Ahilyanagar

Introduction

Ahilyanagar, still widely known as Ahmednagar, is a city in Maharashtra and the headquarters of its district. It holds several dozen buildings and sites dating from the Nizam Shahi period, giving the city a deep layer of Deccan history to explore.

The city's best-known landmark is Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impregnable. Before Indian independence the British used it to detain Jawaharlal Nehru and other Indian Nationalists; a few rooms there have been converted into a museum, and it was during his confinement at the fort in 1944 that Nehru wrote The Discovery of India. Ahilyanagar is also a military centre: it is home to the Indian Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), where training and recruitment for the Indian Army Armoured Corps takes place, along with the Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre (MIRC), the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and the Controllerate of Quality Assurance Vehicles (CQAV).

Getting around

Ahilyanagar is a relatively small city, and getting around reflects that: you rely on road transport rather than rapid transit. Local buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis are the main ways of covering ground within the city, and the centre is compact enough that short hops are pleasant on foot, particularly for taking in the Nizam Shahi-period buildings scattered around. There is no metro or tram network, so plan around buses, trains, auto-rickshaws and taxis. Marathi is the primary language of daily life, so a few words go a long way when asking directions or buying tickets. On local city buses you pay the conductor on board; for state transport and private tour buses, tickets are bought at the time of travel at the bus stand or from the conductor.

Many of the best-known sights lie well outside the urban area, so treat them as road trips rather than walks. Meherazad, Meher Baba's later residence, is near Pimpalgaon village roughly nine miles north of the city; the Tomb of Salabat Khan II, also called the Chand Bibi Palace, sits on a hill about 13 km away; Mula Dam is about 52 km away; Shri Munjaba Temple at Ukkadgaon in Shrigonda Taluka is about 60 km from the main city; and Pimpri Gawali in Parner taluka is about 25 km away. For these, hiring a vehicle by the day is often the most practical approach — agree on the fare before you set out and confirm whether it covers waiting time and the return journey. The city has a hot semi-arid climate and swelters in the pre-monsoon months from March to mid-June, so time outings for the cooler parts of the day and carry water. Ahilyanagar has its own railway station, with regular daily trains to Shirdi, Mumbai (Dadar), Pune and many other cities, making the train a sensible option for day trips to Shirdi or onward travel. You may still see the older name "Ahmednagar" on tickets, timetables and signage. There is no airport in the city; arrivals come via Pune Lohegaon Airport or Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), each about 113 km away, or Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai, continuing by taxi, hired car, train or bus — treat that final leg as a journey of a few hours and arrange it in advance where possible.

When to go

Ahilyanagar has a hot semi-arid climate that stays hot all year, so plan around heat rather than seasons. The sweltering stretch builds from March to mid-June, when daytime heat is intense; if you travel then, schedule activities for early morning or evening.

The monsoon brings rain, but it stays modest — the city sits in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats, so you should expect a hot, only lightly wet season rather than a soaking one.

Three days in Ahilyanagar

Day one: Start in Ahilyanagar, also known as Ahmednagar, and get your bearings in Maharashtra's Deccan country. Begin at Ahmednagar Fort, which later held Jawaharlal Nehru and other Indian Nationalists during the British period, and where Nehru wrote The Discovery of India. From there, move on to the Nizam Shahi-era Chand Bibi Palace, then visit the Tomb of Salabat Khan II. Round off the day with local Marathi food.

Day two: Head out to Meherazad and Pimpalgaon to see where Meher Baba lived and is remembered. On the way back, stop at the Shri Munjaba Temple. If time allows, take in the Mula Dam. Many travellers use the evening to eat Marathi dishes in town.

Day three: Turn to the military side of Ahilyanagar. Visit the Indian Armoured Corps Centre (ACC), the Indian Army Armoured Corps, and the Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre (MIRC). You can also see the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and the Controllerate of Quality Assurance Vehicles (CQAV). There is a School connected with the ACC. Before leaving, revisit the fort area or the palace if you missed anything.