Written by: raghu
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is the highest of the hill stations in Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It is situated at 1,372 meters above sea level. During the period of British Raj, it was the summer capital of Governor of the old Bombay Presidency. It is of about 120 Kms from Pune by road. The heroic Maratha warrior king and Shivaji Maharaja are connected with the history of this area. This place is crowded in the vacations like Diwali, Christmas and especially in summers. It is pilgrimage site for Hindus, and honeymoon spot.
Mahabaleshwar surrounded by valleys on all sides. Lord Mahabali temple is situated in old Mahabaleshwar of about 4 Kms from the city. So this place is called as Mahabaleshwar. This is the origin of the 5 holy rivers called Krishna, Venna, Koyana, Savitri and Gayatri.
weather
| Temperature: | The minimum and maximum temperature range varies from 16 to 20°C. |
| Best time to visit: | The best time to visit this place is from September to May. |
Getting there / route information
By road:
From Pune, there are two routes to reach Mahabaleshwara:
- Pune –-> Wai –-> Panchagani –-> Mahabaleshwar.
- Pune –> Satara highway –> Panchagani –-> Mahabaleshwar.
For every 30 mins, you will get ST buses from Pune Bus stand to Mahabaleshwar.
Road Quality: Good.
Shopping Information
Honey and strawberry crushes and jams are very famous in Mahabaleshwar. It is also famous for wide variety of Chikki (Sweet).
pictures of Mahabaleshwar
|
|
|
Major attractions
Venna Lake
It is the major attraction of Mahabaleshwar. This lake is spread around 25 acres, the water supplied to the Mahabaleshwar from this lake itself. Here you can enjoy boating. This lake was built by king of satara. The other places near Mahabaleshwar are Race Course and Golf Course.
Wilson Point
Wilson Point is situated at the highest peak of the mahabaleshwar at 4710Ft above sea level.
It is also called by the name Sunrise Point. It is near to Mahabaleshwar market.
Connaught Peak
This is the second highest Point at Mahabaleshwar, it was known as Mount Olympia. It is of about 1400 meters height, and 7 kms from market of Mahabaleshwar. From this point u can see Kamalgadh, Torana, Panchgani, pasarani Ghat, Ajinkyatara, Pratapgadh, Elphinston point and Kshetra Mahabaleshwar.
Arthur’s Seat
It is situated at the height of 1473 meters and distance of 13 Km from main market of Mahabaleshwar. It is called as Queen of the all points. The name Arthur Malet was the one who first built the house in Mahabaleshwar. So it is called by his name itself. You can see the geographical distinction between konkan and the Deccan territories of Mahabaleshwar from this place.
Kate’s Point
From Venna Lake it Is about 5 Kms towards Panchgani. From this Point you can the beautiful view of Dhom Dam and Krishna Valley.
Bombay Point
The oldest point in Mahabaleshwar is the Bombay point. You can enjoy the view of beautiful sunset from this point.
Lodwick Point
It is also called by the name Sydney Point. After rising the monument in the name of General Lodwick this place was renamed as Lodwick Point. You can enjoy the beautiful view of Pratapgadh, and it is also called as Elephant’s Head.
WaterFalls
The Lingamala Dhobi and Chinaman are the three main waterfalls which are of about 6 Km and 4 Km respectively from the Mahabaleshwar. These falls are situated in a beautifully sequestered hook looking straight at the south side Elphinston Point. These falls look beautiful in rainy season.
Vital Tourist Information
Accommodation: You will get good accommodation in Panchgani.
The dreamy hill station of ‘Panchgani’ is worth a mention. The beautiful hill station of Panchgani is at an altitude of 1000+ meters and is the perfect getaway for a quiet and relaxing holiday.
Khandala, Lonavala are also good places around pune for a gr8 weekend getaway.
any recommendation for hotels out there?? pls. tell..
To view pics of Mahableshwar, click on the link below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sudarshan.multimedia/Mahableshwar#