Alibagh | Aurangabad | Ganpatipule | Mumbai | Nagpur | Nashik | Pune |
Maharashtra is one of the most fascinating states of India. Maharashtra tourism gives opportunity to experience a state rich of culture, beautiful white sandy beaches, temples, forts and ancient caves. With so many tourist attractions no wonder why Maharashtra is the most visited state by the foreign tourists.
The most important tourist town in Maharashtra is Mumbai which is also the capital of the state. Mumbai is the larget city in India with attractions like Gateway of India and several beautiful beaches. The city is also home of Hindi movie industry called Bollywood. Aurangabad, famous for rich history and heritage has attractions like Bibi Ka Maqbara and Panchakki. Nagpur - famously referred as second capital of Maharashtra is popular its Oranges, Tigers, Sitabuldi fort and Deekshabhoomi. Ganpatipule is famous for Ganapati Temple and Fort Jaigad.
Maharashtra has a 720km long shoreline along the Arabian Sea. This shoreline has some splendid beaches ideal for water sports, family picnics or sun bathing. Some of the beaches are not known among the tourists. Dahanu Bordi Beach in Thane is a stretch of 17 km that offers a peaceful atmosphere to the tourists. Juhu Beach, Marine Drive Beach in Mumbai are very popular and remains quite crowded. Other Maharashtra beaches are Ganpatipule Beach, Baseein Beach, Madh Island Beach, Baseein Beach, Harihareshwar etc.
Tourism in Maharashta is also famous for several pilgrimage sites. The city of Nasik is famous for the Maha Kumbh Mela - one of the holiest festivals for Hindus. Shirdi, the abode of Sai Baba also attracts millions of devotees every year. Trimbakeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is must visit for Hindu pilgrims. Other sacred places are Ashatavinayaka Temples, Haji Ali Shrine in the middle of the sea and Mahalakshmi temple in Mumbai.
On the western ghats of Maharashtra are some very picturesque hill resorts. These hill stations are ideal to travel during any season. The temperature remains ideal to spend vacation here any time of the year. Probably the most popular hill stations in the state are Lonavala and Khandala. It is located quite close to Mumbai which is great for short gateways. Bhandardara, Matheran, Igatpuri and Panchagani are other important hill stations.
Forts and Caves are most interesting aspect of Maharashtra tourism. These ancient structures gives in-depth knowledge of rich history of the state. Ajanta Caves contain paintings and sculptures belonging to the Buddhist religion. There are 29 caves in Ajanta. The Ellora caves are a group of 34 caves featuring Hindus, Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries. Elephanta Caves consists two groups of caves belonging to Hindus and Buddhist sculptures. Karla Caves near Lonavala are the finest example of rock-cut caves in India. Kanheri Caves, Junnar Caves and Bhaja Caves have some fine Buddhist sculptures.
There are over 350 forts in Maharashtra. Majority of these architectural wonders are built near the sea and associated with the great Maratha warrior - Shivaji. Some must visit forts are Devagiri Daulatabad, Murud Janjira, Raigarh Fort, Sindhudurg, Panhala, and Vijayadurg.
Maharashtra is also heaven for wildlife lovers. The state is blessed with abundance of wildlife species like wild deer, tiger, sambar, bison and some rare birds. You can watch them all at Chikhaldara, Bor Dam, Dajipur and Pench National Park.
