Places To Visit In Maharashtra

Maharashtra means the great state or more extensive state. So in a manner, it is a great state with a history of so many centuries behind it, filled with various events and great honourable people. Spread across the Deccan plateau in the western peninsula, Maharashtra is India's third-largest state and second-most populous state. Maharashtra is India's popular tourist destination, filled with various attractions and tourist spots with great stories behind it. Every tourist destination in Maharashtra has its own story, its history, and the beloved state loves to tell it proudly to its onlookers. The state of Maharashtra got its fame from the Great Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who fought with the Mughals for his people's and country's independence. Besides his legends, Maharashtra is famous for various reasons and is visited by many tourists worldwide yearly. Though people know very few selected places as tourist destinations, tourists can explore and enjoy many attractions across the state of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has beautiful and versatile geographical conditions flanked by the Arabian Ocean on one side. The famous Sahyadri Mountain ranges within Maharashtra are rich in every manner, from people to the Land, giving its visitors plenty of tourist destinations. Destinations like beaches, religious places, adventure hubs, urban, rural, historical, heritages, natural and human-made, are in numbers scattered across Maharashtra, which has something to offer its visitors. Maharashtra has become the most popular tourist destination amongst Indian and foreign travellers, with so much diversity and versatility. 

Those who visit Maharashtra are mesmerized by the great places with scenic beauty, natural atmosphere and supreme landscape. But, though they wonder which area should spend, they see only a few. So, here we gather some most visited, less-visited, equally beautiful and valuable tourist places in Maharashtra.

Religious Places in Maharashtra

In India, you will find a small temple or pilgrim belonging to various religions at every turn. But some of them are more famous due to the stories behind their establishments. Like India, Maharashtra is also a place full of pilgrimages visited by thousands of devotees for centuries and holds an important place in the hearts of those worshipers.  

Maharashtra is blessed with five out of twelve jyotirlingas: Aundhya Nagnath, Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar, Ghrishneshwar and Parli Vaijnath. Ganesh temples like Ganapatipule (Ratnagiri), Shrimant Dagadusheth Halwai (Pune), Shri Siddhivinayak (Mumbai), with famous Ashtavinayak Yatra which covers Mayureshwar (Morgaon, Pune), Siddhivinayak ( Siddhatek, Ahmednagar), Ballaleshwar (Pali, Raigad), Varadvinayak ( Mahad, Raigad), Chintamani ( Theur, Pune), Girijatmaj 9Lenyadri, Pune), Vighneshwar (Ozar, Pune), and Mahaganapati ( Ranjangaon, Pune) are visited at least once by every Hindu in Maharashtra and India. Shirdi, one of the most visited places by Hindus and Other religions, is famous for Shri Sai Baba, who was worshipped by millions. The Famous Huzur Sahib in Nanded is one of the Panj Takhts of Sikhism, where the 10th Guru of Sikh, Guru Gobind Singh, held his devotees worldwide and visited his last congregation. Maharashtra is also famous for the Dargah of Baba Shah Muzaffar, Sayeed- Zain-Ud-din and Bibi-ka-Maqbara in Aurangabad, Gharib Nawaz Mosque in Nagpur, Haji Ali in Mumbai, Dwarkamai Mosque in Shirdi. Catholic churches like Mount Mary church, Saint Thomas Cathedral in Mumbai, and Holy Christ Church Mahabaleshwar are famous pilgrimages in Maharashtra. Parsi Pilgrimages like Bene Israel Synagogues, Gate of Mercy Synagogues in Mumbai, and Ohel David Synagogue from Pune are renowned.

Maharashtra is famous for centuries-old Yatras and fests where millions of devotees walk or by vehicle throughout India. Pandharpur Yatra is held every July- August, where many devotees walk from their houses to visit their favourite god Shri Vitthala- Rakhumai. Kumbh Mela, or fest of Kumbh, held in Nashik with three other locations across India every 12 years, is a site to watch and visit by billions of Sadhus, Saints, and ordinary people. Mahalakshmi Temple (Kolhapur), Khandoba (Jejuri), Jyotiba ( Kolhapur), Saptashrungi Temple ( Nashik), Ekvira Devi (Lonavala), Mumba Devi (Mumbai), Kumbhoj Bahubali ( Kolhapur), and many other Pilgrimages in Maharashtra are also covered during religious tours. 

Historical Places in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has a glorious past, and many places throughout Maharashtra stood tall and proud, flaunting the stories of those historical events for many centuries. Homes built by the Great Maratha King, the British, the Mughals, and many other historians still standing on the Land of Maharashtra became famous tourist points. Most of them now hold the value of Heritage buildings. More than 300 forts held by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his era are now the major historical points visited by devoted Marathi People from Maharashtra and other parts of the world. Raigad, Rajgad, Shivneri, Harishchandra Gad, Sinhagad, Tung Fort, Torna, Koraigad, Lohagad, Tikona, Purandar Fort and many others are visited every year by many tourists during Monsoon. Sea forts like Sindhudurg Fort, Vijaydurg Fort, Murud-Janjira Fort and Vijaydurg Fort are the epitome of past architecture. They are famous Historical Places in Maharashtra visited by many travellers. Other historical places like Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Aga Khan Palace, Lal Mahal, Shaniwar Wada, Jai Vilas Palace, Sawantwadi Palace, Panchakki at Aurangabad, Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Museum (New Palace), Killa Arak, Shivtharghal, Ahmedganj Palace, are also visited by travellers via tour packages in Maharashtra. 

Historical Places like Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Ajanta Caves, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are famous amongst tourists for their historical values and as World Heritage Sites protected by UNESCO. Apart from this, Western Ghats has also been declared a UNESCO world heritage site with unique shared features, which are paramount to the landscape.  

Beaches In Maharashtra

Maharashtra, the Land of western ghats, receives a massive borderline of the Arabian Ocean, which runs 720 kilometres long, brandishing extravagant beaches along the way. Beaches in Maharashtra offer magnificent sightseeing, great beach activities, and water sports to show your adventurous side. Another best thing about various beaches across Maharashtra is the forts built on its shore. They give the perfect ambience to the fantastic sprawl of beaches. Maharashtra has some famous beaches like Ganpatipule Beach, Guhagar Beach, Harihareshwar Beach, Revdanda Beach, Anjarle Beach, Ganeshgule Beach, Kandivali Beach, and many others in Konkan Region.

In contrast, Malvan Beach, Tarkarli, Chivla Beach, Devgad Beach, Devbagh Beach, Tondavali Beach, Achara Beach and other beaches flank the Malvan-Sindhudurg Coast in Maharashtra. Other famous beaches like Alibaug Beach, Nagaon Beach, Kashid Beach, Rewas Beach, Kihim Beach, Varsoli Beach, Korlai Beach and others enhance the elegance of the Alibaug coast. Mumbai, one of the most famous cities in Maharashtra and India, has an enormous coastline with beaches like Juhu Beach, Girgaon Chaupati, Aksa Beach, Madh-Marve Beach, Gorai Beach, Manori Beach, Arnala Beach, Kelva Beach, Dahanu-Bordi Beach and some others. One of the best and most well-known places, Marin Drive, a curve of 2.9 kilometres across the seashore in Mumbai, also known as "Queen's Necklace", is a prominent destination for every traveller visiting Mumbai. 

Hill Stations in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is neither the coldest region like Kashmir nor the hottest region like the Thar Desert. Still, it has its hottest days, which many cannot tolerate in Summer. So to kill the summer heat and enjoy some cool breezes and incredible views, Maharashtra has some splendid places called Hill stations spread across the Sahyadri mountain ranges. Every year, countless people travel to these hill stations in Maharashtra for some best vacations with their families, friends, partners, or solo. Many tourists visit these places either for weekends or a week. In contrast, many wealthy people have built their farmhouses or second homes at various hill stations and make their way almost every season to relax and enjoy some time in tranquillity away from chaotic cities. 

There are various places to visit near Mumbai to avoid the hot summers, like Matheran, Lonavala, Khandala, Igatpuri, Karjat, Bhandardara, Malshej Ghat, Lavasa, Suryamal, Jawhar, which can be reached in two to three hours are famous for weekend getaways. While Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani

Wai, Toranmal, Rajmachi, Sawantwadi, Koroli, Amboli, Chikhaldara Hills, Panhala, Durshet, Tamhini Ghat, and Satara are preferred for long vacations. Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, and Khandala were and still are famous honeymoon spots for many People from Maharashtra, as they are relatively nearby and can be visited in 3 to 4 days. 

National Parks in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is not just enriched with Western ghats, Arabian Seashore, modern cities, historical places and hill stations. But also has a remarkable flora and fauna spread across the state and protected national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The entire region of these forests is filled with various trekking routes, camping zones, wildlife safaris, birdwatching, and many other activities that can be enjoyed with families and friends. Maharashtra has six major National parks: Gugamal National Park, Navegaon National Park, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, and Chandoli National Park.
Sanjay National Park and Pench National Park. At the same time, other major wildlife sanctuaries like Melghat wildlife sanctuary, Karnala Bird Sanctuary, BhimaShankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Phansad Bird Sanctuary, Great Indian Bustard wildlife sanctuary, Bhamragarh wildlife sanctuary, Malvan Marine Sanctuary, Dajipur wildlife sanctuary, Sagareshwar Deer Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife sanctuary, and Rehekuri Black Buck Sanctuary are also visited during the season by many visitors.

Cities In Maharashtra

Just like any other state in India and the world, Maharashtra also has some cities, which are not just famous for the modern lifestyle, an ample number of vacancies, prominent universities, a buzzing population, vehicles more than animals, and high-end buildings. But they also witnessed many changes, like historical places, temples and shrines, parks, museums, beaches, palaces, forts, and other attractions that lure travellers worldwide. Cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Thane, Solapur, Amaravati, Chiplun, Malvan, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, and others are full of attractions in Maharashtra. While Mumbai, a city of dreams, economic capital, and state capital, is visited by visitors and many people from India who want to become something in their life. Bollywood, educational sites, and many big-shot companies of India are situated in none other than beloved Mumbai. While many attractions are spread across Mumbai and the primary hub for transporting Human beings via Air, it is undoubtedly one of the best cities to live in and visit as a traveller. At the same time, Pune offers the other side of Maharashtra as a cultural city full of temples, historical places, and pride of Maharashtra, a must-visit city.

Aurangabad holds many sites from the Mughal era; on the other hand, Nashik beholds the holy city with the river Godavari flowing through it and many Religious places. Nagpur is the pride of Vidarbha, while Chiplun, Ratnagiri, beholds the heart of the Konkan region. Many other cities which carry various attractions within themselves indeed make tourist points worth visiting. 

Things To Do in Maharashtra

Maharashtra offers various things to do to its visitors. The main things that can be done in Maharashtra are Sightseeing at multiple destinations like hill stations, beaches, cities, and historical places. In addition, people can go for activities like adventure sports, festivals, and recreational activities or visit some distant village and enjoy the heartwarming hospitality of its people. 

Another major thing that can be done in Maharashtra is to taste the food. Of course, Maharashtra has unique dishes, which change in every region as you travel from village to village, city to city. But for sure, they all taste just fabulous and equally tempting. 

Best Time To Visit Maharashtra

Maharashtra state faces tropical climatic conditions, which means it has three seasons mainly, Monsoon ( June-September), Winter (October- February) and Summer ( March-May). As Maharashtra is spread across a pretty much Deccan Plateau with diverse geographical conditions, it can be visited throughout the year. However, people must research and plan where to stay in which season. Maharashtra has regions that can be seen during the hot days of summer, like Mahabaleshwar, Konkan, Lonavala, Khandala and other hill stations, while places like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Alibaug can be visited during winter. Maharashtra faces a good amount of precipitation during Monsoon. Yet, it does not stop hardcore travellers from visiting various places and helps them offer places like forts and forests where activities like trekking can be done. 

So make sure at least once in your life you visit Maharashtra tourist places with your loved ones and create memories With Sea Water Sports.

Maharashtra has beautiful and versatile geographical conditions flanked by the Arabian Ocean on one side. The famous Sahyadri Mountain ranges within Maharashtra are rich in every manner, from people to the Land, giving its visitors plenty of tourist destinations. Destinations like beaches, religious places, adventure hubs, urban, rural, historical, heritages, natural and human-made, are in numbers scattered across Maharashtra, which has something to offer its visitors. Maharashtra has become the most popular tourist destination amongst Indian and foreign travellers, with so much diversity and versatility.