ABOUT

THE DISCOVERY OF AHMEDNAGAR

Ahmednagar is a city in Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmed Nizam Shah, who founded the town in 1494 on the site of a battlefield where he won a battle against superior Bahamani forces. It was close to the site of the village of Bhingar. With the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate, Ahmad established a new sultanate in Ahmednagar, also known as Nizam Shahi dynasty.

FAMOUS TOURIST PLACES IN AHMEDNAGAR

AHMEDNAGAR FORT

The Ahmednagar Fort is located in the heart of the city of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. It was the headquarters of the Ahmednagar Sultanate. In 1803, it was taken by the British in during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. It was used as a prison during the British Raj. Currently, the fort is under the administration of the Armored Corps of the Indian Army.
The fort was built by Malik Shah Ahmed (after whom the city of Ahmednagar is named) in 1427 CE. He was the first sultan of the Nizam Shahi dynasty and he built the fort to defend the city against invaders from neighboring Idar. Initially it was made of mud but major fortification began in 1559 under Hussain Nizam Shah. It took four years and was finally finished in 1562. In 1596, Chand Bibi the queen regent successfully repulsed the Mughal invasion but when Akbar attacked again in 1600 the fort went to the Mughals.

CAVALRY TANK MUSEUM

Cavalry Tank Museum was established by the Armored Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar in February 1994. It is the only museum of its kind in Asia and houses about 50 exhibits of vintage armored fighting vehicles. The oldest exhibit is the silver Ghost Rolls-Royce Armored Car. The older exhibits date to First World War vintage and served on the battlefields of Cambrian Somme and Flanders. A large number of vehicles are from Second World War period. Amongst the exhibits are a British Valentine, Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go and Type 97 Chi-Ha, Sherman Crab flail tank, M47 Patton, Centurion Mark II, German Schwerer Panzerspähwagen and the pride of India: Vijayanta.

DAMDI MASJID

Damdi Masjid in Ahmednagar is one of the most underrated historical monuments in India. Located near Ahmednagar fort, Damdi mosque was built in 1567 AD by a noble named Sahir Khan. The mosque is known for the elaborate figures and inscription. Many tombs of Europeans and other persons are located nearby.

CHAND BIWI MAHAL (TOMB OF SALABAT KHAN II)

The Tomb of Salabat Khan II is also commonly but mistakenly known as Chandbiwi’s Mahel, Chand Bibi Palace or similar variations. It is a three-story stone structure situated on the crest of a hill, 13 km from Ahmednagar city in the state of Maharashtra, India, The tomb is about 3080 feet above sea level on the top of a hill, 700 and 800 feet above the city, offering good views of the surrounding landscape and visible from almost anywhere in the city.

SHIRDI SAIBABA

Sai Baba of Shirdi (28 September 1835 – 15 October 1918; resided in Shirdi), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, is an Indian spiritual master who is regarded by his devotees as a saint, fakir, and satguru, according to their individual proclivities and beliefs. He was revered by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees, and during, as well as after, his life it remained uncertain if he was a Hindu or a Muslim. This, however, was of no consequence to Sai Baba.He stressed the importance of surrender to the true Satguru or Murshid, who, having gone the path to divine consciousness, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.

AVATAR MEHER BABA

Meher Baba (25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969), born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, God in human form. Merwan Sheriar Irani was born in 1894 in Pune, India to Irani Zoroastrian parents. At the age of 19, he began a seven-year spiritual transformation. During this time he contacted five spiritual masters before beginning his own mission and gathering his own disciples in early 1922, at the age of 27. From 10 July 1925 to the end of his life, Meher Baba maintained silence, communicating by means of an alphabet board or by unique hand gestures. With his mandali (circle of disciples), he spent long periods in seclusion, during which time he often fasted. He also traveled widely, held public gatherings and engaged in works of charity with lepers, the poor and the mentally ill.