1. MAHRASHTRA

2. UnspoiltUnhurriedUntouchedUnexpectedUnconfinedUnparalleledUNLIMITED!!! 3. Area 307,713 kmsqCapital MumbaiPopulation 112,372,972Official language Marathi, Hindi, EnglishClimateSummerMonsoonPost MonsoonWinterSpringBEST TIME TO VISITMarch-may(22-39 degree)June-Sept(20-27 degree)Oct-Nov(23-33 degree)Nov-Feb (12-14 degree)Jan-MarchSept-FebFacts about Maharashtra 4. HISTORYDating back to as far as Asokan reign in 246 BC, the name ofMaharashtra State existed. It was believed that the emperor hadsent an embassy to this rich land during his kingship. During the3rd century BC emperor Asoka ruled the region of Mahrashtra.The state had undergone several changes of hands in regard toits administration. The celebrated Islamic rulers of Delhicaptured a significant portion of Deccan during the 13th centuryBC. The possession of the state went in hands of Sultanate ofBijapur and remained under this Sultanate for 150 years.The emergence Marathas was noted during the beginning of 17thcentury. The political prominence of Martha was gained duringthe reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosale..The Marathascontinued to show their gallantry even during the time of Britishcolonization in India. 5. CITIES FAMOUS FORROMANCERaigad(Matheran)Mumbai(Elephantacaves)Pune(KonkanBeaches)Nashik(Igatpuri)MahabaleshwarADVENTURELonavala(RajmachiFort)Sayahadri HillsNagpur(Waki Woods)Nagpir(TadobaNational Park)SPIRITUALITYPune(Osho Ashram)Pune(Shirdi)Mumbai(Haji Ali)Mumbai(Mahalaxmitemple)WELLNESSThane(Shahapur)VishwanandHERITAGEAurangabad(Ajanta)Aurangabad(Ellora)Mumbai(Elephanta)Mumbai(KanheriCaves) 6. PLACESTOVISIT 7. MUMBAI 8. History Of MumbaiBombay or Mumbai as it is now called, is the capital of the state ofMaharashtra, and the largest and most populous city of India.Historically acquired as a colonial exchange, Bombay formed a part ofthe dowry of Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess whomarried Charles II of England in the 17th century. Originally, Mumbaiwas a cluster of seven islands, namely Colaba, Little Colaba or OldWomans Island, Worli, Parel, Mazgaon, Mumbadevi and Mahim. Theislands created a natural harbour and offered an ideal place formaintaining Britains trade links with India. This realisation was chieflyresponsible for linking the seven islands, massive land reclamation andcreating the city as we know it today.The city has changed several hands through the centuries. First it wasthe Aryans from North India. Then came the Mouryas and theSatvahanas followed by the Silaharas and the Yadavas. The Sultans ofGujarat and the Portuguese invaders came next. Finally, in the 17thcentury, it became a part of the British accession. 9. Mumbai Excursions:Elephanta CavesElephanta caves are in the magnificent Elephanta Island, which is 11 km fromMumbai. It has beautiful carvings, sculptures, and a temple of the Hindu God, LordShiva.How to reach the placeKanheri CavesThe location of the Kanheri caves is so greenwith wooded hills and valleys, and it is at adistance of 42 km from Mumbai.How to reach the placeMarve, Manori and GoraiThese three beaches are the villages very close toMumbai. Now this place has become quiteindustrialized, but its beauty remains the same.Tourists can reach Marve within an hour, as it is just 40 km from Mumbai.How to reach the place 10. Mandwa and KihimKihim and Mandawa is nearly 10 km away from Mumbai. Kihim has dense coconuttrees that give a pollution free green environment.One can also enjoy perfect tent stayand a wonderful surfing.how to reachBasseinBassein is in the peaceful location, which is 77 km away from Mumbai. It is closelysimilar with the Indias sultry beach state of Goa.The Portuguese cuisines served bythe locals are really delicious.How to reachKhandala, Lonavala and KarlaLocating at an altitude of 625m,these hill stations for its beautiful hills,deep green valleys, huge lakes,historic forts waterfalls etc.How to reach 11. Mumbai Tourists Attractions:Gateway of IndiaGateway of India is regarded to be the starting point for most tourists who want totravel around the Mumbai city. This 26m-high structure has four turrets andintricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. How to reachMarine DriveMarine Drive is the place where Mumbaites hang out to cool down a while fromthe steamy hurried and busied life. The beach, it is also known as called QueensNecklace.How to reach 12. Juhu BeachJuhu is one of the most popularand posh beaches of India.This fizzing beach on the shores ofArabian Sea is the place where onecan find the bungalows of Bollywoodstars. Tourists can enjoy horse anddonkey rides, dancing monkeys,acrobats, cricketmatches, toy sellers etc. here.How to reachEssel WorldEssel World offers over 40 exciting rides, games, and attractions. The Water Kingdom issaid to be the largest of its kind in Asia. It is a perfect destination for a one-day holiday.How to reach 13. PUNE 14. History Of PuneDown the centuries, Pune has been ruled by several dynasties. The earliest evidencefound (copper plates of 758 A. D. and of 768 A. D.) reveals that the Rashtrakootasruled this region then. At that time, Pune was referred to as Punaka Vishaya andPunya Vishaya. Later on, the city has been mentioned as Kasabe Pune. After theRashtrakootas, Pune was ruled by the Yadava dynasty.After the fall of this dynasty, it came under Muslim dominance till the middle of theseventeenth century. With the emergence of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who founded theMaratha empire, Pune became known to the Delhi Sultanate. Shivaji, spent hisearly childhood in Pune at Lal Mahal, a palace built by his father Shahaji, whereShivajis mother Jijabai lived for a decade. Dadaji Konddev, Shivajismentor, developed Pune city.After the death of Shivaji in 1680 and the cold blooded murder of his sonSambhaji, Aurangazeb named Pune as Muhiyabad. Pune gained importance duringthe period of the second Peshwa Thorala (senior) Bajirao who ruled from 1720 to1740. He was instrumental in urbanising Pune city and encouraged the setting up ofPeths or wards in Pune. He constructed the famous Parvati Temple complex, apride of Pune city. 15. Pune Excursions:Panshet DamTourists can visit Panset Dam for water sports. Here one can try kayaking or windsurfing at the newly developed water sports complex. Special facilities forspeedboats and water scooters too are available. How to reachBhatghar DamIt is only 40 km from Pune. Bhatgar Dam is the highest river dam wall inIndia, which is built on river Velvandi, Bhatgar Dam. Fun lovers often visit thedam. Government buses are available between Pune and Bhatgar Dam.how toreachPimpri ChinchwadChinchwad is about 15 km away from Pune, Maharashtra. The Ganesh Temple inChinchwad is very famous place, and a Yatra takes place in the month ofShravan.How to reach 16. Pune Tourist Attractions:Osho AshramOsho Ashram, also known as theOsho Communal Centre is located atthe greenery area of 17 Koregoan Park of the city.The Ashram offers a variety of expensive courses onmeditation. Osho Ashram attracts a number of devotees eachyear. how to reachTribal MuseumIt is near the railway line, which is just east to the railway station. Maharashtra is avast country and there are uncountable numbers of tribal in this country. Havingdifferent languages, these tribes have their own food habits, taboos, and beliefs - inshort distinct cultures. How to reach 17. Raja Dinkar Kelkar MuseumThe museum has nearly 20,000 collectionsof objects paintings, handicrafts, armour-suits,musical instruments and many other objects ofart and artifacts collected from all over the world.How to reachKasturba Gandhi MemorialIt is located within the serene locality of Aga Khan Palace in Pune. It iswidely known as Kasturba Gandhi Memorial and is built in memory ofMahatama Gandhis wife Kasturba Gandhi who breathed her last in thispalace.The exquisite white marble memorial or Kasturba Samadhi isdesigned by the noted architect Charles Correa. Kasturba Gandhis ashesare kept here and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been built near by thememorial. Kasturba Samadhi is accompanied by a National museum inmemory of Kasturba Gandhi. 18. NAGPUR 19. History Of NagpurThe present city was founded in the early 18th century by Bhakt Buland, a Gondprince of the kingdom of Deogad in the Chhindwara district. Seeing the advantageof civilized life in Delhi, he started to build Nagpur as his new capital. His successorChand Sultan continued the work. Eventually the control of Nagpur slowly passedon from the Gonds to the Marathas. It became the capital of the Bhonsles. In 1811Pindaris attacked Nagpur. Bhonsles again lost to the British in 1817 and Nagpurcame under British influence. In 1853 Raghuji III died without an heir to hiskingdom. As a result, the city lapsed into British control under Lord DalhousiesDoctrine of Lapse.In 1861, Nagpur became the capital of the Central Provinces. The advent of theGreat Indian Peninsula Railway (GIP) in 1867 spurred its development as a tradecentre.After Indian independence, Nagpur became the capital of Madhya Bharat state(C.P. and Berar). In 1960, the marathi majority Vidarbha region was merged withthe new state of Maharashtra and Nagpur was designated the second capital ofMaharashtra state, alternating with Bombay as the seat of the Maharashtra statelegislature. 20. Nagpur Excursions: AadasaAadasa is located at a distance of 45 km from Nagpur. This small village has aplethora of ancient and magnificent temples. There is also a Ganapati Templehere, which is worth to be visited. This place is easily accessible from Nagpurwith many buses are plying from Nagpur, Kamleshwar and Saoner.How to reach KhekranalaKhekranala is situated at a distance of 55 km from Nagpur. There is abeautiful dam at this place. The location of the site is green and beautiful.How to reach 21. MarkandaMarkanda is a cluster of nearly 24 temples,which resembles the architecture of the Khajurahotemples. This small town is located on the left bankof Vainganga River, which is famous as a religious site.how to reachDhapewadaDhapewada Lake is 8 km from Ramtek and 60 km fromNagpur. This place has a small temple of Vithoba liespeacefully on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River.It has a variety of water sports to offer as well.how to reachNagardhanNagardhan too has a fort, which is believed to be constructed by the Bhonsles.Gifted with an abundance of wild life, Nagzira has a wildlifesanctuary resting in natural domains that are a harmoniouscombination of lush greens and water bodies. how to reach 22. Nagpur Tourist Attractions:Gavilgad FortIt is located near the hill station of Chikhaldara in Amravati district. TheHindu rulers originally constructed Gavilgad fort. It is located at a height ofabout 370 ft above sea level (MSL). Historians believe that it is 200-300 yearsold. how to reachMagnificent Forts of BalapurThe forts of Balapur are named after goddess Baladevi. Balapur has turnedinto a seat of pilgrimage and a tourist spot over the years. It is located betweenthe two rivers of Mana and Mhais. This place is at a distance of 6 km from therailway station. how to reach 23. Lonar LakeLonar Lake is the third largest naturalsalt-water lake in the world. The lakealso has a dam of 1800 m.how to reachVidarbha Pandhari KundinpurIt is located on the banks of Wardha River in Tiwsa Tehsil of Nagpur. It isabout 120 km from Nagpur. There organize an annual ten-day fair duringKarthik Purnima that attracts not less than 50000 devotees 24. For Adventure LoversTrekking:Trekking in Maharashtra might not be that adventurousand risky like any Himalayan trekking. It is calm and easy;till it is enjoying and thrilling giving a lifetime experience.Sahydris is the most important trekking region in the state.Trekking In Rajmachi FortRajmachi Fort is famous for trekking. The beautiful place is has exotic naturallocations as well as it is a historic site. Rajmachi can be reached via the town ofLonavla along the Khandala plateau.how to reach 25. Trekking In The SahyadrisIn Maharashtra, Western Ghats is called Sahyadri in local Marathi language.Sahyadri is known to be a trekkers paradise with green hills, dotted lakesand forests all around. how to reachTrekking In Waki WoodsWaki Woods is just 30 kmaway from Nagpur on SaonerRoad near Warki Dargha.This resort offers activities likebird watching, boating, archery, 26. Safari Trips:Safaris in Maharashtra can be done mainly at Tadoba National Park, Sanjay GandhiNational Park and Navegoan National Park. Spreading over an area of 135 sq km, itconsists of a deer park, an aviary and three beautifully landscaped gardens. One canalso enjoy staying in a unique treetop house and riding a power or sailboat on lake.So, safari in this park is really a thrilling experience.Navegaon National ParkThe Navegaon National Park is located in Navegoan in Gondia, Maharashtra. It is oneof the most popular forest resorts in the Vidarbha region. Spreading over an area of135 sq km, 27. Doba National ParkTadoba National Park spreads over 120 sqkm, which is at an altitude of 200m. It islocated 100 km south of Nagpur and45 km north of Chandrapur. Itis the oldest national park inMaharashtra.Sanjay Gandhi National ParkSanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as Borivali National Park islocated at the suburb of Borivali, Mumbai. The main attraction of the park isits lion and tiger safari. One of the main attractions to the National Park isthe lion safari. 28. Maharashtrian Culture: The life and soulThe culture of Maharashtra is an amalgamation of festivals, dances, music, artand crafts, foods and costumes. The Maharashtrians are vibrant, down to earthpeople for whom life itself is a celebration. During festival seasons it would bea great time to absorb Maharashtrian culture, with all its colourfulcostumes, cuisines, rituals and traditions. The song, music and dance thataccompany almost every festive occasion, add joy and excitement to the lives ofthe people from every walk of life. These festivals attract world-renownedartistes - musicians, dancers, painters, sculptors, weavers - who come togetherto pay tribute to Maharashtras rich culture and legacy. 29. CuisinesMaharashtrian cuisine is packedwith the subtly flavoured vegetarian delicacies and hotaromatic meat and fish curries, while the crunchy, crisp sweetsare made mostly from rice and jiggery are also their favourite.Maharashtrian cuisine: Maharashtrian cuisine is of twokinds - Konkani and Varadi. Despite its difference instyle of preparation, both the style use lot of seafood andcoconut.Konkan Cuisine: Konkan cuisine is strong in spice, red chilliepowder, corianders, and prepared with coconut oil. It isprepared using a deep purple berry, kokum and raw mango.The Konkan food has a lot of coconut in it and strong inmasalas, red chillies and coriander.Varadi Cuisine: The cuisine has a good balance of spices withgenerous use of powdered coconut and besan(gram flour) the latter used more for vegetarian dishes. 30. DancesGifted with its rich culture andtraditions, Maharashtra has different types of dance forms. Povada is the dance form that showcases the lifetime achievements ofthe Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj. Lavani and Koli dance forms entertains maharashtrians. Dhangri gaja, Dindi and Kalaare the religious folk dances. 31. CostumesAs Maharashtra is a vast state, the people of this colourfulstate wears different types of costumes, take differentcuisines, different forms of dances and music according tothe physical features of their locality.Generally, men wear dhoti and pheta in olden days, whilewomen wear choli and saree. 32. HandicraftsMaharashtra has a wide variety of handicrafts available. These art andcraft showcases the true spirit of Maharashtrian culture. Differentcategories of Maharashtra handicrafts are:Sawantwadi CraftsBidri WorksLeather Works 33. Mashru and HimrooWeavingAjanta Paintings,Warli PaintingsJewellery 34. FestivalsThe Maharashtrians are a vibrant, earthy people for whom lifeitself is a celebration. Small wonder then that all festivals inMaharashtra are celebrated with abundant fervor and enthusiasm.These times provide a unique opportunity to absorb Maharashtrian culture,with all its colorful customs, rituals and traditions.The various festivals celebrated here are: Nag Panchmi Narali Pournima Gokul Ashtami Gudhi Padwa Pola Makar Sankrant 35. FairsMaharashtrians celebrate every fair with great fervour and enthusiasm.The sacred Kumb Mela at Nashik that comes after every twelve years isregarded to be the most important religious fair in Maharashtra. Thavarious fairs that are held all over the state of maharashtra are:Nashik Kumbh Mela Ganesh Chaturthi 36. Pune Festival Navaratri Mahalaxmi FairRath Yatra 37. Travel Tips: Things to rememberMaharastrian people are friendly and cooperative. The Maharashtragovernment in collaboration with the central government has institutedmany tourist guide centres all over the state in major cities and towns.But still foreign tourists have to know a few costumes and traditions ofthis state.Customs to keep in MindNot only in Maharsahtra but also in whole India, tourists have to removeshoes before entering any shrine.Tourists are prohibited from using alcoholic beverages or speaking in araised voice on the premises of any shrine.Women are advised to dress properly, and should cover their head beforeentering a Sikh Gurudwara or a mosque. 38. Visitors are supposed to step the right foot first into the courtyard whenanybody enters any religious placeAll leather products like shoes, belts, handbags, camera cases etc. areprohibited in some Hindu and Jain temples.Visitors are to wash their hands and feet under a tap or tank available onthe premises before entering the shrines.No visitor in a gurudwara should keep his feet pointing towards the HolyBook or step over any one sitting in prayer or meditation.While spinning a prayer wheel of any Buddhist monastery, one must alwaysremember to follow the clockwise direction.Cushions and chairs inside the monastery are reserved for lamas (monks).Visitors may sit on the steps outside or on the floor.Incase one gets the opportunity to meet a Rimpoche (head lama) or arespected monk, its polite not to turn ones back on him while leaving. 39. By AirThere is basically one major international airport in Maharashtra i.e. theChhatrapati Shivaji International Airport of Mumbai. Apart from that, thecity also has a domestic airport - Santa Cruz Domestic Airport. Theairports at Nagpur and Pune also operate a few international flights, apartfrom the usual domestic ones. The cities of Kolhapur and Aurangabad alsohave a domestic airport of their own.By RailThe largest as well as the most important railway station of Maharashtra issituated in Mumbai and is known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Fromthere, you can get trains to almost every part of India. Apart fromthat, there are railway stations inPune, Nashik, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, AMravati, etc. Inshort, Maharashtra is well connected with the other states via railways.HOW TO REACH 40. By RoadThere are a number of National Highways and State Highways crisscrossingMaharashtra, which make it easier for any visitor to visit the state by road.Infact, through these highways, you can easily approach the state from any andevery part of the country. Apart from that, you can easily get buses and taxisfrom the numerous cities in Maharashtra to travel within as well as outside thestate.By SeaSince a number of cities in Maharashtra are situated on sea banks, you can alsogo there via ship from the neighboring countries. Apart from the internationalnaval port at Mumbai, there are a number of other minor ports in the state.Thus, reaching Maharashtra by presents no problems for the tourists. 41. THANK YOUSubmitted by:SWADHA AGARWAL042, SECTION-AB