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Nasik ~ Mahabaleshwar ~ Shirdi ~ Aurangabad ~ Lonavala ~ Goa
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From ancient times Aurangabad has been a place of great importance due to it’s location on the famous "Silk Route" that traversed across the breadth of Asia to reach Europe. Textiles, embroidered finery and various kinds of beads made in nearby Paithan were exported to the markets of Greece, Rome and Egypt.
Under royal dynasties such as the Satavahanas, Vakatakas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas, Aurangabad developed as a centre of culture and learning. It gave birth to or provided inspiration for great poet – saints and philosophers like Dyaneshwar, Eknath and Ramdas, Wali and Siraj.
Aurangabad’s strategic position in the Deccan earned it the name of "Khidki" meaning window, serving as it did, as an opening through which North India could look into the Deccan.
Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq the ‘Mad King’ was so impressed by the topography of the Deogiri mountain that he forsook Delhi and moved his capital down renaming it Daulatabad. Thus Aurangabad enjoys the rare distinction of being the only city apart from Delhi to have served as the capital of India. Finally, Aurangabad became the seat of the last of the great Moghuls Aurangzeb as he fought to block the resurgent Maratha power.
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