-Maharashtra

Bombay (Mumbai)-Pune (Poona)-Aurangabad- Ajanta Cave -Ellora Cave-Lonavala and Khandala-Panchagani-Raigad

Located in the northern center of peninsular India, Maharashtra is surrounded by the Arabian sea in the west, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on the south. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, which derives its name from the Goddess Mumba Devi.
Mughal rulers from Delhi tried their best to keep this region under their control. From the middle of the 17th century, a new group of warrior people came to dominate the scene in Maharashtra and elsewhere in India called Marathas. The origin of Marathas is still debatable, but what is known is that they stole the limelight from the great Mughals and at one point of time even captured Delhi. It was only after defeating the Marathas that the English could establish their rule in India. Shivaji was the first great ruler of Marathas and it was he who paved the way for future Maratha influence on India.

Bombay (Mumbai)

Mughal rulers from Delhi tried their best to keep this region under their control. From the middle of the 17th century, a new group of warrior people came to dominate the scene in Maharashtra and elsewhere in India called Marathas. The origin of Marathas is still debatable, but what is known is that they stole the limelight from the great Mughals and at one point of time even captured Delhi. It was only after defeating the Marathas that the English could establish their rule in India.

Shivaji was the first great ruler of Marathas and it was he who paved the way for future Maratha influence on India.

Mumbai (till recently known as 'Bombay') derives its name from the local deity Mumba Devi, whose temple is still there. The Portuguese predecessors of the British preferred to think of the name as Bom Baim, the Good Bay. Bombay was once a cluster of seven islands called Heptanasia by Plotemy in AD 150. Mumbai is home to people of all Indian creeds and cultures.

Altitude: Sea level, Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 33.3, Min 22.7; Winter- Max 29.5, Min- 19.4,Rainfall: 212 cms (June to September), Seasons: Throughout the year.

Places Of Interest: Afghan Church, Chowpatty Beach, Gateway Of India, Haji Ali Tomb, Flora Fountain, Kamala Nehru Park, Crawford Market, Mahalakshmi, Marine Drive, Hanging Garden, Race Course, Rajabai Towers & Bombay University, Victoria Terminus , Nehru Planetarium, Taraporewala Acquarium , Jijamata Udyan, Nehru Science Centre, Prince Of Wales Museum.

Excursions: Aarey Milk Colony- 35 kms, Bassein Fort- 77 kms, Elephanta Caves- 9 kms, Gorai Beach- 59 kms, Juhu Beach- 21 kms, Kanheri Caves- 42 kms, Karla Caves-100 kms, Karnala Bird Sanctuary- 61 kms, Madh, Marve & Manori Beaches, Powai Lake -26.6 kms, Vihar Lake- 28.6 kms, Tansa Lake- 10.3 kms, Tulsi Lake- 32 kms, Vaitarna Dam- 122 kms, Vajreshwari- 88 kms, Sanjay Gandhi National Park- 35 kms.

Reach - By Air: Bombay is well linked to major cities of India. By Rail: Well connected by to all major cities and towns of India. By Road: Pune-163 kms, Nasik-185 kms, Mahabaleshwar- 239 kms, Shirdi- 307 kms, Aurangabad- 392 kms, Vadodara- 432 kms, Ahmedabad- 545 kms, Panaji- 597 kms, Hyderabad- 711 kms, Bangalore- 998 kms.

Pune (Poona)

Located in Sahyadri hills near the west coast of India, Pune is a fascinating city with a healthy climate all year around.The city was one of the pivotal basesof the 17th century great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, who was born at the Shivneri Fort here.Pune became the seat of the enterprising Peshwas, under whom Maratha power rose into a major political force. The Peshwas were renowned patrons of the arts and in their time, enriched the city with temples, gardens and educational institution.It was here that Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak introduced the principle of Swadeshi during the Freedom Movement.Today Pune is one of the leading metros in India, with the Film and Television Institute of India and National Defence Academy based here. Altitude: 598 meters, Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 40, Min 26; Winter- Max 29, Min 19, Rainfall: 70 cms (June to September),Best season: Throughout the year.

Places Of Interest: Shaniwar Wada, Saras Baug, Parvati Hill, Raja Kelkar Museum, Shinde's Chhatri, Bund Garden, Kasturba Smarak (Inside Agha Khan Palace) etc.

Excursions: Alandi- 22 kms, Dehu- 29 kms, Karla- 55 kms, Purandhar- 40 kms, Sinhagad- 25 kms, Panchgani- 98 kms, Mahabaleshwar-120 kms, Shivneri Fort- 94 kms, Bhima Shankar- 95 kms, Ashtavinayak Temples at Theur- 20 kms, Ranjangaon- 50 km, Morgaon- 65 km, Madh- 75 kms, Ojhar- 75 kms, Pali- 80 kms, Lenyadri- 90 kms & Siddhatek- 95 kms, Lonavala- 64 kms, Bhatghar Dam- 52 kms.

Reach - By Air: Well connected with Bombay. By Rail: Pune is well linked by rail with all major towns. By Road: Bombay-170 kms, Shirdi- 195 kms, Nasik- 202 kms, Aurangabad- 226 kms. Aurangabad Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah II, founded the city of Aurangabad in 1610 A.D, on the site of a village, Khirki. When Fateh Khan, Malik Ambar's son succeeded the throne in 1626, he named the city 'Fatehpur'. In 1653, when Aurangzeb became the Viceroy of the Deccan, he made it his capital, and renamed it Aurangabad. Maurya rule heralded the advent of Buddhism in the state of Maharashtra. The earliest caves at Ajanta and Pithalkora were excavated in the 2nd century BC, during the Satvahana era. Paithan, then known as Pratishthana, was an important trade centre at the time. Aurangabad, 400 kms from Bombay, is linked by air too. Spectacular rock cut caves and cave paintings exist at two nearby places, Ajanta and Ellora. Altitude: 513 meters, Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 39, Min 21.5; Winter- Max 31.3, Min 10,Rainfall:Seasons: Throughout the year 557 mms, Places Of Interest: Aurangabad Caves, State Archaeological Museum, Nehru Udyan, History Museum of Marathwada University, Bibi ka Maqbara, Panchakki, Siddharth Udyan. Excursions: Daulatabad Fort-13 kms, Khuldabad- 26 kms, Grishneshwar Temple- 30 kms, Paithan- 56 kms, Shirdi-136 kms, Pithalkhora Caves- 78 kms, Aundha Nagnath-203 kms, Ajanta-106 kms, Ellora- 30 kms. Reach - By Air: Well linked with major cities of India. By Rail: Well connected by to all major cities and towns of India. By Road: Ajanta- 106 kms, Bombay- 392 kms, Ellora- 30 kms, Nanded- 272 kms, Nasik- 221 kms, Pune- 229 kms, Shirdi- 136 kms. Ajanta Cave It was only in the 19th century, that the Ajanta group of caves, lying deep within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the curved mountain side, above the Waghora river, were discovered. A group of British officers on a tiger hunt, stumbled on these ancient works of art. They depict the story of Buddhism, spanning the period from 200 BC to 650 AD. The 29 caves were built as secluded retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient seats of learning, and nerve - centres of the Buddhist cultural movement.Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the monks carved out the impressive figures adorning the walls of these structures. Reach - By Air: The nearest airport Aurangabad is -106 kms. By Rail: The nearest railhead is Jalgaon- 60 kms and Aurangabad– 106kms. By Road: Aurangabad- 106kms, Ellora- 70kms. Jalgaon- 60kms. Ellora Cave The Ellora caves, 34 in number, are carved into the sides of a basaltic hill, 30 kms from Aurangabad. The finest specimens of cave - temple architecture, they house elaborate facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. These structures representing the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, were carved during the 350 AD to 700 AD period. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain. Reach - By Air: The nearest airport Aurangabad is -30 kms. from Ellora By Rail: The nearest railhead is Aurangabad- 30 kms. from Ellora By Road: Aurangabad- 30kms, Ajanta-76kms. Mahableshwar Not far from Pune and Mumbai is Mahableshwar, the most popular hill station in Maharashtra, located at an altitude of 1372 meters. A number of vantage points, excellent views, pretty waterfalls and a lake with boating and fishing facilities are some of its major attractions. Places Of Interest: Walks and excursions to viewing points such as Elphistone Point, Babington Point, Bombay Point, Kate’s Point and waterfalls like Chinaman’s Falls and Dhobi Falls are pleasant, Venna Lake and Panchganga Temple. Excursions: Pratapgarh Fort, and Panchgani. Reach - By Air: Nearest airport is Pune- 120kms. By Rail: Nearest railhead is Pune- 247kms. By Road: Bombay- 290kms, Pune-247kms. Lonavala and Khandala On the way to Pune from Mumbai come the two pleasant hill stations of Maharashtra, Lonavala and Khandala. Set at a height of 625 m they are located on the western slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range. The two hill stations are 5 kms apart. Fascinating panoramic beauty adorns these places. Khandala being the smaller of the two is relatively calmer. The lush greenery of the mountains especially during the monsoons and the misty paths attract tourist like honey bees here. The silver waterfalls amidst the lush greenery are extremely magical. Lonavala's bazaar is filled with surprises. The beauty of this place is a refreshing experience. Panchagani Situated at an altitude of 1334 mts it lies just 38 m below Mahabaleshwar. It gets name from the 5 hills around it. The way to Panchgani from Mahabaleshwar which is 18 kms is absolutely spectacular. The Krishna river that meanders through the farms, ravines and hamlets on one side and the coastal plains on the other side has a mesmeric charm. Panchgani has been a retreat for a long time. It displays architecture of Old British building. Parsi houses and the boarding school which would be almost a century old. Raigad Raigad also known as Durgadeshwar is the lord of all the 360 odd forts in the state of Maharashtra. Now you may wonder why is Raigad the king of all forts - but there is a very good reason behind Raigad being crowned thus. It is because Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who roused the patriotic fervour by his guru mantra, Hindavi Swaraj, which later, became his war cry, chose this fort as his capital. The fort was originally named Raigiri. It was renamed Raigad by Shivaji who was coronated on June 6, 1674.