શનિવાર, 17 માર્ચ, 2012

Devgiri / Daulatabad




Daulatabad is situated around 13 kms away from Aurangabad. The Daulatabad fort emerges dramatically over 600 ft above the Deccan plain. It is one of the world's best preserved forts of medieval times and also one of the few impregnable forts in Maharashtra with excellent architecture. The city was named Daulatabad 'The city of fortune', by Mohammed bin Tughluq, the sultan of Delhi.
The original widespread capital city is now mostly unoccupied and has been reduced to a village. Much of its survival depends on the tourists to the old city and the adjacent fort. The area of the city includes the hill-fortress of Devagiri.


It stands on a conical hill, about 200 meters high. Encircled by thick walls, spiked gates, steep slide ways and a deep trench. The fort has a coiled network of secret, quizzical and subsurface passages.Much of the lower slopes of the hill has been cut away by Yadava dynasty rulers to leave 50 meter vertical sides to improve defences. The fort is a place of extraordinary strength. The only means of access to the summit is by a narrow bridge, with passage for not more than two people abreast, and a long gallery, excavated in the rock, which has for the most part a very gradual upward slope. About midway along this gallery, the access gallery has steep stairs, the top of which is covered by a grating destined in time of war to form the hearth of a huge fire kept burning by the garrison above. At the summit, and at intervals on the slope, are specimens of massive old cannon facing out over the surrounding countryside.

Getting There

By Road : Daulatabad Fort is a part of the MTDC tour to Ellora from Aurangabad. It can also be reached by private taxi or by the local bus that runs between Aurangabad and Ellora.
By Rail : Aurangabad is well connected to Mumbai and other cities of the country. There are two trains that depart daily from Mumbai. The Tapovan Express leaves Mumbai early morning arriving in Aurangabad by late afternoon, while the Devgiri Express is an overnight train.
By Air : The nearest airport from Daulatabad is the Aurangabad airport, located around 10 kms east of the Aurangabad town. This airport is directly linked to Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur.

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