State Capital: Mumbai
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Climate: Moderate
Airport(s): Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Nasik, Sholapur, Aurangabad
The earliest mention of Maharashtra occurs in a written text by the great Chinese explorer Huen Tsang. A fertile land rich in cultural variety, Maharashtra's historic background may be traced back to the 3rd century B.C.
Known as Dandakaranya in the olden times, Maharashtra was originally inhabited by tribes such as Bhils, Munds, Nags, Shakas, Huns and Aryans, who collectively came to be known as Maharashtrians.
Some important cities in Maharashtra are: Aurangabad, Amravati, Solapur, Thane, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Sangli and Pune.
Hill stations, lakes, theater customs, festivals and social color make Maharashtra a bright mosaic. Maharashtra boasts of some of the most scenic and tranquil hill holiday retreats such as: Mahabaleswar, Toranmal, Panchgani, Matheran, Bhandara, Lonavla, Khandala and Malsheghat.
Mumbai the capital of Maharashtra sprawls on a massive land part of which has been reclaimed from the sea. The commercial capital of India, a mega city and the nerve center of Indian cinema industry or 'Bollywood', Mumbai is a great tourist destination.
Places of Tour Interest
Land of the Ajanta and Ellora, Maharashtra has some historic forts that are definitely worth visiting. Tour the Ahmednagar Fort, Daulatabad Fort in Aurangabad, Gavilgad Fort in Chikhaldhara, Pratapgarh Fort on the outskirts of Mahabaleshwar, Kandhar Fort in Nanded and the Raigad Fort.
Maharashtra has several pilgrimage destinations such as Shirdi, Osho Ashram, Ambadevi, Ballaleshwar, Pandharpur et al. |