MAHARASHTRA : Tourist Information

MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus / Victoria terminus : a World heritage centre, Mumbai mahanagar palika building, Elephanta caves : a World heritage centre (caves of 700 AD, 1 hour/10 km by boat from Gateway of India), Prince of Wales (Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial) museum, Victoria and Albert museum, Gateway of India commemorates the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911, near by is Taj Hotel. IMS Vikrant (Ex INS Vikrant Museum ship near Gateway of India), Hanging gardens and Kamala Nehru park on Malabar hills with panoramic view of Marine Drive. At night, the lights of Marine Drive appears to be Queen's necklace. Nariman Point with skyscapers - Reserve Bank of India building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Air India, Mantralay, Haji Ali tomb reached by a long causeway, which can be crossed at low tide, Mahalaxmi temple, Nehru Planetarium and science museum, gardens, parks, Juhu beach, Siddhi Vinayak temple, Double deckker bus, Sripati Arcade (154 m , highest building in India near Grant Road), Borivilli national park (35 km), Kanheri caves (109 caves of 1 C BC, 40 km), Uttan - Manori, Gorai and Marve beaches (40 km), Esselworld fantacy park, Powai lake (27 km) - Indian Institute of Technology, picnic spot, Vasai fort (45 km) - large Portuguese fort with churches.

ARNALA island fort - From Virar station get a bus to Arnala (18 km) and then to fort by boat. Seperate cylindrical watch tower is an attraction. Fort has a temple and darga.

VAJRESHWARI - Temple with hot springs at Ganeshpuri (35 km from Kalyan). Akolola hot springs (2 km) are near by.

MATHERAN - Hill station near Neral on Mumbai - Pune rail route, narrow gauge toy train connects Nearl with Matheran (13 km, 5 hour), Panorama point, arbut point, Hart point, Monkey point, Porcupine point, Louise point, One tree point, Honeymoon point, Alexander point, Lord point, Echo point, Coronation point, Mary point, Olympia point, Pay master park, Chaelotte lake, Madhavji point and Bazaar are some main attractions in the 'car free' hill station.

LONAVLA - Charming hill station on Sahyadri with an average annual rainfall of 500 cm. During the monsoon the area become scenic with lots of waterfalls and greenary. Tata dam (2 km), Bushi dam (7 km), Lion's point (12 km), Sahara lake city (25 km), Duke's nose (8 km), Valvan dam (4 km), Induri fort near Talegaon. Karla caves (12 km, 80 BC), Bhaja caves (8 km, 18 in no.), Bedsa caves (10 km, near Pawna dam) etc. are some main attractions. KHANDALA (5 km) : Hill staton, Rajmachi point - a good vantage point, Bhor ghat route to Khopoli (8 km) is enjoying.

PUNE - Agha Khan's palace with Kasturba samadhi, temples, Saniwarwada fort, Raja Kelkar museum, Khadakvasla dam (18 km, National Defence Academy), Panshet dam (45 km) - picnic spot, Osho (Bhagawan Rajnish) ashram, Sinhagad fort (25 km), Jejuri - Khandoba temple (38 km), Purandhar fort (45 km), Torna - Rajgad (40 km), Dehu (30 km) - pilgrim centre, Alandi - Pilgrim centre.

ASTAVINAYAK TEMPLES : Swayambhu figures of Sri Ganesh. Madh (15 km from Khopoli), Pali (38 km from Khopoli), Theur (25 km from Pune), Moregaon (15 km from Jejuri, Pune), Ranjengaon (53 km from Pune), Leniyadri (90 km from Pune), Ojhar (75 km from Pune), Sidhatek (20 km from Daund).

12 JYOTIRLINGAS : Bhimashankar (Pune), Grishneshwar (Aurangabad), Vaijyanath (Parali/Bid), Nageswar/Aunda Nagnath (Nanded), Trikambeswar (Nashik), Viswanath (Varanasi), Mallikarjun (Srisailam, AP), Mahakaleswar (Ujjain), Mamaleswar (Omkareswar, Indore), Somnath (GJ), Rameshwaram (TN), Kedarnath (UA).

BHIMASHANKAR - Jyotirlinga, pilgrim centre (100 km from Pune).

ALIBAUG - Beach and Kulaba island fort - at low tide one can walk to the fort (1.5 km). Time : 1100 to 1500 h. CHAUL - Kanoji Angre samadhi, Rameshwer temple, fort, ancient town.

MURUD - Janjira island fort with one of India's largest cannons - Landa Kasam, beach, 12 m high fort walls, 165 km from Mumbai, 300 year old fort of Siddis, palace, nearby Padmadurg fort (3 km by boat), beauiful beaches of Kashid and Murud, Korlai and Revdanda forts on Alibaug - Murud route.

MAHABALESHWAR (1438 m) - Hill station, famous for Strawberry, vantage points are Wilson point, Kate's point, Bombay point, Elphinstone point, Babbington point, Arthur's seat etc., Venna lake - boating, waterfalls like Chinaman, Dhobi, Ludwig, Lingamala. Pratapgad fort (24 km), Panchgani hill station (25 km) : Table land.

GANAPATIPHULE - Ancient Ganapati temple, beach. 50 km from Ratnagiri. RATNAGIRI - Longest rail tunnel in India (6.5 km) at Karbude, fort, beach, mangoes. MALVAN - fort and beach, Sindhudurg island fort nearby.

KOLHAPUR - Mahalakshmi temple and old palace, Renkha Bhairav temple, Sri Chhatrapati Sahu museum, Town hall museum, Ran kele lake, Girloi park, Panhala fort (18 km), deep gorge of Pavan khind, Kopeswar temple at Khidrapur (75 km). AMBOLI - Hill station, flowers.

SATARA - Ajinkyatara fort, Parali fort (Sajjangad), palace, museum, nearby forts are Chandan Vandan forts, Prachitgad, Vasota (From Kas lake, Bambanoli of Satara Or from Chiplun to Chowane by bus, trek to Vasota via Nageshwar temple - steep route, 10 hour trek).

PANDHARPUR - Hindu pilgrim centre (August - October).

BHANDARDHARA - Picnic spot, lake, Kalsubai (1650 m).

NASHIK - Hindu pilgrim centre, Simhastha fair is held here once in 12 years, temples, Ramkund - the holy tank 27 m*12 m, Muktidham marble temple, coin museum, Pandav leni - 24 Jain caves of 100 BC. Trimbakeshwar (35 km) - Jyotirlinga, temple, caves, Source of Holy river Godavari, Brahmagiri hill, Anjaneri fort.

SHIRDI - Major pilgrim centre, Sai Baba temple. 85 km from Nasik.

AURANGABAD - 9 caves, Bibi ka Maqbara : Tomb of Rabia Durani (w/o Emperor Aurangazeb), Pan Chakki : Water mill (1695 AD), Rani Begum gardens (24 km), Daulatabad fort (13 km) : large fortress and cannon, tomb of Aurangazeb at Khuldabad.

ELLORA Caves (26 km from Aurangabad) - A world heritage centre. Dance festival in March. 34 caves consisting of Buddhist (1-12), Hindu (13-29), and Jain caves (30-34) of 500 to 1100 AD. Kailasha temple is the main attraction, which is carved out of a monolith, is the biggest cave temple : 84 m * 47 m. Grishneswar jyotirlinga temple.

AJANTA Caves (110 km from Aurangabad) - A world heritage centre of 200 BC. 29 caves containing numerous images of Buddha and painting on walls. The caves are located in the hills in horse shoe shape.

LONAR CRATOR (170 km from Aurangabad) - Formed 50,000 years ago by a hyper velocity meteorite (18 km/s), 100 m in diameter and weighing 2 million tonnes. The circular saline lake is 1.83 km in diameter and 150 m deep. The crator rises to 20 m above the surrounding land. It is the 3rd largest crator in the world.

FESTIVALS - Mahashivratri and Holi (Feb/March), Ganesh Chaturthi (Aug/Sept).