In 1728, when the Marathas were denied collection of chauth and sardeshmukhi (two types of taxes that were an important source of revenue for their administration), a war was declared against Nizam-ul-Mulk or the Viceroy of the Deccan. In February that year, under the leadership of Peshwa Bajirao, the Mughal leader was defeated in the battlefield of Palkhed, a small town about 12 km from Vaijapur in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Almost three centuries later, Vaijapur is witnessing another battle. This time, against the Coronavirus.

On May 21, the Union Health Ministry said that the tally of positive cases for the novel Coronavirus in Aurangabad district had increased to 1,218, with the death toll hitting 45. None of these cases, however, were reported from Vaijapur. The small town with a minuscule population of 3,11,373, has kept the disease at bay since the first case was reported in Maharashtra on March 9. Today, the state is the country's worst hit, with 44,582 cases and 1,517 deaths, out of India's total of 1,25,101 cases and 3,720 deaths.