Tourist Places in Ahmednagar

Ahmednagar The town was founded in 1494 by Ahmad Nizam Shah on the site of a more ancient city, Bhingar. With the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate, Ahmad established a new sultanate in Ahmednagar, also known as Nizam Shahi dynasty.

It was one of the Deccan sultanates, which lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1636. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal emperor, who spent the latter years of his reign, 1681–1707, in the Deccan, died at Khuldabad near Aurangabad in 1707, and a small monument marks the site. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar was born on 31 May 1725 in Chondi village of Jamkhed taluka in Ahmednagar district. In 1759, the Peshwa of the Marathas obtained possession of the place from Nizam of Hyderabad and in 1790 it was ceded by the Peshwa to the Maratha chief Daulat Rao Sindhia. Ahmednagar was invaded by a British force under General Wellesley and captured. It was afterwards restored to the Marathas, but again came into the possession of the British in 1817, according to the terms of the Treaty of Poona. Numerous Mughal-era buildings dot the environs. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered the second most unimpregnable fort in India, was used by the British to house Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister of India) and other Indian Nationalists before Indian independence. A few rooms there have been converted to a museum. During his confinement by the British at Ahmednagar Fort, Nehru wrote the famous book The Discovery of India

Ahmednagar Fort was constructed by Malik Ahmed, the first sultan of the Nizam Shahi dynasty, during the 15th and the 16th century. The fort has 18 m high walls that are supported by 22 bastions. This fort was also used as a prison for keeping the captured soldiers. At present, the fort is under the control of the military command of India.

The fort has undergone many constructions and renovations during the reign of Hussain Nizam Shah from 1559 to 1562. After six years, he died and Chand Bibi, one of the famous queens, protected the fort. However, when Akbar attacked the fort in 1600, it was captured by the Mughals. The circumference of the fort is oval in shape. The fort has 24 citadels which are 30 m wide and a moat which is 4 to 6 m deep.

The fort was ruled by two main dynasties, namely the Marathas and the Scindias. Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal Emperor, died in this fort in 1707. Moreover, Madhavrao II and Daulat Scindia died during their reign at this fort. During the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803, the fort was won by the British rulers from the Maratha forces and the East India Company captured the fort.

Used as a prison during the British rule, the fort served as a jail to the leaders of Indian National Congress during the Quit India Movement. The popular book named, 'The Discovery of India' was written by Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment at Ahmednagar Fort.
Salabat Khan's Tomb is situated on a hilltop, Shah Dongar, at an average elevation of 900 m above the sea level. The tomb is known as the Chand Bibi's Mahal. It was constructed by Salabat Khan for himself. Salabat Khan II was one of the famous ministers of Murtaza, the fourth Nizam Shah. Murtaza established his kingdom during 1565 and in 1579, he announced Salabat Khan as his loyal minister. The tomb reveals many instances and historic events leading to the death of half-mad Murtaza by Changiz Khan.

Surrounded by a three storey veranda, the dome of the tomb is large and is visible from a distance. The foundation of the tomb was laid on a circular plan but the monument is octagonal in shape. The relics of the constructor and his wife are buried in the basement while three other graves of his second wife and sons are buried outside the tomb.

Shirdi Sai temple is a beautiful shrine that was built over the Samadhi of Shri Sai Baba

Shirdi is located approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) City in India.

Shirdi is famous temple of Shri Sai Baba. It was established in 1922 to carry out the services of Shri Sai Baba.

At age of 16 yrs Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and remained their till his death. Saibaba found shelter in Khandoba temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint Sai baba.

Shri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir, Shri Saibaba in Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by both Hindu and Muslim followers. Lord Sai lived in a mosque and after death his body was cremated in a temple.

Sri Shirdi Sai philosophy ingrained 'Shraddha' meaning faith and 'Saburi' meaning compassion. According to god Sai, Shraddha and Saburi were the supreme attributes to reach the state of godliness.
Shri Siddhivinayak Temple is located at Siddhatek, one of the famous mountain peaks of the region. It is believed that the site was known as a place where Lord Vishnu performed penance to get a boon from Lord Siddheshwar Ganesh. Sage Moraya Gosavi from Chinchwad and Sage Narayan Maharaj from Kodgaon completed their penance and got siddhi from Lord Siddhivinayak at this place.

It is believed that when Lord Brahma was creating nature, two demons, namely Madhu and Kaitabh started harassing gods, goddesses and sages. Lord Vishnu fought with them for 5 thousand years and finally came to Siddhi Kshetra, presently known as Siddhatek, and requested Lord Ganesha to kill the demons.

At the site, he found right trunk of the idol of Lord Ganesha and entitled him as Siddhivinayak. The temple was cleaned by a cowherd who used to wash the idol with the water of River Bhima. The place is counted among one of the 21 holy places of Lord Ganesha that are mentioned in the puranas.
 
Tank Museum, also known as the Cavalry Tank Museum, is situated in the Armoured Corps Centre and School. Being first of its kind in Asia, the museum houses a vast collection of tanks used by rulers during different periods. The museum was inaugurated in 1994 by late Gen BC Joshi, Former Army Chief and a tank-man.

One of the prime attractions of the museum is the Mark-I fitted with a tractor engine that was used during World War I. The beginning of the 19th century experienced rise of trench warfare, but could not succeed as many soldiers died from disease in their armoured car. Displaying armoured cars, reconnaissance vehicles and light tanks, the museum represents the journey of evolution of ancient tanks to the modern day tank.

A model belonging to the same class of armoured cars used by General Dyer to enter Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh is also displayed in the museum. Representing the Nazi era of Europe, the museum has Schmerer Panzerspahwagen (8-RAD), the 1934 armoured car with a sign of swastika. The museum also showcases tanks used for performing specialised services such as aircrew recovery, bridge laying, mine-detonation and dozing.

Another prominent attraction of the museum is the amphibious tanks that were developed for the Normandy Landings during World War II. Besides, the German and the Japanese tanks captured during World War II, the Pakistani tanks and other 40 tanks can be seen in the museum.
Faria Bagh Palace was believed to be constructed for Burhan Shah, the son of the founder of Ahmednagar. After the death of his father, Burhan Shah ascended the throne in 1508 at the age of seven and handled the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Moreover, he made friendly agreement with the Raja of Vijaynagar, the enemy of his father. The Kingdom of Burhan Shah witnessed many wars with the Mughals, kings of Bijapur and various other states.

The monument is octagonal in structure with a flat-roofed upper storey, constructed over a domed central hall. The texture of the stone used is rough and is plastered with stucco. The palace was a recreational place for the Nizam Shahi rulers, as there are chess game board, gardens surrounding the lake and a shallow water body for bathing.
Shani Shingnapur is a village where there are no door frames and locks in homes. Natives believe that Shani Dev protect them and their houses from any kind of theft or crime. The village is visited by devotees as well as tourists on Shani Amavasya or no moon day falling on Saturdays. A temple is dedicated to Lord Shani and the idol enshrined is a slab of the rock. The premises of the temple have a tomb of Udasi Baba, a Sufi saint.

Legends state that about two hundred years ago, the idol was found by a shepherd boy during the flood in the stream. One of the villagers had a dream that this rock was nothing but a Shani idol. Thus, the villagers established an open air shrine.
Bhandardara Dam, one of the popular picnic spots of the region, is constructed on the River Pravara at Bhandardara village on the western coast of India. Constructed in 1926, the dam is considered to be one of the oldest dams in Asia. Situated at an average elevation of around 750 m from the mean sea level, the prime attraction of the destination is the Umbrella Falls. Another prominent waterfall known as the Randha Falls is situated at a distance of around 11 km from the dam.
Damdi Masjid: In a marked contrast to the unadorned style of Nizam Shah buildings, standing amidst now-neglected surroundings close to the Ahmednagar Cantt, is the Damdi Masjid. Built in 1568, in the exemplary Deccan style with intricate stone carvings, this single storied structure has an impressive façade of three arches supported on carved piers. The odd sounding name comes from damdis, the then currency of the smallest denomination that was contributed by people building this mosque.
Mula Dam, also known as Dnyaneshwar Sagar Dam, is situated on the River Mula in the Rahuri Taluka of the Ahmednagar District. With the storage capacity of around 26 TMC, the dam supplies drinking water to Ahmednagar city and its adjoining areas.

The dam is situated in the vicinity of the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth and is used for irrigation purposes in Rahuri, Newasa, Shevgaon and Pathardi taluka. Renowned for its beautiful surroundings and boating facilities, the dam is one of the popular picnic spots of the destination.
Shri Vishal Ganapati Temple at Maliwada is located at a distance of around 2 km from the district headquarters. Accessible on foot, the temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the gram devta of the region. The 11 ft high idol of Lord Ganesha is enshrined in the temple.

In February 1958, Avatar Meher Baba indicated to his disciples and lovers that Meherabad would become the greatest place of pilgrimage in the world. Over the years he had told them that when he passed away, his body should be interred in the Tomb (known as the Samadhi) which had been built under his instructions on Meherabad Hill in 1938. After Meher Baba passed away on 31 January 1969, people from around the world did indeed begin to come to his Tomb in gradually increasing numbers. In response to the increasing number of pilgrims, and in keeping with Baba's own directives in the Trust Deed, the Avatar Meher Baba Trust became increasingly involved in providing facilities for visitors.

During his lifetime, Meher Baba repeatedly said he did not intend to start a new religion. Rather, as the Divine Beloved, he had come to establish a relationship with each individual through love. The Trust appreciates, therefore, that pilgrimage to Meherabad, though it occurs in a public setting, is in its essence deeply personal and inward. Thus it strives to balance its responsibility of providing facilities for increasing numbers of visitors with its goal of preserving an intimate atmosphere supportive of each individual's unique experience of Meher Baba.