Category: Maharashtra

Southern Maharashtra provides the get-away-from-it-all laziness that Goa used to be famous for. Traversing the sleepy fishing villages of the Konkan Coast, one can envisage the culture that gave rise to Mumbai’s humble beginnings. Pune, one of the state’s larger cities, is the hub of the region.

Sevagram, the Village of Service, is where Mahatma Gandhi set up base in the long run to Independence and established the Sevagram Ashram (284753; 6.30am-6.30pm).

A place where old and new India interweave without a second thought, Pune (pronounced Poona) is a thriving centre of academia and business as well as a historic centre and home to the Osho Meditation Resort.

Northern Maharashtra stretches from the steamy coast north of Mumbai to the parched Deccan Plateau in the country’s interior. It’s home to two of India’s jewel attractions: the ancient cave temples at Ellora and the jungle-enshrouded Buddhist art at Ajanta. And, for the intrepid, there’s incredible wildlife-spotting (yes, tigers!) in the far eastern reaches of the state, towards Nagpur.

Standing on the Godavari, one of India’s holiest rivers, Nasik (also known as Nashik) is the kind of town where you can’t walk more than a couple of steps without tripping over yet another exotic temple or colourful bathing ghat. It’s an absorbing and exciting place and has many associations with the Hindu epic Ramayana. Lord Rama and his wife Sita were exiled here and it’s where Lakshmana hacked off the nasika (nose) of Ravana’s sister, thus giving the city its name.

Nagpur, the geographic centre and orange-growing capital of India, is a clean and affluent city which makes a good jumping-off point for a series of trips into the far eastern corner of Maharashtra. In addition to its proximity to Ramtek and the ashrams around Sevagram, Nagpur is a convenient stop for those heading to the isolated Navagaon National Park, 135km east, and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, 150km south of Nagpur. The former has bears, wild dogs and elusive leopards, while the latter hosts gaurs, chitals, nilgais and seldom-spotted tigers.

About 165km south of Mumbai, the sleepy fishing town of Murud is the most obvious first port of call. With a striking beach (though suffering from a little pollution carried down from Mumbai) and the commanding island fortress of Janjira, 5km south of the village, you’ll be happy you came.

Matheran (Jungle Topped), resting atop the Sahyadris Mountains amid a shady forest crisscrossed with walking tracks and breathtaking lookouts, is easily the most gorgeous of Maharashtra’s hill stations.

Sprawling Maharashtra, India’s second most populous state, stretches from the gorgeous greens of the little-known Konkan Coast right into the parched innards of India’s beating heart. Within this massive framework are all the sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences of India.

High up in the Western Ghats, the hill station of Mahabaleshwar was founded in 1828 by Sir John ‘Boy’ Malcolm, after which it quickly became the summer capital of the Bombay presidency during the days of the Raj. Today few traces of those times remain, save for a couple of dilapidated buildings. In fact Rudyard Kipling would positively turn in his grave if he could see how down-at-heel the old girl had become and good gosh, you can’t even get a properly brewed cup of tea. While the tea and summer balls are long gone what hasn’t changed one jot are the delightful views and equally delightful temperatures and it’s for these two reasons that Mahabaleshwar attracts hordes of holidaymakers who fill the main street with loud exuberance. If you are after just a hint of peace and quiet then avoid the peak periods during the summer school holidays (April to June), Christmas and Diwali.