ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Top 5 Must See Tourist Places in Maharashtra, India

Updated on January 23, 2012

Maharashtra, India

With tourist attractions galore, Maharashtra - the third largest state of India - exudes a spellbinding aura no visitor can afford to ignore. Maharashtra consists to two major landforms - the Konkan coastal strip and the Deccan tableland - and it has a lot to offer both in terms of natural wonders as well as man-made marvels. Time-tested archaic caves, quaint hills stations, romantic beaches, exquisite palaces, abundant wildlife, sacred religious sites and salubrious parks - Maharashtra has them all. Maharashtra is also home to Bollywood, the foremost glamor hub of the country and arguably Asia's largest film industry. The state can be regarded as a total tourist destination which offers something to every sort of tourist. Maharashtra shares its borders with Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa.

Lonar Crater, Maharashtra, India
Lonar Crater, Maharashtra, India

Elephanta Caves

Mumbai

Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, is aptly described by many as the financial powerhouse of the country. Mumbai was once a cluster of seven islands and today it is a vibrant city pulsating with life. Mumbai holds some landmark tourist attractions – the long-standing Prince of Wales Museum, the stately Gateway of India, the wondrous Hanging Gardens, the sacred Mahalaxmi Temple, Haji Ali Shrine, the picturesque Marine Drive, the fabulous Juhu Beach and Chowpatty Sands. Mumbai has enough and more to offer to people of all age groups through its busy lifestyle, nightclubs, pubs, theaters, beaches and restaurants. Mumbai represents the ever-changing face of modern India and yet at its very core, the city is steeped in India’s noble customs and traditional values.

Aga Khan Palace, Pune

Pune

Pune, situated on the edge of the Deccan Plains and widely recognized as the Cultural Capital of Maharashtra, is easily one of the most adorable cities of India. Pune city serves as the perfect blend of the modern and the traditional. There are numerous historical monuments and religious places, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the city. At the same time, there are the pulsating nightclubs, pubs, bars, discotheques reflecting the modern city life. Pune is home to some of the magnificent temples, stupendous monuments and exquisite gardens. Today, Pune occupies a pride of place amongst the major cities on the tourism map of India.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Ajanta and Ellora

The Ajanta and Ellora caves speak volumes about the tremendous skills of the artisans of ancient India. The caves are truly astounding and are protected monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India and have been declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. These rock-cut caves are among the most well known tourist attractions in Maharashtra and India as well. The caves depict Buddhist and Jain themes and cover extensive areas. It is believed that the 30 caves of Ajanta were created over a span of some 600 years. Many of the caves feature the most exquisite and elaborate carvings on the walls, pillars and entrances – not to speak of the wall paintings. The sculptures and panels of these caves also offer an interesting insight into the lifestyle of the people of those days.

Shirdi Saibaba Arti

Shirdi

Shirdi, situated 122 kms from Nashik is the abode of one of Maharashtra's most revered saints -- Sai Baba of Shirdi whose message of universal brotherhood still inspires people from far and near. There is a long serpentine line of devotees during all seasons and pilgrims flock to seek the divine blessings of Sai Baba. The other notable shrines that devotees visit include Dwarkamani Mosque where the Baba meditated spent the nights. Near this mosque, there is a corridor where the eternal flame burns day and night.

Smile With Maharashtra

Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala and Khandala

Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala and Khandala are the fascinating hill stations in Maharashtra lying on the Western Ghats mountain range. The immaculate air, the serene surroundings, the quiet lakes and cascading waterfalls are in striking contrast to the noisy, bustling cities of Maharashtra. Mahabaleshwar, Panchagani, Ratnagiri, Toranmal, Jawhar, Amboli, and Matheran are among the other sporadically spread hill stations in the state.

Visit Maharashtra

Other places of interest in Maharashtra

Elephanta Caves, dating back to 450 to 750 AD, are located in an island amid the Arabian Sea. They display some extraordinary sculptures depicting the glory of Lord Shiva. There are regular motorboats from the boat jetty near the Gateway of India to take the tourists to the islands. Maharashtra is replete with forts and palaces that are architectural wonders and relics of past glory. The major forts include Bassein, Sinhgarh, Janjira, and Pratapgarh. Some of the most salubrious beaches in Maharashtra are Malvan, Vengurla, Ganpatipule, Alibaug, Kashid, Diveagar, Guhagar and Dapoli. Besides beaches and forts, Maharashtra is home to many national parks that draw a lot of tourists. Some of the noteworthy national parks in Maharashtra are Tadoba, Gugumal National Park, Pench and the Nawegaon National Park.

Visit Maharashtra

This state of Maharashtra in western India is of tremendous importance for tourism in India. Romantic sea beaches, quiet hill resorts, stupendous historical monuments, vibrant cities full of zest and many dream destinations make the State a tourist’s paradise. Maharashtra, presents a potpourri of diverse cultures and it is a State no visitor to India can afford to miss.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)