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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. |
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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. |
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Pune
(Poona) |
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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
institutions. |
| 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. |
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Aurangabad
- Ajanta & Ellora |
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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. |
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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: 557 mms,
Seasons: Throughout the year |
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. |
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Ajanta |
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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. |
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Ellora |
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. |
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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.
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