Places Around Aurangabad
Chandbhai Patil's Old House Neem Tree in Dhupkheda Samadhi of Chandbhai Patil Bijlee Articles Grinding Stone Painting of Saibaba with Chand Patil |
CHANDBHAI PATIL’S HOUSE – DHUPKHEDA Dhupkheda is situated South West of Aurangabad. It is a small village where Chandbhai Patil was a wealthy village officer. He had no children but his brother Ansar Khan and his wife Umarbi had a son called Gulab Khan. Gulab Khan had a son called Lal Khan. Chandbhai Patil once lost his mare named "Bijlee". Lal Khan states that the mare was lost some 15 to 25 Kms from Dhupkheda near the twin villages of Sindhoon and Bindhon. Chand Patil made a thorough and diligent search of the mare but in vain. So rather disappointed, saddle on his back, he was returning home, when he saw a Fakir sitting under a mango tree. The Fakir was preparing to smoke a Chillim. On seeing Chandbhai pass by, he called out to him and asked him about the saddle. Chand Patil told him the story of his lost mare. The Fakir asked him to look near the Nala close by and he found his mare. So he returned to the Fakir with his mare. The Chillim was ready, but two things were wanting, a coal to light the Chillim and water to wet the Chappi. The Fakir thrust his prong into the ground and out came the burning coal, then he dashed the Satka on the ground hence flowed water. The Fakir took a puff and offered it to Chand Patil. Wonderstruck, Chand Patil requested the Fakir to visit his house. Baba went to Chand Patil’s house and stayed there for some time. His wife’s brother’s son was to be married and the bride was from Shirdi. So along with the marriage party Baba came to Shirdi and stayed there for sixty years (Refer Sai Satcharitra Chapter 5). (Source: Ambrosia in Shirdi by Sai Bhakta Vinny Chitluri). The old house of Chandbhai Patil was demolished over a period of time and a new house was built on the same land. Here the Great Grandson Shri.Babulal Nadan Pathan (4th Generation) was residing and taking care of Samadhi. He passed away peacefully on 10th October 2023. The Samadhi of Chandbhai Patil is present next to the Neem Tree. It is the same Neem Tree where Sai Baba used to sit for meditation and for taking rest. Shri.Babulal Nadan Pathan used to say that Shri Sai Baba stayed in this house for approximately 2 months. The Grinding Stone touched and blessed by Baba, the articles of horse "Bijlee", a painting of Saibaba with Chandbhai Patil can be seen in this ancestral house of Chandbhai Patil. Chandbhai Patil's descendants are now taking care of Chandbhai Patil's Samadhi. Address: Chandbhai Patil's House
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Ajanta |
Ajanta AJANTA is world's greatest historical monument recognised by UNESCO located just 40kms from Jalgaon city of Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. Most of the paintings in Ajanta are right from 2nd century BC-AD and some of them about the fifth century AD and continued for the next two centuries. All paintings shows heavy religious influence and centre around Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas. The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the tempera technique. The Secret behind how paintings were done in Dark Caves of Ajanta? It is thought that the craftsmen who painted and sculpted in the Ajanta caves, were mostly Buddhist monks Perhaps many Hindu craftsmen of the lower castes had accepted the faith of the Buddha, the Craftsmen, in those days, were grouped together according to their profession, they learnt their skill from father to son and son to son. Some of them were great masters, who invented new techniques new tools and new ways of handling paint and chisel, in every generation. As the Buddhists began to scoop caves from the 1st century A.D. downwards, they evolved practical ways of working in the dark. The marshal, or stick torch, was smeared with vegetable oil and used for lighting dark corners. Also, large mirrors were used to reflect sunshine in to the interiors. And the walls were whitewashed smeared with lime plaster, before painting. Colours used for the wall paintings were made from pebbles and vegetable found on the hillside. The guide will show you the pebbles of different Colours, these were crushed and ground and the mixed with glue. The main colours used were; red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli (blue). This last pigment was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. Green was made by mixed this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre. Techniques Used in the making of making wall Paintings in Ajanta Caves: |
Ellora The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, and Viharas, or monasteries, Hindu and Jai temples. Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5 th and 11 th century AD, the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29).The most imposing excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) which is the largest monolithic structure in the world. Interestingly, Ellora, unlike the site of Ajanta, was never 'rediscovered'. Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries to the present day. Listing of Caves Buddhist Caves: 5 th century to 7th century AD The Caves are open on all days from Sunrise to Sunset except Mondays. Ellora is located 30 km from Aurangabad, which is quite well connected, to Mumbai and Delhi via Manmad by rail. Aurangabad can also be reached by road from Pune Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Shirdi, Nasik, and Dhule. |
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Grishneshwar |
Grishneshwar Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. It is located at a distance of 11 km from Daulatabad near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Daulatabad was once known as Devagiri. Located nearby are the popular tourist attractions Ellora - featuring ancient rock cut monuments from the 1st millennnium CE, and Ajanta known for its exquisite cave paintings again from the 1st millennium CE. The Grishneswar temple was constructed by Ahilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple at Benares and the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya. Grishneshwar is also known as Ghushmeshwar. Legend has it that a devout woman Kusuma offered worship to Shiva regularly by immersing a Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her daily ritual worship. Her husband's first wife, envious of her piety and standing in society murdered Kusuma's son in cold blood. An aggrieved Ksuma continued her ritual worship, and when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored to life. Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers, and then on is believed to have been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar. |
Khuldabad |
Khuldabad Khuldabad may be a small town in Aurangabad district, but it is worth including it in the list of must see places when you visit Aurangabad. The Bhadra Maruti temple here has made the place an important pilgrimage center. The view of this marble white painted temple from a distance is very inviting. No crowd of devotees was there, it was not yet aarati time and we had a relaxed darshan here too.The temple is crowded on Saturdays with long serpentine queues for darshan, as it is considered to be an auspicious day to worship Lord Maruti (also called Hanuman). Devotees throng this place in thousands in the month of March, to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. This temple is one of the two places where Lord Hanuman is in sleeping position. The other one is in Allahabad. The temple was built by Rajarshi Bhadrsen. And the legend goes like this: “Khuldabad previously known by the name of Badravati Nagar was ruled by King Bhadrasen, a kind and pious man. King Bhadrasen used to sit singing bhajans in praise of Lord Hanuman on the banks of Bhadrakund Talab. The interiors of the temple are in marble and the ceiling at the entrance had numerous designs and hymns written with painted mirrors. The sleeping hanuman idol is covered with orange colored sheet and garlanded with a string of banyan leaves. Outside the temple there are rows of shops selling various puja articles and food items. Our next destination was the tomb of Aurangazeb in Khuldabad. Bhadravati Nagar was earlier called Ramapur and during the reign of Emperor Aurangazeb the town got its name Khuldabad. |
Mini-Taj Mahal |
Mini-Taj Mahal Built in 1679 as a mausoleum for Aurangzeb’s wife, Rabia-ud-Daurani, the Bibi-qa-Maqbara (Tel: +91 240 2400620; Indian/foreigner Rs 5/US$2; dawn-10pm) is known as the ‘Poor mans Taj’. This is a slightly ironic comparison considering it was Aurangzeb’s father who built the original shortly before being overthrown and imprisoned by his son on account of his extravagance! The comparison is also a little unfair because, despite the obvious weathering, it’s still a damn sight more impressive than the average gravestone. The Maqbara is erected beyond a locality called Begumpura. The Mausoleum stands within an enclosed area, 500 yards long and 300 yards broad. The surrounding high wall is crenellated with pointed arched recesses on the outside. There are bastions at intervals, and the recesses are divided by pilasters crowned with little minarets. The centre of the southern wall is occupied by a handsome portal entrance closed by folding doors which are covered with a running foliage pattern in brass. The structure is in the form of an hexagon and angles are ornamented with minerates. |