Daulatabad, Maharashtra:
Chand Minar and Daulatabad Fort
After returning from Khuldabad, we visited the impressive Daulatabad Fort on the following day.
Daulatabad is a small village 16 km northwest of Aurangabad and famous for a large fortress encompassing a steep hill. Its early history is shrouded in mystery, but it is believed that the lower sides of the hill were cut away already by the 12th century AD to create a 50 m high cliff! The only access to the summit is a narrow bridge across a moat and a tunnel carved through the rocks itself. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq famously transferred the capital of his kingdom from Delhi to Daulatabad in 1327 until he noticed shortly afterwards that there was not enough water to support a larger population. Consequently, he had to return to Delhi and earned his nickname “Mad King”. Daulatabad’s grandest monument is certainly the Chand Minar, a 64-m-high tower built in 1445, but the area has plenty of ruins to explore and viewpoints to enjoy.
We had a great time strolling through Daulatabad before returning to Aurangabad and preparing for our road trip to the Lonar Crater on the following day.
Matt Travels 