Jalna District, Maharashtra State

The district of Jalna lies in the Central part of the state of Maharashtra, to the north of Marathwada region. It is one of the 8 districts in Aurangabad division.

Area - 7,687 sq.km / 2,968 sq.m

Elevation - 293 to 933 metres

Population - 19,59,046 as per 2011 Census

Population rank in India - 237 out of 640

District Headquarters -  Jalna town

Administrative Division - Aurangabad

Tehsils - 8

Villages - 958

Languages Spoken - Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Lambadi

Official Language - Marathi

Geographical Borders -

North -  Jalgaon district

South - Beed district

East - Parbhani and Buldana district

West - Aurangabad district

Primary Crops - Sweet lemons and Oranges

Water Sources - Rivers Godavari, Purna, Ambad, Partur, Gulati, Girija, Kundalika 

Natural Resources - Rich black soil 

Distance from 

• State Capital Mumbai - 332 km ( Straight line distance )

• Pune - 298 km

How to reach :-

Via Airports - Chikkalthana Airport, Aurangabad, 64 km. Jalna district doesn't have its own Airport.

Via Railways - Jalna station lies on the Secunderabad - Manmad line of South Central Railway Zone. All major cities are connected to Jalna district via railways.

Via Roadways - Regular State and Private buses run through the district connecting with major cities of the State. Nagpur - Aurangabad - Mumbai highway passes through the district.

Unique Features :-

1. Jalna city is the biggest steel producer in the state

2. The district is the biggest producer of Sweet limes and Oranges 

3. It is a major industrial hub of cotton ginning factories, cotton presses, rolling mills, hybrid - seed manufacturing, bidi - industry

Best time to visit - Monsoon and Winter months ( November to March )

The district of Jalna came into existence on 1 May 1981. It was carved out of regions from Aurangabad and Parbhani districts of Maharashtra. Though it was a part of Maharashtra right after Independence, previously belonging to Nizam's Hyderabad princely state. 

The district is economically well - developed due to a number of industries as well as having 85 % of its land under cultivation and fertile black soil. The banks of its many rivers provide agricultural opportunities.

The district is a good tourist destination as a pilgrimage centre with quite a few temples along with many rivers, parks and forts.

Its climate is quite pleasant due to the Ajanta and Satmala hill ranges in the North.

Here is a list of its tourist attractions :-

1. Anandi Temple ( Samadhi of Shree Sant Anandi Swami )

2. Bhokardan Tukai Caves

3. Chatrapati Sambhaji Garden

4. Durga mata Temple, Jalna city

5. Dargah of Jan Alla Shah

6. Dargah of Nur Shah Walli

7. Grishneshwar Temple

8. Ghanewadi Lake

9. Guru Ganesh Tapovan

10. Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary

11. Hemadpanthi temple of Matsyodari Devi Temple

    
    
    

12. Jalicha Dev

13. Jalna Fort

14. Jamb Samartha, Ghansawangi

15. Kali Masjid, Jalna city

    
    
    

16. Lower Dudhana Dam

17. Lord Shiva Temple, Anwa village

18. Mammo Devi Temple

19. Moti Bagh

20. Moti Talab

21. Mazar - E - Maulai Noorudin Saheb

22. Rajur Ganpati

23. Shri Mamma Devi Temple

24. Shri Ganesh Temple, Rajur

    
    
    

25. Swami Vivekanand Ashram

The many festivals celebrated include Ram Navmi, Shiv Ratri, Holi, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, Ganeshotsav. Quite a few fairs are also held during the festival periods specially Ram Navmi, Shivratri and Sharad Navratri.

Taluka Map - wikipedia

Images - TripAdvisor

Wardha District, Maharashtra

The district of Wardha in the state of Maharashtra lies in the Vidarbha region.

Area - 6,310 sq.km

Average Elevation - 318 meters

Population - 13,00,774 as per 2011 Census

Population rank in India - 377 out of 640

District Headquarters -  Wardha City

Administrative Division - Nagpur

Talukas - 8

Talukas - Ashti, Arvi, Deoli, Hinganghat, Karanja, Seloo, Samndrapur, Wardha

Villages - 1387

Languages Spoken - Marathi, Hindi, Urdu

Geographical Borders -

Northeast - Nagpur 

Southeast - Chandrapur

Southwest - Yavatmal

Northwest - Amravati

Primary Crops - Cotton, Sugarcane, Pigeon pea, Onion, Carrot, Cabbage , Tomato, Radish, Potatoes, Wheat, Sorghum, Turmeric, Oilseeds etc

Horticulture - Aonla, Bananas, Custard apple, Guava, Mangoes, Mandarin, Sweet oranges, Sour lime.

Water Sources - 

• Rivers Venna, Wardha, Erai, Jam, Kar, Bembala, Bakli, Madu, Penganga, Yashoda

• Dams Bor, Bordharan, Pothara, Madan, Kar, Dham, Lower Wardha, Upper Wardha, Lower Venna

Natural Resources - Black Cotton Soil 

Distance from 

• State Capital Mumbai -  746 km

• Nagpur - 82 km

• Latur - 404.7 km

• Solapur - 524. 3 km

• Nashik - 573 km

• Pune - 634.3 km

How to reach :-

Via Airports - 

• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur

Via Railways - Wardha is an important junction on the Nagpur Division Line. Many major express trains like Mumbai - Kolkata, Chennai - Delhi pass through the district.

Via Roadways - 

• MSRTC ( Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation ) and State Transport ( ST ) run various buses connecting it to other towns and cities.

• NH 6 connecting Dhule - Kolkata passes through the district.

• NH 7 connecting Varanasi - Kanyakumari also passes through the district.

Unique Local handicrafts / Artefacts - Ari Embroidery, Kasuti Embroidery, Jaali Embroidery

The district of Wardha in the state of Maharashtra gets its name from the river Wardha which flows on its North, South and West boundaries. It is a major cotton crop center.It was a major epicenter of India's freedom struggle with Mahatma Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram based here. Many prominent personalities like the  freedom fighter Vinobha Bhave, social workers and reformers *Baba Amte and **Sindhutai Sapkal, sportsperson Jwala Gutta, industrialist and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Jamnalal Bajaj hail from Wardha district. 

*Baba Amte was a social reformer who dedicated his life to the support and upliftment of persons suffering from Leprosy.

**Sindhutai Sapkal, popularly called as Aai  provided a home to orphans and helped them better their lives. 

Image - wikipedia and mapsofindia

Recommended Reading - Wardha District, Tourism

Aurangabad District, Maharashtra

The district of Aurangabad is situated in the Marathwada region in the state of Maharashtra. 

Area - 10,100 sq.km

Average Elevation - 615 meters

Population - 37,01,282 as per 2011 Census

District Headquarters - Aurangabad City

Administrative Division - Aurangabad

Talukas - 9

Talukas - Aurangabad, Gangapur, Kannad, Khuldabad, Phulambri, Paithan, Soegaon, Sillod, Vaijapur

Villages - 1362

Languages Spoken - Marathi, Hindi, Lambadi, Urdu

Geographical Borders -

North -  Jalgaon District, Maharashtra

South - Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra

East - Jalna District, Maharashtra

West - Nashik District, Maharashtra

Primary Crops - Cotton, Sugarcane, Soybean, Linseed, Groundnut, Pearl millet, Gram, Jowar, Corn, Bajra 

Water Sources - 

• Rivers Kham, Godavari, Narangi, Kurla, Dudhna, Girja, Galhati

• Dams Ambadi, Anjanapulshi, Bor Dahegaon, Dheku Dam, Girija Dam, Jayakwadi, Narangi, Purnaneopur, Shivani Takli, Sukhana, Tembhapuri, Wakod

Natural Resources - 

Distance from State Capital Mumbai - 313  km

Nagpur - 499 km

Nashik - 161 km

Pune - 230 km

How to reach :-

Via Airports - Aurangabad Airport, Chikalthana is connected to all major cities of India such as Nagpur, New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Pune, Udaipur etc

Via Railways - Aurangabad lies on the Secunderabad - Manmad line in the South Central Indian Railways. Trains from the district connect it to places like Bhopal, Erode, Gwalior, Kurnool, Madurai, Nashik, Nagpur, Nizamabad, Pune, Parli, Vadodara 

Via Roadways - NH 211 connects the district to many major cities of Beed, Pune, Jalna, Nashik, Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Mumbai etc

Unique Features - 

• 52 gates at various entrances in the city of Aurangabad

• UNESCO World heritage sites 

The district of Aurangabad is one of the most popular tourist destinations not only in the State but as well as the Country due to its various monuments of historical and cultural importance such as the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, forts, tombs, and a few of the surviving 52 gates.

Religious tourism also ranks high as many holy and ancient temples attract hordes of pilgrims from all over the country. The district has a very rich cultural diversity due to its ancient history that includes the rules of the Mughals and the Marathas.  It is an important center of Arts, Economy, Commerce and Education. It's agricultural economy is largely based on Cotton and Sugarcane production. Sugar factories too abound. 

Recommended reading - Aurangabad Tourism

Image Courtesy - mapsofindia

Old Mahabaleshwar - Maharashtra

Mahabaleshwar

महा - भोले - ईष्वर 

Old name - kshetra ( क्षेत्र ) Mahabaleshwar 

District - Satara

State - Maharashtra

Area - 15.75 sq.km

Population - 785, as per 2011 census

Language - Marathi

Landform - Vast plateau bound by valleys

Elevation - 1200 ft

Highest elevation point - Hanuman temple at 4,721 ft.

Distance from :-

• Pune - 150 km

• Mumbai - 292 km

• Satara - 60 km

• Wai - 39 km

• Mahabaleshwar market - 7 km

                                 Old picture of Panchganga temple source - wikipedia 

 The name Mahabaleshwar has been derived from the temple of Shiva ( Bhole ) 

It is a place of religious importance and pilgrimage for Hindus due to three ancient temples namely The Krishna temple , the Panchganga temple, the Shiva's Mahabaleshwar temple and the origin of the holy river Krishna.

In fact, 5 rivers converge here at a point called Panchganga and the temple is called the Panchganga temple. 

The five rivers are the Krishna, the Koyna, the Savitri, the Gayatri and the Venna. 

The rivers spout from a cow's mouth ( gomukh ) into a tank from where they flow onwards.

This water is considered to be very holy and pure and is had as prasad by the visiting devotees.

The temple's style is Hemandpanti and it was built by the Yadav King Singhadeo in the 13 th century.

There have been restorations carried out in the later 16th and 17th century by Chandrarao More and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Mahabaleshwar temple 

Source - mahabaleshwartourism.in

The second temple is the Mahabaleshwar temple that is also built in the same Hemadpanti style around 1215 A.D. ; with stone carved walls , pillars and ceilings.

It houses Lord Shiva's Trishul, bed and damru.

It is also believed that the Lord sleeps in the bed every night for the bedsheets are crumbled in the morning.

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated on a big scale in this temple complex.

Near to it is the Ramdas Math that houses the original copy of 'Dasbodh' edited by Samarth Ramdas.

About a kilometer from the Panchganga temple is the Krishnabai temple, built by the ruler of Ratnagiri in 1888.The river Krishna is worshipped here. Also, the Krishna valley lies in front of this temple.

The outskirts of the temples are lined with small stalls on both the sides of the road and stone steps, selling worship thalis that include incense sticks, dhoop, garlands, coconut,sindoor, camphor, flowers, some prasad items etc.

There are a number of stalls catering to the tourists with attractions ranging from toys,cane hats, walking sticks, wallets, sling bags, purses, handicraft items , chikki, gift items, memorabilia etc.

There are budget hotels, camp sites, luxury resorts,bread and breakfast, rental homes and cottages for the tourists.

The Eco-campsites are a much preferred place by nature lovers, sky grazers, school trips, backpackers.

The forests around are preserved and they abound in rich and varied wildlife that comprises a large number of wild mammals, birds and reptiles.

Old Mahabaleshwar is worth a visit and is usually covered by the tourists visiting main Mahabaleshwar in a one-day darshan trip.

Panchangi - Maharashtra

Panchgani - The five hills

पाच = five गणी = hills

 

District - Satara

State - Maharashtra

Elevation - 4242 ft

Weather conditions - cool & pleasant all year round

Winter temperature - 12℃

Summer temperature - 34℃

Monsoon - June to September

Winter months - October to February

Landform - Nestled between 5 villages

Population - 13,280 (2011 Census )

How to reach - By road 

Distance from major cities :-

• Pune - 102 km

• Mumbai - 250 km

• Mahabaleshwar - 19 km

• Satara - 49 km

Distance from neighboring Railway stations :-

• Pune - 95 km

• Satara - 45 km

Transportation services :-

Buses from major cities like Pune, Mumbai, Satara, Mahabaleshwar,Kullu, Hyderabad,Mahad.

When to visit - Summer & Winter months

Famous for - Premier residential educational institutions 

• Kimmins High School

• St. Peter's School

• St. Joseph's School

• Anjuman-I-Islam School

• Billimoria School

• New Era High School

• Sanjeewan Vidyalaya

Panchgani is a hill-station / town in the Sahyadri mountain ranges of Maharashtra.

It was built by the British in a region that was surrounded by 5 villages. Hence the name. It was developed along the lines of British towns with colonial architecture, planting species of trees brought from the western world.

In time it developed into a renowned residential school for the British children that still hold prestige & reverence of the Colonial times.

As a place of tourist interest , it is  ideal due to its climatic conditions, natural beauty of the picturesque Sahyadri ranges, historical importance that dates back to the Mahabharat ; with the Pandavas residing here for some time during their period of exile.

Serene valleys, beautiful locales, hills & plateau, natural greenery, invigorating climate, plenty of scenic tourist points make it an ideal weekend getaway.

The following are the places of tourist attractions :-

1. Table Land - The second largest mountain plateau of Asia lying at a height of 1387 m above sea level. It offers a range of opportunities for adventure sports like paragliding, rock-climbing & horse riding. Ideal for movie & TV shootings. 

   
   
   

2. Kaas plateau - A UNESCO world heritage site due to its amazing biodiversity that includes almost 850 species of colourful wild flowers and butterflies. It has a lake as well, making it perfect for photography, picnics , hiking etc.

   
   
   

3. Sydney point - Perfect place for activities like nature gazing and hiking as it is a hillock facing the Krishna valley, the Dhom dam, Pandavgad and Mandhardeo.

4. Parsi point - Similar in beauty to the Sydney point with a view of the Krishna valley and the Dhom dam. 

5. Devil's kitchen - Situated at the south of the Table Land it is of religious and historical importance as the Pandavas had built caves for residing during their period of exile.The caves, Pandavgad are worth a visit.

6. Mapro Garden - Located in the village of Gureghar on the way to Mahabaleshwar, Mapro Garden offers a range of attractions ranging from their strawberry farms ,a chocolate factory, children's play area, henna counters,  restaurant serving goodies like pizzas, sandwiches, ice-creams, milkshakes. It has a tasting and retail outlet  for their in-house crushes, jellies , jams, juices, mocktails etc. 

7. Panchgani Market - Worth a visit for gift shopping, home decor ,wooden and leather handicrafts, kolhapuri chappals, jams, jellies, fresh strawberries, chikkis etc. 

   
   
   

Places to stay - Budget & 5 star hotels, luxury resorts,camping sites. 

Activities - Boating, horse-riding, Paragliding, rock-climbing, nature treks, hiking, Strawberry festival, shopping. 

Picture sources - wikipedia and travel triangle.com