MAHABALESHWAR

This pious hill-station is located in the Satara District of Maharashtra. Called as the “Queen of Hills” it sits at a height of 1372 m in the magnificent Sahyadris. The name Mahabaleshwar is extracted from 3 Sanskrit words Maha -  Strong/great, Bal – Strength, Ishwar – Lord. 

 The British discovered the beauty of this gorgeous place and chose Mahabaleshwar as a perfect destination to spend their holidays royally. Earlier called the  Malcolm Peth,  Mahabaleshwar  with ancient British buildings and impressive monuments reminds the people of its rich and glorious past. 

 The pristine Lingmala waterfalls is eye-catching. The spectacular view of the sunrise and sunset in the horizon can be enjoyed from the Wilson and Bombay points. Babington Point, Kate's Point, Arthur's Seat, Krishna Temple, Hanuman Mandir, Panchgani, and Pratapgad Fort are worth a visit. It is also best suited to carry out trekking, water sports etc.

 Mahabaleshwar offers unpolluted environment for a rejuvenating stay in order to attain spiritual enlightenment. Being a birth place of 5 rivers it is adorned with natural prettiness. The sightseer prefers the gorgeous viewpoints that permit them to take pleasure in the lap of Mother Nature.

 This fantastic place can be visited throughout the year.

                                              PLACES TO VISIT

Mahabaleshwar Temple :  It is an ancient temple where Lord Shiva is the main diety. The temple is engulfed by 5 feet stone wall. The temple is partitioned into two halls, one is dedicated to the god and other for the devotees. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of “Lingam”.

Waterfalls : The pristine Lingmala waterfalls enthrals the spectator with its milky water. Flowing down the steep valleys the sparkling waters mesmerizes the people. Dhobi and Chinaman waterfalls are eye-catching and the best suggested picnic spots during rainy season.

Venna Lake : This place represents a great picnic spot for nature admirer. Here people can enjoy peddling in the calm waters along with enjoying the beauty of the nature. Fishing and boating facilities are available.

Wilson Point (Sunrise Point) : Located at a height of 4710 feet, this highest point offers fantabulous view of the morning sun. This spectacular place has three watch towers.

Connaught peak : This marvelous peak is named after the Duke of Connaught. The fabulous view of the  Elphinston Point, Torana,  Kamalgadh can be got from this peak. It is a fantabulous place to enjoy both sunrise and sunset.

Elphiston Point : This eye-catching point oversees savitri valley on the right and koyna valley on the left.

Arthur’s Seat : Being the Queen of all the points, the hill here is compared to the Grand Canyon of Colarado of the USA. This point has shallow valley on the right and deep barren valley on its left. This place clearly showcases the difference between the Deccan and Konkan regions.

Kate’s Point (Elephant Point):  This point showcase the bewitching beauty of the Sahyadri range.  This point resembles the head of an elephant. Spectacular view of the Dhom dam and Krishna valley can be relished here.

Bombay Point : It is a spectacular sunset point.

Panchganga Mandir : It is the place where 5 holy rivers namely Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savitri & Gayatri flowing in separate channels join here as a single channel and flows through the Gomukh. Hence it is named as Panchaganga.

Rajpuri Caves : These ancient caves are religiously important. These caves consists of a temple which is dedicated to Lord Karthikeya. Small ponds are present near these caves. People believe that taking ablutions in these ponds will wrad all ailments and diseases.

Tiger’s Spring : It is a natural spring which forms the base of River Savithri.

Pratap Gadh :  This ancient fort is the place where Afzalkhan breath his last. There is Bhavani Mandir and an idol of Shivaji Maharaj inside the fort.

                                                  HOW TO REACH

By Air : Pune airport and Chatrapathi International airport in Mumbai are about 120 and 270 kms respectively.

By Road : Government and private buses connect important cities like Sangli, Satara, Mumbai and Pune.

By Rail : Prominent railway junctions are Pune (120 kms) , Miraj (170kms) and Sangli(165kms).