[ Aurangabad photo ]
Aurangabad
Aurangabad is the jumping-off point for two of India's most extraordinary sights. The 34 cave temples of Ellora, carved from a single basalt cliff, blend Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain art across the centuries, while the 29 caves of Ajanta hold some of the finest Buddhist murals in the world. The city itself adds the Bibi Ka Maqbara — the ''poor man's Taj'' — and a lively local cuisine.