|
She sits on the throne, draped in mist and clouds.
The queen of hill stations in Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar
stands at an altitude of 1372 meters, above sea level.
Mahabaleshwar, which means “the god of great power”,
is said to be dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Known for its historical relevance and breathtaking
views of valleys, this hill station is famous amongst
the tourists.
The flora and fauna of Mahabaleshwar makes it distinct.
The jungles are thick and houses panthers, deers, Bisons
and Bulbuls. It is also tested of containing ideal 20%
oxygen in its air. Thus it provides ultimate relief
to many city-goers eager to breathe unpolluted air.
Riding through the cities of Mahabaleshwar, one can
notice the stamped architectural designs of British
era. Apart from the old buildings, Mahabaleshwar offers
30 look out points that overlook the serene beauty of
Western Ghats.
Historical relevance of Mahabaleshwar
Situated at the source of river Krishna, Mahabaleshwar
was built by the Yadava king Singhan in 1215.
In the middle of the 16th century the Maratha family
of Chandarao More, became rulers of Mahabaleshwar,
In the 17th century the great Maratha idol, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj constructed the impregnable fort at
Pratapgad in 1656.
In 19th century, Colonel Lodwick climbed up this hill
station and brought it into focus in the British community.
Thereafter, Mahabaleshwar was declared as the summer
capital of Bombay Presidency.
Places to visit
Temples
Panchaganga Mandir
This temple houses five stone conduits which has waters
flowing from five holy rivers Krishna, Venna, Koyna,
Savitri and Gayatri. These five rivers further join
into the cow face spout. However the most striking feature
of this temple is that river “ganga” flows
through one of the stone conduit every 12 years.
Mahabaleshwar Temple
Designed in a south Indian temple style, this temple
is dedicated to Lord Shiva and a ‘ling’
worship is performed here. There is said to be live
spring below the ling.
Hanuman Mandir:
This temple is said to be the resting-place of the
saint Rama Dassa, who taught his disciples including
Shivaji Maharaja here.
Lookout Points
Lodwick Point:
It is called so to commemorate the memory of the English
General. It offers exotic landscape of the Western Ghats.
Arthur’s Seat:
This point offers the most mesmerizing view of the
valleys.
Helen’s Point
This point overlooks the points of Panchgani.
Other points include Elphinstone Point, Kate’s
Point, The Window, etc.
Other places to visit
Catholic Church
This old Roman Catholic Holy Cross church must be
a definite visit. Though deserted now, it still maintains
its old charm.
Morarji Castle
This castle played host to Mahatma Gandhi in 1945.
Pratapgad Fort
This is 24 Kms. away from Mahabaleshwar. This fort
is best remembered for killing of Afzal Khan by Maratha
ruler, Shivaji. The fort was built in 1656 by Moropant
Trimak Pingle, under the command of the Maratha ruler
Shivaji.
Shopping
The narrow streets of this hill station are famous
for bazaars that sell inexpensive shoes, tribal trinkets
and leather goods. It is famous for blackberries, strawberries,
jams and jellies. Presence of medicinal plants and trees
offer a wide variety of natural medicines.
How to get to Mahabaleshwar
Nearest airport is Pune, 120kms.
Nearest railhead is Wathar, but Pune is more convenient
railhead.
By Road, Mumbai _ Mahabaleshwar via Mahad is 247kms.
Buses ply regularly between Pune - Mahabaleshwar and
Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar.
Where to stay
There are several resorts, hotels and bungalows in
the hill station. Some of them are listed below:
*The Executive Inn
*Hotel Sun City
*Grand Resorts
*Hotel Shanti Villa
*Hotel Mayfair
*Shreyas Hotel
Hotel Satkar
Savvoy Village
*These hotels are 3-5 star hotels.
Several bungalows are found on the Panchgani Road.
Best Time to Visit
Most of the tourists visit the hill station to escape
the summers of the plains. Monsoons have also been a
favourable season for the visit of nature lovers. The
ideal time to visit can be between October to June.
| 
