Aurangabad

Aurangabad [ou ruŋ′ə bäd΄]

city in central Maharashtra, W India: pop. 573,000

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Au·rang·a·bad (ou-rŭngʹgə-bäd', -ə-bäd')

A town of western India east-northeast of Mumbai (Bombay). Founded in 1610, it is near the site of a mausoleum erected by Aurangzeb in honor of his empress. Population: 573,272.

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▪ India

      city, west-central Maharashtra (Mahārāshtra) state, western India, on the Kaum River. Originally known as Khadki, it was founded by Malik Ambar in 1610. Its name was changed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who built the Bibika Makbara tomb, an imitation of the Taj Mahal, near the city. Aurangabad remained the headquarters of the independent nizams, but it declined when the capital was moved to Hyderabad. With the accession of Hyderabad state, it became part of the Indian union in 1947. Aurangabad is known for its artistic silk fabrics, particularly shawls. The seat of Marathwada University (1958), it is a prominent educational centre, and several branch colleges are located there. Aurangabad is also a popular tourist centre, a result of its proximity to the Ellora (Ellora Caves) and Ajanta (Ajanta Caves) cave temples, both of which were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites (World Heritage site) in 1983. Pop. (2001) 873,311.

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