temple is a religious place in Shirdi, Maharashtra in India, that is dedicated to Shri Sai Baba, who is considered to be one of the greatest saints to have been born in India. Sai Baba is believed to have been blessed with unprecedented powers, and he is worshipped as God incarnate in the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Temple. This is a must visit holy place for all devotees of Sai Baba who wish to experience what pure tranquillity and bliss feel like, and be closer to the God for a while. The temple complex is spread over a total area of around 200 square metres and is located in the heart of Shirdi Village. It is a significant centre for devotees from all across the world and is visited by 25,000 devotees on an average each day. On festivals and certain special occasions, the number rises to 1,00,000 devotees per day. The temple premises was recently renovated in the year 1998 and now is equipped with all modern day and necessary facilities such as Darshan Lane, Prasadalay which serves lunch and dinner, Donation Counters, Prasad Counters, Canteen, Book Stall, Railway Reservation Counter and others. Accommodation facilities are also available for devotees who visit the temple from far off places. What makes Shirdi an important religious place is the fact that it was here that Sai Baba made his appearance as a young boy, and he remained here all through his life, helping people and changing their lives.
The most important place in Panchavati is Ramkund. It is so called because Lord Rama is believed to have taken bath there. Mortal remains (Asthi) immersed in this kunda, are immediately absorbed in the water. A dip in this sacred kunda is considered very pious. Situated nearby is Gandhi Lake (Talav) having a memorable monument made out of white marble, in memory of the Father of the Nation.
The Coin Museum in Nashik is a research Institute on numismatic studies. They have trained researchers who have specialized on different numismatic periods, such as ancient, early medieval, medieval and late medieval. They offer services (free of cost) to any enquiry, made through the mail or otherwise, on academic aspect of any coin or coin series found in India. They also have a well equipped library having a good collection of numismatic and allied books. The library also houses photo cardexes of coins (arranged series-wise) numbering approximately 1,50,000. Any scholar or lay individual is most welcome to visit them and take advantage of their facilities. They have a Scholars’ Residence with all modern amenities within their campus, which is open (at a nominal charge) to anybody desirous of doing research / study on coins at their Institute.
The Kailasa temple (Cave 16) is one of the 34 cave temples and monasteries known collectively as the Ellora Caves. Its construction is generally attributed to the eighth century Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (r. c. 756 – 773). The temple architecture shows traces of Pallava and Chalukya styles. The Kailasa temple lacks a dedicatory inscription, but there is no doubt that it was commissioned by a Rashtrakuta ruler. Its construction is generally attributed to the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (r. 756-773 CE), based on two epigraphs that link the temple to "Krishnaraja". Kailasa temple features the use of multiple distinct architectural and sculptural styles. This, combined with its relatively large size, has led some scholars to believe that its construction spanned the reigns of multiple kings.Some of the temple reliefs feature the same style as the one used in the Dashavatara cave, which is located next to the temple.
The beautiful garden is situated at Shirdi-Manmade State highway. Sai Baba used to spend a lot of his time here watering the plants daily in the mornings and evenings. The Neem tree in the garden once provided shade and rest to Sai baba. There is a marble 'Deepagraha' in the garden where Sai once lit a deepak which burns from dusk to dawn even today.
Dwarkamai is one of the treasures of Shirdi. It is situated on the right of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Shri Sai lived here. Before Shri Sai's arrival in Shirdi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque in a dilapidated condition. He turned it into Dwarkamai. The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Shri Sai and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palki. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called kolamba in which Baba used to keep the bhiksha brought from the village.
Chavadi means village meeting place, office, or court and was the place where taxes were collected, village records kept, disputes settled by the village heads, and visiting officials put up. After Baba's mahasamadhi the Sansthan acquired the Chavadi, and until the late 1930s, used it for storing books and accommodating pilgrims. The village offices have long been relocated and the Chavadi is kept as a shrine to Baba and is open to all.
Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeshwar is an ancient Hindu temple in the town of Trimbak, in the Trimbakeshwar tehsil in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, India, 28 km from the city of Nashik and 40 km from nashik road. It is dedicated to the god Shiv and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, where the Hindu genealogy registers at Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra are kept. The origin of the sacred Godavari river is near Trimbak.
Ellora located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India, is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600-1000 CE period.Cave 16, in particular, features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva. The Kailasha temple excavation also features sculptures depicting the gods, goddesses and mythologies found in Vaishnavism, Shaktism as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics. There are over 100 caves at the site, all excavated from the basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills, 34 of which are open to public.[3] These consist of 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves,[6][7] with each group representing deities and mythologies that were prevalent in the 1st millennium CE, as well as monasteries of each respective religion.[6] They were built in proximity to one another and illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India.[2][8] All of the Ellora monuments were built during Hindu dynasties such as the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu & Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves. Funding for the construction of the monuments was provided by royals, traders and the wealthy of the region.[3][9] Although the caves served as monasteries, temples and a rest stop for pilgrims,[7] its location on an ancient South Asian trade route also made it an important commercial centre in the Deccan region.[10] It is 29 kilometres (18 miles) north-west of Aurangabad, and about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast of Mumbai. Today, the Ellora Caves, along with the nearby Ajanta Caves, are a major tourist attraction in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.[11] Ellora, also called Verul or Elura, is the short form of the ancient name Elapura.[12] The older form of the name has been found in ancient references such as the Baroda inscription of 812 CE which mentions "the greatness of this edifice" and that "this great edifice was built on a hill by Krishnaraja at Elapura". The edifice in the inscription being the Kailasa temple (Cave 16).[3] In the Indian tradition, each cave is named and has a suffix Guha (Sanskrit), Lena or Leni (Marathi), meaning cave.[3][13] The Ellora caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra about 29 kilometres (18 miles) northwest from the city of Aurangabad, 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast from Mumbai, and about 100 kilometres (62 miles) west from the Ajanta Caves. Ellora occupies a relatively flat rocky region of the Western Ghats, where ancient volcanic activity in this area had created multilayered basalt formations, known as the Deccan Traps. The volcanic activity that formed the west-facing cliff, which houses the Ellora caves, occurred during the Cretaceous period. The resulting vertical face made access to many layers of rock formations easier, enabling architects to pick basalt with finer grains for more detailed sculpting.[14] The construction at Ellora has been studied since British colonial rule. However, the overlapping styles between the Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina caves has made it difficult to establish agreement concerning the chronology of their construction.[15] The disputes generally concern: one, whether the Buddhist or Hindu caves were carved first and, two, the relative dating of caves within a particular tradition. The broad consensus that has emerged is based on comparing the carving styles, at Ellora, to other cave temples in the Deccan region that have been dated, textual records of various dynasties, and epigraphical evidence found at various archaeological sites near Ellora and elsewhere in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.[16][17] Geri Hockfield Malandra, and other scholars[who?], has stated that the Ellora caves had three important building periods: an early Hindu period (~550 to 600 CE), a Buddhist phase (~600 to 730 CE) and a later Hindu, and Jain, phase (~730 to 950 CE).[16][18][19] Caves 5, 10, 11 and 12 are architecturally important Buddhist caves. Cave 5 is unique among the Ellora caves as it was designed as a hall with a pair of parallel refectory benches in the centre and a Buddha statue in the rear.[28] This cave, and Cave 11 of the Kanheri Caves, are the only two Buddhist caves in India arranged in such a way.[10] Caves 1 through 9 are all monasteries while Cave 10, the Vīśvakarmā Cave, is a major Buddhist prayer hall.[10] Cave 10 combines a vihara with a chapel-like worship hall that has eight subsidiary cells, four in the back wall and four in the right,[32] as well as a portico in the front.[24] It is the only dedicated chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist caves and is constructed along similar lines to Caves 19 and 26 of Ajanta. Cave 10 also features a gavaksha, or chandrashala, arched window and a side connection to Cave 9 of Ellora.[30] Cave 29, also called Dhumar Lena, is one of earliest excavations in Ellora and among the largest.[43] Early Hindu temple building in the cave centred around the "Vale Ganga", a natural waterfall that was integrated into the monument.[44][39] The waterfall is visible from a rock carved balcony to the south and has been described as "falling over great Shiva's brow", particularly during monsoon season.[44] The carvings in this cave are larger than life size but, according to author Dhavalikar, they are "corpulent, stumpy with disproportionate limbs" compared to those found in other Ellora caves.[45] Cave 21, also called Rameshwar Lena, is another early excavation[46][47] whose construction has been credited to the Kalachuri dynasty. The cave was completed prior to the ascension of Rashtrakuta dynasty which went on to expand the caves at Ellora[3] Although the cave features similar works to those in other Ellora caves, it also has a number of unique pieces, such as those depicting the story of goddess Parvati's pursuit of Shiva. Carvings depicting Parvati and Shiva at leisure, Parvati's wedding to Shiva, Shiva dancing and Kartikeya (Skanda) have been found in other caves.[48] The cave also features a large display of the Sapta Matrika, the seven mother goddesses of the Shakti tradition of Hinduism, flanked on either side by Ganesha and Shiva.[48] Inside the temple are other goddesses important to Shakti tradition, for example the Durga. The entrance to Cave 21 is flanked by large sculptures of the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna representing the two major Himalayan rivers and their significance to the Indian culture.[49] According to Geri Malandra, all the Buddhist caves at Ellora were an intrusion in a place that was already an established Brahmanical Tirtha (Hindu pilgrimage site), and not the other way around. Furthermore, given that both the Hindu and Buddhist caves were predominantly anonymous, with no donative inscriptions having been discovered for the Buddhist Ellora caves other than those of Hindu dynasties that built them, the original intent and nature of these cave temples is speculative.[67] At the north end of Ellora are the five Jain caves belonging to the Digambara sect, which were excavated in the ninth and early tenth centuries.[71][72] These caves are smaller than the Buddhist and Hindu caves but nonetheless feature highly detailed carvings. They, and the later era Hindu caves, were built at a similar time and both share architectural and devotional ideas such as a pillared veranda, symmetric mandapa and puja (worship).[73] However, unlike the Hindu temples, emphasis is placed on the depiction of the twenty four Jinas (spiritual conquerors who have gained liberation from the endless cycle of rebirths).[74] In addition to these Jinas, the works at the Jain temples include carvings of gods and goddesses, yaksa (male nature deity), yaksi (female nature deity) and human devotees prevalent in Jaina mythology of 1st millennium CE.[75] According to Jose Pereira, the five caves were actually 23 distinct excavations, over different periods. A 13 of these are in Indra Sabha, 6 in Jagannatha Sabha and rest in the Chhota Kailash.[74] Pareira used numerous sources to conclude that the Jain caves at Ellora likely began in late 8th-century,[76] with construction and excavation activity extending beyond the 10th century and into the 13th century before coming to a halt with the invasion of the region by the Delhi Sultanate.[77] This is evidenced by votive inscriptions dated to 1235 CE, where the donor states to have "converted Charanadri into a holy tirtha" for Jains by gifting the excavation of lordly Jinas.[78] As with many caves in Ellora, numerous carvings adorn the temple, such as those of the lotus flower on the ceiling. On the upper level of the shrine, excavated at the rear of the court, is an image of Ambika, the yakshini of Neminath, seated on her lion under a mango tree, laden with fruit. The centre of the shrine presents Sarvatobhadra, where four Tirthankaras of Jainism – Rshibha (1st), Neminatha (22nd), Parsvanatha (23rd) and Mahavira (24th) are aligned to the cardinal directions, forming a place of worship for devotees.[94] The Jagannatha Sabha (Cave 33) is the second largest Jain cave at Ellora and dates to the 9th century according to the inscriptions on the pillars. It is a two storeyed cave with twelve massive pillars and elephant heads projecting towards a porch, all carved from a single rock. The hall has two heavy square pillars in front, four in the middle area, and a pillared interior square principle hall with fluted shafts, all intricately carved with capitals, ridges and brackets. Inside the major idols are of Parshvanatha and Mahavira, the last two Tirthankaras in Jainism.[95] This cave features a large seated Parshvanatha Jina with four camara attendants, two of whom hold fly-whisks and seemingly emerge from the back of the Jina's throne.[98] As with many other Jain excavations, a large pair of yaksa-yaksi is also found in this cave near the Jina.[99] In the back of the cave is a bearded figure with a bowl containing round sacrificial offerings, which have shapes reminiscent of pindas (rice balls) or laddus (sweetmeat). This suggests the scene may be related to Jain devotional worship, possibly a shraddha ceremony.[100] The Parshvanatha in the cave is paired with a standing Gommateshvara,[101] and accompanied by other carvings showing musicians playing a variety of instruments such as horns, drums, conchs, trumpets, and cymbals.[102] A particularly notable feature of the cave is a giant, open lotus carving on its ceiling and rooftop, which is found in only one other Jain excavation and one Hindu Cave 25 in all of Ellora. The placement of the lotus on the cave rather than a sculpture symbolizes that the temple is a divine place.[103] There have been several records written in the centuries following their completion indicating these caves were visited regularly, particularly as it was within sight of a trade route;[105] for example, Ellora was known to have been frequented by Buddhist monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.[106] It is mistakenly referred to by the 10th century Baghdad resident Al-Mas‘udi, as "Aladra", site of a great temple, a place of Indian pilgrimage and one with thousands of cells where devotees live;[107] in 1352 CE, the records of Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah mention him camping at the site. Other records were written by Firishta, Thevenot (1633–67), Niccolao Manucci (1653-1708), Charles Warre Malet (1794), and Seely (1824).[108] Some accounts acknowledge the importance of Ellora but make inaccurate statements regarding its construction; for example, a description of the caves by Venetian traveller Niccolao Manucci, whose Mughal history was well received in France, wrote that the Ellora caves "...were executed by the ancient Chinese" based on his assessment of the workmanship and what he had been told.[109] Ellora was a well-known site in Mughal times: the emperor Aurangzeb used to picnic there with his family, as did other Mughal nobles. Mustaid Khan, a courtier of Aurangzeb, stated that people visited the area in all seasons but especially during the monsoon. He also spoke of "many kinds of images with lifelike forms" carved on all the ceilings and walls, but noted that the monuments themselves were in a state of "desolation in spite of its strong foundations."[110] The Lalitacaritra, a Marathi text dated to the late 13th century CE, is the first report stating that active use of Ellora ceased in the 13th century.[105] Islamic court records indicated that Deogiri, the capital of the Yadava dynasty, and situated about 10 kilometers from Ellora, had come under sustained attack during this period and subsequently fell to the Delhi Sultanate in 1294 CE.[111] According to José Pareira, there is evidence that work in the Jain caves at Ellora had flourished under Singhana, who ruled the Yadava dynasty between ~1200-1247 CE, and these caves were in use by Jaina visitors and worshippers into the 13th-century. However, Jain religious activity ceased after the region came under Islamic rule in the late 13th century.[112] The Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments at Ellora show substantial damage, particularly to the idols, whereas intricate carvings on the pillars, and of natural objects on the walls, remain intact. The desecration of idols and images was traced to the 15th to 17th centuries when this region of the Deccan peninsula was subjected to iconoclasm by Muslim armies.[113] According to Geri Malandra, such devastation by Muslims stemmed from the perceived offense caused by "the graphic, anthropomorphic imagery of Hindu and Buddhist shrines".[107] Muslim historians of the Islamic Sultanate period mention Ellora in their descriptions of the widespread damage and fanatical destruction of idols and artwork of the region, with some Muslims of this era being known to have expressed concern regarding the wanton damage and "deplored it as a violation of beauty", according to Carl Ernst.[114] Several inscriptions at Ellora[115] date from the 6th century onwards, the best known of which is an inscription by Rashtrakuta Dantidurga (c. 753-57 A.D.) on the back wall of the front mandapa of Cave 15 stating that he had offered prayers at that temple. Jagannatha Sabha, Jain cave 33, has 3 inscriptions that give the names of monks and donors, while a Parshvanath temple on the hill has a 1247 CE inscription that gives the name of a donor from Vardhanapura.[116] The Great Kailasa temple (Cave 16) is attributed to Krishna I (c. 757-83 A.D.), the successor and uncle of Dantidurga. A copper plate inscription found in Baroda, Gujarat, states that a great edifice was built on a hill by Krishnaraja at Elapura (Ellora):[117] The carvings at Ellora were at one time profusely painted. The rock was covered with a lime plaster which was painted. The plaster and the paint has survived in places.
Daulatabad, also known as Devagiri, is a 14th-century fort city in Maharashtra state of India, about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northwest of Aurangabad.The place was originally named Devagiri when it was an important uplands city along caravan routes (ca. sixth century AD), but the intervening centuries have reduced it to a village. However it is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra and a developing tourist spot.
The Aurangabad caves are twelve rock-cut Buddhist shrines located on a hill running roughly east to west, close to the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The first reference to the Aurangabad Caves is in the great chaitya of Kanheri Caves. The Aurangabad Caves were dug out of comparatively soft basalt rock during the 6th and 7th century. The carvings at the Aurangabad Caves are notable for including Hinayana style stupa, Mahayana art work and Vajrayana goddess. These caves are among those in India that show 1st millennium CE Buddhist artwork with goddesses such as Durga, and gods such as Ganesha, although Buddhist caves in other parts of India with these arts are older. Numerous Buddhist deities of the Tantra tradition are also carved in these caves.
The Bibi Ka Maqbara (English:"Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son Azam Shah in the memory of his mother (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani).It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal,the mausoleum of wife of Shah Jahan.
Bhadra Maruti Temple, Khuldabad. Bhadra Maruti Temple, Khultabad is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman, located at Khuldabad, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The temple is located four kilometers from the Ellora caves. At this temple, the idol of Hanuman is portrayed in a reclining or sleeping posture.
Shani Shingnapur or Shani Shinganapur or Shingnapur or Sonai is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god associated with the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.