Considered as a tourist destination with a great potential, Maharashtra has a lot to offer to all the tourists seeking adventure and leisure together.
Maharashtra is one of the biggest states in India. The variety that this huge state has to offer ranges from exotic beaches towards the west, to wide and green mountain ranges, to dark and dense forests spread across the whole state. There are a lot of amazing tourist destinations in Maharashtra and each one has something or the other unique in itself.
Ajanta and Ellora
The Ajanta and Ellora caves are situated in the district of Aurangabad. Ajanta is about 100 kilometers from Aurangabad city, while Ellora is situated at a distance of 30 kilometers.
Ajanta and Ellora are an excellent masterpiece of rock-cut cave monuments and exist since the second century. Both the caves are listed as separate UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These Buddhist monastic buildings were accidentally rediscovered by a British officer in 1819.
Forts
Forts hold an important place in the history of Maharashtra as well as its tourism. Forts remind the tourists of the numerous sacrifices that people of 17th century did to free the country and establish self-rule. Many of these forts belong to the great Shivaji.
The best time to visit these forts is the monsoon, when greenery spreads all around the region. Forts worth visiting and open for tourism are Raigad, Sinhagad, Lohagad, Shivneri, Purandar, Pratapgad, Harishchandragad, Ratangad, etc.
Beaches
Beaches in Maharashtra are situated in the west, which is completely bordered by the Arabian Sea. Some of the best beaches are Malvan, Vengurla, Ganpatipule, Alibaug, Kashid, Diveagar, Guhagar, and Dapoli.
National Parks
Besides beaches and forts, Maharashtra is rich in national parks even. There are many national parks in this state that are open for tourism. Some of the important ones are Tadoba, Gugamal National Park, Pench, and the Nawegaon National Park.
Visit these national parks and you could find many animals that are otherwise on the verge of extinction. Remember to check the rules and regulations governing these national parks set up by the Forest and Tourism Ministry of India.
Pilgrim Places
Spread across the state, pilgrim tourist places constitute a major chunk of the revenue generated out of tourism in Maharashtra. Places such as Shirdi, Ashtavinayak―a group of eight places of Lord Ganesha are very famous.
Maharashtra is also home to 5 jyotirlingas (out of 12)―Trimbakeshwar, Parali Vajinath, Aundha Nagnath, Bhimashankar, and Ghrishneshwar.
Moreover, Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur, Renuka temple in Mahur, and Vitthal temple in Pandharpur are other places that can be enlisted as important religious places in Maharashtra.
Hill Stations
Maharashtra has many hill stations. Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Khandala, Panhala, and Mhaismal are a few hill stations that fascinate a number of domestic tourists and are visited on a large scale for recreation and trekking.
The best time to visit these places is during summer, between March to June. Monsoons are also a great time to visit these places, but the rains can be a challenge.
So folks, these were a few of the best tourist places in Maharashtra. Visiting these places will show you the diversity this state possess, in terms of culture, landscape, cuisine, and climate.