Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

 Tourist Attractions of Mahabaleshwar

Pratapgadh

Mahabaleshwar is a perfect tourist spot due to its topography that includes the majestic Sahyadri ranges, proximity to major cities of Mumbai, Pune , Satara, Kolhapur; weather, natural beauty, old world charm of colonial architecture along with numerous modern hotels with all technological amenities, modern transport facilities, varied cuisine, that entails a stay of comfort and leisure.

Mahabaleshwar has a rich history that goes back to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj then on to the British who made it their summer capital.

The architecture of the colonial era is still seen in many historic structures, libraries, the Governor's Bungalow, old Parsi bungalows, the boarding schools of nearby Panchgani.

Most of the scenic tourist points are also named after the English explorers who explored and enjoyed the peaks in their lifetimes.

Lodwick point

Here is a list of the major attractions of Mahabaleshwar, not to be missed at all.

1. Arthur's Seat

2. Artist point

3. Babington point

4. Bombay point

5. Chinaman Waterfalls

6. Connaught point

7. Dhobi Waterfalls

8. Elephant's head point

9. Elphinstone point

10. Echo point

11. Falkland point

12. Gangadharpale

13. Gureghar nature trail viewpoint

14. Helen's point

15. Kate's point

16. Kamalgad fort

17. Koyna valley 

18. Lodwick point

19. Lucky games point

20. Lover's point

21. Lingmala waterfalls

22. Mapro garden

23. Marjorie point 

24. Morarji Castle

25. Market

26. Mini Kashmir

27. Old Mahabaleshwar, consisting of three temples and being the origin of the river Krishna as well as the meeting point of 5 rivers, namely the Krishna, the Venna, the Savitri, the Koyna and the Gayatri

28. Pratapgad fort 

29. Parsi point

30. Panchgani

31. Polo ground

32. Pratap Singh park 

33. Raigad museum

34. Rajapuri caves

35. Savitri point

36. Sydney point 

37. Tapola

38. Table land 

39. Three monkey point

40. Tiger Spring point

41. Venna lake and dam

42. Vajraj Falls

43. Wilson point ( Sunrise and Sunset point )

44. Wax Museum

Walking Treks

There are also numerous strawberry farms in and around Mahabaleshwar, gardens and many walking trails.

Lodging and Boarding facilities include budget hotels, 3-star and 5-star hotels, all categories of  resorts, private cottages and bungalows on rent, corporate guesthouses, MTDC resort , Railway Quarters.

Pre-booking is an absolute must, especially in the peak season of the summer and Diwali school , college holidays as well as the Christmas - New year week.

Weekends are also pre-booked as many tourists looking for a change prefer a 2 day break in these hills.

                                  Mapro Garden

( Also a must-read - 

• Old Mahabaleshwar for its rich history and religious significance as a Hindu pilgrimage place.

• Panchgani, a quaint town reminiscent of the British era )

Source of pictures - traveltriangle.com

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.

Ode to Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

The unending and undulating mountain ranges and peaks 

The deep and still valleys

The wind sighing over them

Since the start of time 

The snaking and forking rivers

The miniature fields and toy villages

The deep dark forests 

The cool soothing waterfalls

The silence that speaks to the heart

The beauty that touches the soul

The calm that permeates into each and every pore

The joy that gladdens 

The calm that settles 

The sounds of eternal silence 

Oh, how to describe the beauty of Mahabaleshwar 

How to encompass in words 

That cannot be conveyed 

The immortality of time 

That lives in the heart for ever and ever….!!

             Source of Panchganga, Old            Mahabaleshwar

Someone who has visited the beautiful, serene, calm , picturesque hill station of Mahabaleshwar cannot ever forget it, no matter the space, time and distance.

The views, the mountain ranges, the winding and  snaking ghats, the cool and pleasing weather, the natural beauty of the Sahyadri ranges, the waterfalls , the wild flora by the roadsides and the hills,  the historical forts, the nature treks, the dense forests, the massive lake and the old world charm of the colonial architecture, is something that has to be experienced to understand.

No wonder Mahabaleshwar is the Queen of the Hill stations of Maharashtra, being the most popular destination of the nature tourist , the family groups , the honeymooners, the weekend travellers in not only Maharashtra but also the neighboring states of Gujarat and Karnataka.

                                Elephant's point

Fact File

1. District - Satara 

2. State - Maharashtra 

3. Mountain ranges - Sahyadri

4. Ghats - Western 

5. Area -132.7 sq.km.

6. Population- 12, 737 ( 2011 Census )

7. Local language - Marathi

8. Languages spoken - Marathi ,Hindi and English

9. Elevation - 4,500 ft.

10. Weather and Temperature - Average temperature 21 ℃ 

11. Months to visit - 

• Summer - March to May ( Pleasing weather )

• Winter - October to February ( Biting cold )

• Monsoon - June to September ( To be avoided ) 

12. Minimum duration for stay - 3 days 

13. How to reach :-

• By road via NH 4 , Mumbai to Pune Expressway

• By road via NH 66, Mumbai - Goa Highway

14. Cuisine - Pan Indian; Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Cosmopolitan.

15. Points to see -  approximately 30

16. Things to do - Visit the mountain points , Nature treks, Shopping in the local market , Gorging on delicious ice creams and snacks at Mapro, Laze in the garden by the lake,  Explore the historical fort of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Pratapagadh;  Take darshan in the temples of Old Mahabaleshwar, drink the holy water of the panch ganga ( 5 rivers ), window shop the stalls on the way to the temples , Go horse-riding on the table-top plateau, visit the colonial buildings like the library and old style Parsi bungalows, binge eat the goodies in the many restaurants and eateries in the market, buy local wooden and leather handicrafts, toys, shawls, wallets, chappals and sandals,jams, jellies, honey and fruit crushes, Go boating in the lake Venna,bite into a piping hot masaledar corncob,munch on the roasted chana ( chickpeas ) and peanuts, play games at the lakeside, devour the yummy street food, enjoy the joyrides with your kids, sit on the stone wall of the lake and enjoy the evening with your loved ones, bite into luscious strawberries, raspberries and mulberries, drink healthy chilled juices and milkshakes, enjoy lazy strolls through the serene woods, visit the neighbouring town of Panchgani. 

Pics courtsey - wikipedia

Also read - List of Tourist attractions in Mahabaleshwar