Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Taking advantage of the Christmas holiday on Thursday, residents of the city stepped out and flocked to various tourist places in the city and district. Record crowds were seen at locations such as Ellora Caves, Ajanta Caves, the “Taj of the Deccan” – Bibi Ka Maqbara, Daulatabad (Devgiri) Fort, and Aurangabad Caves. Over the course of the day, more than 28,000 tourists visited these sites.
From Thursday morning, heavy crowds of tourists and vehicle congestion were observed at the district’s tourist sites. The number of school trips was also significant. By 6 pm, Bibi Ka Maqbara had been visited by 6,200 tourists. Due to the crowd, visitors sometimes had to wait in long queues at the entrance instead of directly using tokens from the ticket counter. Officers and staff of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) including conservation assistant Sanjay Rohankar, maintained careful planning; conservation assistant Rajesh Wakalekar reported that Ellora Caves received 11,000 visitors throughout the day, while conservation assistant Manoj Pawar said that Ajanta Caves welcomed 7,000 visitors.
Arrival of foreign tourists
Bibi Ka Maqbara saw 26 foreign tourists, Daulatabad (Devagiri) Fort had 8, and Aurangabad Caves had 2 foreign visitors. The surge in tourists also provided a boost to local businesses. Guides, drivers, food vendors, and handicraft shopkeepers all experienced increased business.
Number of tourists at different sites
Ellora Caves: 11,000
Ajanta Caves: 7,000
Bibi Ka Maqbara: 6,200
Daulatabad (Devagiri) Fort: 4,206 and
Aurangabad Caves: 688.