Bibi Ka Maqbara Travel Guide: The Taj of the Deccan in Aurangabad, Maharashtra (2024)
Bibi ka Maqbara is a place of historical, cultural, and tourist importance in Aurangabad. The Maqbara, which means Tomb, was Emperor Aurangzeb’s commission as a reminder for his first wife, Dilras Banu Begum, after her death. The tomb is popular in Western India, and tourists claim that the Maqbara is as beautiful, if not more, than the Taj Mahal, that’s in Agra, India. Some experts also term this as the Deccani Taj. 
Image Source
The Maqbara possibly dated somewhere between 1668 and 1669.
The Bibi ka Maqbara is so popular because it is close to Aurangabad city and makes for a budget visit for anyone looking to learn more about the history and culture of India.
The Bibi Ka Maqbara Experience
The road leading to the Bibi ka Maqbara is a scenic one, and takes you directly into the Aurangabad City.
The Bibi ka Maqbara is a formidable figure and looks daunting, with its white exterior, the large middle dome, and the pillars. A long pathway leads to the Maqbara from the main gate and gives an idea of the building’s planned scale. You will see that the pathway has trees lining the entire stretch.
The walls of the Maqbara have intricate paintings of flowers and plants. You will also see other carvings and sculptures along the walls and the pillars that give you an idea of the opulence of the structure.
The Bibi ka Maqbara is one of the few remnants of Mughal architecture, with its deep, tall domes, filigreed arches and intricate work on the windows and doors.
The color of the Maqbara is brownish white. If you reach the right spot, you will be able to see the Ellora Caves from the Bibi ka Maqbara.
Experts speak about how the Aurangzeb began decreasing the budgets for the Maqbara later, but it doesn’t seem to be shoddy, contrary to the descriptions of the tourists. Yes, the Bibi ka Maqbara is not a patch on the Taj Mahal and might have suffered because of the comparison. It still has a stand-alone elegance and beauty that makes it one of the must-visited tourist locations in Maharashtra and India.
You can also see the actual tomb that’s covered with all the traditional coverings somewhere along the centre of the Maqbara.
Photo by Danial Chitnis Image Source
You can spend around half an hour exploring the Bibi ka Maqbara and taking in the entire experience. You will see several tourists and even locals visit this place, but it isn’t a very crowded place at any time of the year. You will also find tourist guides at this place, as you will at the other destinations of tourist interest in Aurangabad, like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, etc. It does make sense to hire one, as they give you a lot of information about the place and that enriches the value of your visit.
Even though you will spend only about half an hour, make sure that you visit the place armed with sunglasses and a cap. The best time to visit the Bibi ka Maqbara is high noon, and that’s when Aurangabad has sweltering heat and high temperatures – make sure you have something to ward off those.
Aurangabad is a tourist location, so you will see many hotels that offer accommodation at all budgets. If you are looking to book a hotel online, make sure that you read the rules and regulations. Some hotels will not allow singles to share a room, others might not allow pets. In some cases, hotels might not be able to provide you with the cuisine you are looking for, in which case you will have to make food arrangements somewhere else.
Places To Visit Near Bibi ka Maqbara
Once you visit Bibi ka Maqbara, you can go to the other places in and around Aurangabad, like the Siddharth Garden, the Panchakki, etc. If you are in Aurangabad for a weekend, you can plan to visit the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and the Daulatabad fort. To experience all of these locations, you will need at least two or three days. You can visit Ajanta caves on one day. The next day, you can visit Ellora caves and Daulatabad Fort. In the afternoon, you can visit Panchakki, Bibi ka Maqbara, towards the end, visit Siddharth Garden.
How To Reach Bibi ka Maqbara?
Bibi ka Maqbara is in Aurangabad city, so it is very easy to reach and explore. Once you reach Aurangabad Station, you can take an autorickshaw or a private vehicle to reach Bibi ka Maqbara. Aurangabad is well connected by road, rail and air to the other cities in India like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, etc. Aurangabad has an airport, and the road travel from Mumbai to Aurangabad takes about seven hours. If you plan to travel via bus, you will take six to seven hours as well. The Aurangabad airport has several flights that connects it to the major cities in the country.
