23 Best Tourist Places to Visit near Aurangabad (2024)

At a distance of 72 km from Shirdi and 44 km from Ahmednagar, Shani Shingnapur or Sonai is a village in Nevasa taluka of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. The village is known for its popular temple of Shani Mahadev, the Hindu god associated with the planet (graha) Saturn. This is one of the most popular Shani temples in India and also among the famous pilgrimage places to visit near Pune.

The idol of Lord Shanidev at the Shingnapur temple is swayambhu and the temple is believed to be a jagrut devasthan, meaning that a deity still resides in the temple. The idol is personified in the form of a black stone that is five and a half feet high installed on an open-air platform. There is a Trishul alongside the stone as well as a Nandi on its south. In front are the small images of Shiva and Hanuman. An east-facing multi deity temple was built west of the Shani idol later. The premises also contain a tomb of Saint Udasi Baba and a temple dedicated to Dattatreya. This is one of the must include places in Shirdi packages.

Shani Shingnapur Temple, among the top Shirdi places to visit, among the most significant pilgrimage places to visit near Aurangabad. The entire village around the temple has no doors to the houses. ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 82 Kms

At a distance of 16 km from Aurangabad Railway Station, Daulatabad is an ancient hill fort situated on the way to Ellora Caves from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It is one of the best-preserved places of heritage in Maharashtra, and also one of the best Aurangabad tourist places.

The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by Yadava king Bhillama V in 1187 AD. It is one of the best historical places near Pune. The city was then called 'Deogiri', meaning the hill of gods. Daulatabad or 'the abode of wealth' was the name given by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq when he made his capital here in 1327 AD. The region and the fort passed on into the hands of Bahamani rulers under Hasan Gangu in 1347 AD and Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar in 1499 AD. Daulatabad became the capital of the Nizam Shahi dynasty in 1607 AD. The fort passed several hands, captured and re-captured by the Mughals, Marathas, Peshwas, and finally placed under the control of the Nizams of Hyderabad in 1724 AD till independence. It is one of the most visited places as part of Aurangabad tour packages.

Daulatabad Fort was one of the most powerful forts during the medieval period. Built on a 200 m high conical hill, the fort was defended by a moat and a glacis. ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 17 Kms

At a distance of 6 km from Ratanwadi, 23 km from Bhandardara, 183 km from Pune & 197 km from Mumbai, Ratangad is an ancient hill fort situated at Ratanwadi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. It is one of the best forts in Maharashtra and an ideal place for trekking around Mumbai & Pune.

The Ratangad Fort is one of the most popular places to visit in Bhandardara and the place leaves visitors spellbound with its rich heritage. The fort is located at a height of 4250 feet. Ratangad Fort is 400 year old fort, which was used by Maratha warrior Shivaji. The fort was initially ruled by the Mughals and it was conquered by Shivaji Maharaj.

Ratangad has a natural rock peak with a cavity at the top which is called Nedhe or Eye of the Needle. The fort has four gates known as Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan and Trimbak. There are two caves on the Ratangad Fort, one of the caves is smaller and can accommodate 8-10 people, while the other cave is larger and can accommodate 40-50 people. It also has many wells on the top. The base village Ratanwadi has Amruteshwar Temple which is famous for its carvings. The Pravara River originates in Ratangad Fort. According to the local legend, Sage Agastya meditated and performed penance in Ratangad. At that place two drops of Amrut was dropped and water started flowing out from Ratangad continuously resulting in the river Pravara hence the name 'Amrutvahini'.

There are numerous ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 215 Kms

At a distance of 28 km from Nashik, Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeswar is a small pilgrimage town located on the banks of River Godavari at the foothills of Brahmagiri Mountains in Nasik district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, and among the must-include places in Nashik packages.

Trimbakeshwar is famous for Trimbakeshwar Temple which is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. It is one of the most famous places to visit near Nashik. Trimbakeshwar Temple is built by Sri Nana Saheb Peshwa in 1755-1786 AD. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva as Trimbakeshwar. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Rudra. A crown studded with precious stones rests on top of this Linga, which is said to be from the age of Pandavas. This crown is decorated with various precious stones like emeralds, diamonds, and many other varieties. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4 PM - 5 PM. It is one of the most popular places to visit near Mumbai.

The temple is built of black stone in the Nagara style of architecture and is enclosed in a spacious courtyard. The sanctum internally a square and externally ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 215 Kms

At a distance of 111 km from Pune, 124 km from Lonavala, 210 km from Nashik, and 224 km from Mumbai, Bhimashankar Temple is an ancient pilgrimage center located near Karjat in the Ghat region of Sahyadri hills in Maharashtra. This is one of the top places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, and also one of the best pilgrimage places to visit near Pune.

Bhimashankar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered one of the 12 holy Jyotirlinga shrines in India, and among the must-visit places as part of Pune tour packages. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Vaidyanath near Parli, Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Grishneshwar near Aurangabad, and Aundha Nagnath Temple in Hingoli. Bhimashankar is also the source of the river Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna River near Raichur.

It is believed that the original temple of Bhimashankar was built in the 12th century CE. However, no evidence remains dating to that period has been found. The temple was renovated by Chimaji Antaji Bhide Naik in 1733 CE followed by some repair works by Dikshit Patwardhan in 1766 CE. A well was constructed in the complex by Raghunathrao Peshwa. The famous minister of the Peshwas, Nana Phadnavis carried out a lot of renovations, including the construction of the shikhara. It is one of the famous places to visit in Pune.

According ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 278 Kms

At a distance of 8 km from Nashik Central Bus Station, Pandavleni Caves or Trirashmi Caves are the ancient rock cut caves situated on Trirashmi Hills to the south of Nashik. The location of the caves is a holy Buddhist site in Maharashtra and also one of the popular places to visit in Nashik.

Pandavleni Caves are a group of 24 caves carved between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD, representing the Hinayana Buddhism and has nothing to do with the characters of Mahabharata (the Pandavas).These caves were built by the rulers of that time like Satavahanas and Kshaharatas for Hinayana Buddhist monks. More ancient name of caves is Trirashmi Caves where the root 'Trirashmi' means 'triple royal'.

Most of the caves are Viharas except for the 18th cave which is a Chaitya. Caves 3, 10, 18 and 20 are the most significant and fascinating caves among the 24 caves which are noted for their magnificent sculptures. Cave 3 has a large Vihara with fascinating sculptures. Cave 10 is also a Vihara but it is much older and finer than Cave 3. It is believed to be as old as the Karla Caves near Lonavala. These caves houses shrines, cisterns, rare inscription, carved figures of Buddha and Bodhisattva, along with icons of some of the Jain Teerthankaras like Vrishabhdeo, Ambikadevi, Veer Manibhadraji etc. The Chaitya (Cave 18) is well sculptured with an elaborate facade.

There are several inscriptions found in these caves. Inscriptions in caves 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19 and ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 197 Kms

At a distance of 1 km from Ellora Caves, and 29 km from Aurangabad, Grishneshwar or Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is a famous Hindu temple located at Verul village in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. It is one of the famous places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, among the must-visit places as part of Ellora tour packages.


Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Grishneshwar Temple is believed to be the last or 12th Jyotirlinga on the earth. This is one of the top places to visit in Ellora, and among the prominent pilgrimage places to visit near Aurangabad. The presiding deity, in the form of Jyotirlinga, is known by several names like Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Ghrushmeswara, and Grishneswara. The Grishneshwar temple was re-constructed by Maloji Raje Bhosale, the grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in the 16th century. Later, the temple was again reconstructed in the 18th century by Rani Ahilyabhai Holkar, a Maratha princess who ruled Indore from 1765 CE to 1795 CE.

According to the legend, In the Devagiri Mountain, there lived a Brahmin couple named Brahmavetta Sudharm and Sudeha. They had no children and according to the wish of Sudeha, Brahmavetta married her sister Ghushma. On the advice of ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 31 Kms

At a distance of 25 km from Hingoli, 61 km from Nanded, and 204 km from Aurangabad, Aundha Nagnath Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Aundha Nagnath in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra, India. This is one of the top places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, and among the best places to visit near Aurangabad.

Aundha Nagnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered one of the 12 holy Jyotirlinga shrines in India. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Vaidyanath near Parli, Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Grishneshwar near Aurangabad, and Bhimshankar. Also, the temple is very closely associated with the lives of saints like Visoba Khechara, Namdev, and Jnanesvar. Namdev went to Jnanesvar temple where he was instructed to visit Aundha Nagnath Temple to search for a proper guru.

The present temple is said to have been built by the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty and dates to the 13th century. It is believed that Dharmraj (eldest of Pandavs) has constructed the temple first time while they were expelled for 14 years from Hastinapur. It has been stated that the temple was seven-storyed before it was ransacked by Aurangzeb. Later, Rani Ahalyabai Holkar, Queen of the Maratha Malwa Kingdom, repaired and renovated the temple.

Spread over an area of 60,000 sq. ft, Aundha Nagnath Temple was built in Hemadpanthi architectural style. However, its upper portion was repaired during the later ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 200 Kms

At a distance of 60 km from Latur, 105 km from Nanded, 119 km from Aundha, and 219 km from Aurangabad, Sri Vaijnath Temple is an ancient Hindu temple, located at Parli Vaijnath in the Beed district of Maharashtra, India. This is one of the top places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, and among the best places to visit near Aurangabad.

Aundha Nagnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered one of the 12 holy Jyotirlinga shrines in India. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Aundha Naganath near Hingoli, Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Grishneshwar near Aurangabad, and Bhimshankar. While the exact date of the building of the temple is not known, experts feel that it belongs to the Yadava period that goes back to the 12th or 13th century CE. There are records stating that the temple was renovated by Ahalyadevi Holkar in the year 1706.

There are many legends associated with this temple. One such is the story of Satyavan and Savitri that is said to have taken place at Parli. There is also the legend from the Ramayana about Ravana halting here while on his way to Lanka with the Shivlinga. It is said that to be able to relieve himself, Ravana asked a herdsman to hold the Shivlinga for a while. However, the boy was unable to do so for long and placed it on earth, which is how the jyotirlinga happens to be here. The belief is that Shiva decided to reside here in the form of Vaidyanatheshwar.

The ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 210 Kms

At a distance of 94 km from Pune Junction, Shivneri Fort is an ancient fort situated near Junnar in Pune district of Maharashtra. Shivneri Fort is one of the most magnificent as well as historically rich forts of India. It is a famous trekking destination and also a popular weekend picnic destination near Pune. It is also one of the top tourist places in Pune visiting.

The Shivneri Fort was built during the time of Satavahanas. After the Satavahanas, the Shivneri Fort was occupied by the Shilaharas, the Yadavas, and the Bahamanis. In 1599 AD the hill fort was granted to Shivaji's grandfather, Maloji Bhosale and passed down to Shahaji. Jijabai (Shivaji's mother) spent the days of her pregnancy here and this was the birth place of Shivaji, the famous Maratha warrior who was born in 1630 AD. Shivaji spent his childhood in Shivneri Fort and also undertook his military training here.

Shivneri is a triangular shape hill fort and has its entrance from the South-West side of the hill. Apart from the main gate there is an entrance to the fort from Eastern side called locally as the chain gate, where in one has to hold chains to climb up to the fort gate. The fort extends up to 1 mi with seven spiral well-defended gates. There are mud walls all around the fort. The fort also exhibits a small water pond named Badami Talav, located in the center of the fort. Close to the pond lies the idol of Jijabai along with her son Shivaji. Shiv Janmasthan, Ambarkhana, Kadelot Point, Ganga ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 230 Kms

At a distance of 48 km from Pune Junction, Jejuri is a town and municipality situated to the southeast of the Pune city. The town of Jejuri is renowned for one of the most pious temples in Maharashtra known as Khandoba Temple and is one of the popular tourist places in Pune.

Jejuri Khandoba Temple is dedicated to Khandoba, who is also known as Mhalsakant or Malhari Martand in the region. Khandoba is the important god worshipped by Dhangar, the oldest tribes in Maharashtra. It is believed that Khandoba is a god of Sakamabhakti, the god who fulfills all the desires of his devotees. Jejuri is popular for its old Deep Mala.

The Khandoba temple in Jejuri is built on a hill and offers good views all around. One has to climb a series of almost 200 steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum. There are various stone images of elephants on either sides of the main gateway of the temple. The entire flat plateau above the hill is surrounded by a stone pavement in the center, of which stands the Khandoba shrine. The whole courtyard is surrounded by arched aisles on sides, from which highly ornate balconies with cypress pillars and cusped arches project out. This enclosure has three gateways and the temple faces east. The outermost portion is an arched portico- consisting of a square mandapa and a garbhagriha.

The idol of Sri Khandoba enshrined inside the temple is simply beautiful. There are three weapons housed in Jejuri Temple, a sword, a damaru and a paral. They are very ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 253 Kms

At a distance of 30 km from Nashik, Sinnar is a town and a municipal council in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district in Maharashtra. Sinnar is mainly famous for Sri Gondeshwar Temple and Gargoti Museum. It is one of the famous places to visit near Aurangabad.

Gondeshwar Temple is situated about 2 km from Sinnar Bus Station and it represents the best example of the Hemadpanti style of architecture. The structure was constructed using the locally available black basalt stone and lime. The temple's origin dates back to 12 - 13th century during the Yadava dynasty. Some sources claim that Raj Govinda of the Yadava dynasty built this great temple. Yet another tradition assigns the building to Govindaraja, another Yadava king who ruled about the beginning of the twelfth century AD.

It is a Shaiva Panchayatan or a group of five temples within a large enclosure. The central shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the remaining four temples are dedicated to goddess Parvati, Sri Ganapathi, Surya Bhagwan, and Lord Vishnu. This is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved example of the medieval temples of the Deccan of the Indo-Aryan style.

The temple is an astonishing display of stone carvings and sculptures portraying the stories from the Puranas, Mahabharata & Ramayana. Sculptures of Gods, Goddesses, Apsaras, Yakshas, Kinnaras, and Gandharvas adorn the entire complex. The temple of Lord Shiva is beautifully ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 166 Kms

At a distance of 52 km from Pune and 11 km from Yavat, Bhuleshwar is an ancient Hindu temple situated on a hill near Malshiras in Pune district of Maharashtra. It has been declared as a protected monument and is maintained by Archeological Survey of India.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built in 13th century during Yadava Rulers. It is believed that the temple was ruined by Muslim invaders and reconstructed later because the entrance of the temple is hidden like Gaimukhi Buruj construction of Shivaji's time. The fort on which the temple is situated is called as Daulat Mangalgad Fort.

The temple is unique because of its architecture. Black basalt rock was brought to construct this temple which is different as compared to surrounding brownish color basalt rock. From outside it appears to more as a mosque than a temple due to its resemblance to Islamic architecture like circular domes and minarets. There are classical carvings on the walls.

The temple contains five Shivlingas in its sanctum. Owing to their being hidden in a trench, these Shiva Lingams can be seen in light. Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahadev are also housed in this temple. The temple also has an idol of Ganesh in female attire and is popularly called as Ganeshwari or Lambodari or Ganeshyani.

This temple gets huge crowds during Mahashivratri. There is a local belief, when a bowl of sweet is offered to Lord Shiva, one or more of the sweets disappear. A little further ...

Distance from Aurangabad: 235 Kms