The city of Daulatabad was once the capital of Muhammad bin-Tughlaq when he shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. The name Daulatabad or the city of wealth was given by Muhammad bin Tughlaq. The city was named as Devagiri before Tughlaq shifted his entire population from Delhi to Daulatabad. This shift was one of the most gruesome city transfers ever as people who refused to leave Delhi were tortured and even murdered. Eventually, the city was abandoned due to scarcity of water and Tughlaq was forced to shift base back to Delhi. Some Muslims who came with Muhammad bin Tughlaq referred to stay back in Daulatabad. This explains the unique demography of the city.
Today a magnificent fort stands in Daulatabad reminding visitors of its glorious past. The Daulatabad Fort was originally named as Devagiri or the abode of gods in local language Marathi. This fort was built in the 12th century by a Yadavas dynasty King. The Daulatabad Fort is famous for its military fortifications. It contains three lines of defense and the Mughals love this photo for its military ingenuity.
Climbing the Devgiri Daulatabad Fort is an adventure in itself. There are nearly 400 steps and you should consider your health if you are planning to climb the Daulatabad Fort. But we must say the trip is worthwhile as you will feel like a treasure hunter. You need to negotiate many secret passageways, some of them are below ground and a lot of bats will welcome you in these passageways.
The most interesting thing about the Daulatabad fort is that it contains many secret passageways that take the inhabitants of the fort outside the city in case of a siege. Apart from this defense system of Daulatabad Fort consisted of dry as well as wet moats. There is a complex set of mazes in the Daulatabad Fort and an enemy who is unknown to the terrain of this fort might find himself on the edge of a deep rock-cut moat.
You can even find the remains of a Buddhist site near the summit. You can easily reach the Daulatabad fort from the city of Aurangabad which is well connected through road, train, and air to the rest of India.
You need to visit the Daulatabad Fort if you have even a tiny bit of interest in forts. This fort is considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra. Military strategists consider this fort as one of the finest examples of defensive fortification.
Devagiri Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad Timings: 8:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M (all days are open)
Devagiri Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad Entry Fees: INR 5 for Indian nationals and INR 100 for foreign nationals.
