Summers are here, holidays are just around the corner! This summer vacation takes your family to the rich and diverse landscapes of Maharashtra. From the beautiful Western Ghats to the stupendous Konkan seashores, Maharashtra is an exhilarating retreat for every tourist, mainly in summers. The state offers everything which a tourists look for in their vacation time.
Maharashtra’s summer’s casts a spell on not just local dwellers but on every visitor who come here. With popular summer retreats such as Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Matheran and Khandala in its vicinity, Maharashtra continues to continue to draw a large number of people. Here are some reasons for travellers to Holiday in Maharashtra this summer:
Best Place to Spot Animals in Their Natural Habitat – A rendezvous with the wild side
Head to Maharashtra, where nearly a portion of India’s remaining tiger population roams. In the eastern side of Maharashtra, one can see the most impressive wildlife reserves. The variety of wildlife in Maharashtra is immensely diverse, and spotting animals in their natural habitat is simply a memorable experience of lifetime. The luscious rainforest of Maharashtra are home to crocodiles, deadly tigers, countless reptiles and a huge assortment of exotic birds. A thrilling and violent expedition is what one can experience at the wildlife reserves of Maharashtra. All the wildlife reserves of the state are accessible to those with hired vehicle who are entirely self-sufficient.
Dajipur
Famous Wildlife Reserves:
Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tadoba National Park, Chikhaldhara, Dajipur, Bharmragarh Wild Life Sanctuary
Do you know?
Tadoba-Andhari Reserve is the largest tiger reserve in India. It is certainly the best place to spot tigers in India.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
Image by Wildnest Travel & Photography via Flickr by Bharat Goel, WIldnest team photographer
Religious Landmarks – Embrace Spirituality
Talking about spirituality, you can’t afford to leave the magnificent Maharashtra out of the list. Whether it’s about ancient cathedrals, significant Zoroastrian temples, magnificent mosques or towering temples, Maharashtra is probably one of the largest spiritual tourism destinations in India. Right from Sai Baba of Shirdi to Haji Ali tomb in Mumbai, each and every shrine lures devotees in huge number to Maharashtra. Its high concentration of spectacular religious sites, tiny temples and magical memorials makes it easy for tourist to progress on a road to enlightenment. One can see the presence of every religion in Maharashtra.
Haji Ali tomb
Image by Schuyler Erle via Flickr
Famous Religious Sites:
Shirdi, Grishneshwar, Mahalaxmi Kolhapur, Pandharpur, Nanded, Shani Shingnapur
Shirdi
Image by Sanjeev Beekeeper via Flickr
Do you know?
Nasik, a holy city in Maharashtra hosts the Kumbh Mela in every three years and Maha Kumbh in every 12 years. Kumbh and Maha Kumbh mela gathers millions of religious devotees from across India.
In a village called Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra, people live in houses where there is no window or door. This is because they believe that whoever steals anything from this place will face the anger of Shani God and will have to pay for his/her sins very dearly. This is probably the reason why there is no police station in the village.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga
Image by Ankur Dave via Flickr
Enthralling adventure activities – Feel the adrenaline rush
Other than its commercial significance, Maharashtra is renowned for its enormous wealth of adventure and sports activities as well. To enjoy an enthralling yacht cruise on the turquoise waters, no other destinations in the country can beat the allurement of Mumbai. Whether it’s about enjoying exquisite wildlife safari in Tadoba National Park or indulging in rigorous rock climbing at Chaitya Caves, one can’t to miss out the typical adventure experience when in Maharashtra.
Adventure seekers can go for trekking trips to the fort, valley and waterfalls in Maharashtra. Luscious and dense forest of Sahyadris offers a comfortable platform for people to indulge in soaring high paragliding and terrific trekking. Have you ever thought of exploring the amazing world that lies beneath the Arabian Sea with unique marine life? The picturesque strip of Konkan area, towards the western side of Maharashtra, is dotted with postcard beaches that offer amazing opportunity for travellers to indulge in water sports activities like diving, sailing and snorkelling.
Adventure Places in Maharashtra:
Mumbai, Panchgani, Kamshet, Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar
Gateway of India, Mumbai
Image by Eustaquio Santimano via Flickr
Do you know?
Maharashtra is fast-becoming one of India’s premier diving centres.
Needle Hole point, Mahabaleshwar
Colourful Culture of Maharashtra – a true joy of living
Music, dance and food conquer the heart and mind of every Maharashtrian (people of Maharashtra). Colossal in scale, the festivals reflect the vibrant cultural heritage of the region. Be a part of exciting festivals celebrated in Maharashtra- Dance, eat and make merry. Marathi people take their festival celebration way to too seriously. Similar to other festivals celebrated in India, one can enjoy scrumptious delicacies during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival as well. One can see the richness and diversity of Maharashtrian culture in its dance form as well. Marathi is the supreme language of Maharashtra.
Do You Know?
Lonar lake is saltwater lake in Maharashtra. The lake is one of its kind in India as it was created due meteor impact during the Pleistocene Epoch.
Lonar Crater Lake
Image by Aditya Laghate via Flickr
To enjoy train journey – Feel the pulse of Royalty
One can travel the length and breadth of Maharashtra by train. The train journey in Maharashtra is an impeccable experience which will stick to tourist memories throughout their lives. A ride in the toy train of the hills simply looks like a scene from a fairy tale. Konkan railways journey which connects Maharashtra with Karnataka takes one through postcard scenery of paddy fields along with palm fringes, gushing water streams and isolated villages.
Embark on this luxury train journey through Maharashtra as the Royals did – by private train. If tourists want to enjoy a luxurious train journey then they can board the elegant Deccan Odyssey train. To see the swift life of Marathi people, one should take a ride in the Mumbai local train during the peak hours.
Famous Train Journey Routes:
Nizamuddin Duronto Express: Maharashtra to New Delhi
Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey: Maharashtra to New Delhi
Matheran Hill Railway: Neral-Matheran
Image by Abhinav Phangcho Choudhury via Flickr
Explore one of the best wine destinations of India – Nashik
Many of the biggest and best wineries are located in Maharashtra, mainly in Nashik, Narayangaon & Akluj. All the wine estates scattered in Nashik offers high-tech facilities and cafes that have a commanding view of the countryside. Sula vineyard in Nashik offers the premium quality white wine. Chateau Indage near Pune, Fratelli Wines near Solapur and Chateau d’Ori in Nashik are some of the reputable wineries which are located in Maharashtra.
Do you Know?
India’s best wines are produced in Nashik that’s why it is called the wine capital of India.
Nashik
Image by Venkataramesh Kommoju via Flickr
Discover the historical sites – They are one big Mystery
Maharashtra is a huge expanse which showcases India’s best architectural wonders. Dating back to 2nd century BC, the caves in Maharashtra can allure anyone with its beauty and simplicity. Ajanta, Ellora and elephants caves which are nestled amidst the Sahyadri mountain range are some of the best examples of unrefined architecture. All these caves are divine discovery within its self. Ajanta and Ellora are a celebration of rock cut-out caves and exquisite murals showcasing the earliest examples of Buddhist Paintings in India.
Ellora Caves
Image by Shriram Rajagopalan via Flickr
In Maharashtra, there are around 350 odd forts. Some are nestled in the middle of the hilly ranges while others are overlooking the bashes of the sea waves. Major forts of Maharashtra are associated with Shivaji-the great Maratha warrior. In fact Portuguese and Britons who arrived here as traders constructed some forts here as well.
Do you Know?
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephants Caves and Western Ghats are considered as the UNESCO world heritage sites.
Famous Historical Sites:
Aga Khan Palace, Gateway of India, Chand Minar, Lal Mahal, New Palace, Khuldabad, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephants Caves, The Kailash Temple
Ajanta Caves
Image by Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay via Flickr
Spend a day in leisure on the seashores
With 720 km long coastal affair with Arabian Sea, beaches of Maharashtra can bilingual anyone with its beauty. Serenity, peace, calmness and tranquillity oozes in the aura of the beaches. The main feature of the beaches in Maharashtra is the forts which mark the history of Maratha Empire. Maharashtra has something for every beach lover! The beaches offer here an amazing platform for people to indulge in water sports activities, sunbathing and beach walks. Ganapatipule Beach, Dahanu-Bordi Beach, Juhu Beach, Shriwardhan Harihareshwar Beach, Mandwa Beach and Kihim Beach are some of the serene and peaceful beaches in Maharashtra.
Famous Beaches in Maharashtra:
Ganapatipule Beach, Madh Island Beach, Marve Manori and Gorai beach, Tarkarli beach
Ganapatipule Beach
Image by Ramnath Bhat via Flickr
Enjoy the scrumptious Maharashtrian cuisines
Food is yummy! No matter where you may be in the city. Maharashtra cuisine is all about spicy flavors. Maharashtra’s cuisine is a product of the region’s many ethnic influences. The culinary fabric of Maharashtra is a miscellany of singular cuisines that is worth exploring. The ever popular bhelpuri, Misal Pav, Poha, Vada Pav, Pitla Bhakri, Bharli Vangi and Sabudana Khichdi are some of the tempting and finger licking dishes which are served in Maharashtra.
‘Bhel Puri’ stall in Pune
Image by shankar s. via Flickr
Visit the most charming hill stations
Hill stations of Maharashtra are hard to miss. This enigmatic state holds something for everyone. Hill stations of Maharashtra offer an amazing gateway for people who want to connect with nature. Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Khandala, Bhandardara, Panchgani and Lonavala are some of the most stunning hill stations in Maharashtra, each with a charisma of its own. Nature and wildlife lovers can satiate their yearnings for a delightful holiday here in Maharashtra.
Famous Hill stations in Maharashtra:
Amboli, Panchgani, Bhandardara, Malshej Ghat, Toranmal, Panhala
Bhandardara
Image by Saurabh Jain via Flickr
Do you Know?
Lavasa is also home to the Karvi flower (Blue Bloom), which blooms only once in 7 years.
Maharashtra is an enigmatic state that can stun anyone with its beauty and diversity. The reason mentioned above has given you a glimpse into this vibrant and beautiful land. A visit to this magnificent state should be on the rim of every traveler’s bucket list.