Aurangabad in the context of "Smart city"

The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from AD 600–1000, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves. The complex is a leading example of Indian rock-cut architecture, and several are not strictly "caves" in that they have no roof. Cave 16 features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailash temple, a chariot-shaped monument dedicated to the god Shiva. The Kailash temple excavation also features sculptures depicting various Hindu deities 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. These consist of 17 Hindu (caves 13–29), 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves, each group representing deities and mythologies prevalent in the 1st millennium CE, as well as monasteries of each respective religion. They were built close to one another and illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India. All of the Ellora monuments were built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty (r. 753-982 AD), which constructed part of the Hindu and Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty (c. 1187–1317), 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.

Viceroy of the Deccan was the representative of the Mughal emperors in Deccan, Deccan consisted of six Mughal governorates (Subah): Khandesh, Bijapur, Berar, Aurangabad, Hyderabad and Bidar. Carnatic region was a subdivision which was partly administered by the governor of Bijapur and Hyderabad.

The domain of Viceroy of the Deccan extends from the Narmada River in the North to Trichinopoly in the South and Masulipatnam in the east to Bijapur in the west. The Aurangabad city was selected as the viceregal capital of Deccan where Aurangzeb resided until his death in 1707 AD, and the Asaf Jah I ruled from the very place until 1750 AD, when his capital was shifted to Hyderabad city and the domain of Viceroy of Deccan was renamed as Hyderabad Deccan.

Daulatabad Fort, originally Devagiri Fort, is a historic fortified citadel located in Daulatabad village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the Yadavas (9th century – 14th century CE), for a brief time the capital of the Delhi Sultanate (1327–1334), and later a secondary capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate (1499–1636).

Around the 6th century CE, Devagiri emerged as an important uplands town near present-day Aurangabad, along caravan routes going towards western and southern India. The historical triangular fortress in the city was initially built around 1187 by the first Yadava monarch, Bhillama V. In 1308, the city was annexed by Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate, which ruled over some parts of the northern India. In 1327, Muhammad bin Tughluq of the Delhi Sultanate renamed Devagiri as Daulatabad and shifted his imperial capital to the city from Delhi, ordering a mass migration of Delhi's population to the now Daulatabad. However, Muhammad bin Tughluq reversed his decision in 1334 and the capital of the Delhi Sultanate was shifted back to Delhi.

Marathwada (Marathi pronunciation: [məɾaːʈʰʋaːɖa]) is a geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. It borders the states of Karnataka and Telangana, and it lies to the west of the Vidarbha and east of Uttar Maharashtra regions of Maharashtra. The largest city of Marathwada is Aurangabad. Its people speak Marathi and Deccani Urdu (Hyderabadi Urdu).

Marathwada is known for its struggle for the integration into India , which is commemorated on 17 September as Marathwada Liberation Day.

Paithan (['pəɪ.ʈʰəɳ] ), historically Pratiṣṭhāna [pɾə'tɪʂʈʰanə], is a town with municipal council in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, Maharashtra, India. Paithan is located 56 kilometres (35 mi) south of present-day Aurangabad on the banks of the Godavari River. It was the capital of the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled from the second century BCE to the second century CE. It is one of the few inland towns mentioned in the famous first-century Greek book, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

Paithan is associated with many spiritual leaders of all faiths since ages. To name some of them are - Changdev Maharaj, Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Sopandev, Saint Nivruttinath, Saint Muktabai, Saint Eknath, Saint Jaganade Maharaj, Saint Bhanudas, etc. Paithan was the home town and Samadhi sthal of the great Marathi saint Eknath; people flock yearly to his shrine during the time of the Paithan yatra, also known as the Nath Shashti. Apegaon village, the birthplace of Saint Dnyaneshwar and his three other siblings is located along the northern bank of the River Godavari, about 12 kilometers easterly to Paithan. The religious saints and philosophers enthralled the masses through their works written in simple Marathi style and popularized the bhakti movement in the wake of Islamic expansion. Therefore, Paithan eminently deserves the appellation as "Santpura". Paithan is also an important place for followers of Mahanubhava Sampradaya. Sarvajna Chakradhar Swami stayed in Paithan for a long period.

Aurangabad district (Marathi pronunciation: [əu̯ɾəŋɡaːbaːd̪]), officially known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, is one of the 36 districts of the state of Maharashtra in western India. It borders the districts of Nashik to the west, Jalgaon to the north, Jalna to the east, and Ahmednagar to the south. The city of Aurangabad houses the district's administrative headquarters. The district has an area of 10,100 km, of which 37.55% is urban and the rest is rural. Aurangabad District is a major tourism region in Marathwada, with attractions including the Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves.