Friday, November 7, 2008

Mahabaleshwar hill station

General Information about Mahabaleshwar hill station :

Area : 145.04 Sq. Kms.

Altitude : 1,372 m above sea level

Temperature : 13°C - 29°C

STD Code : 02168

Best time to visit Mahabaleshwar: Best time to visit Mahabaleshwar is October to June and best time to visit Panchgani is September to May.

Languages : Marathi Landuage, Hindi Language and English Language.

Mahabaleshwar Introduction

Mahabaleshwar is a very popular hill station in Maharashtra because of its placid lakes, verdant hills and cascading waterfalls. It is not only famous for its scenic beauty but also for its various temples, spectacular viewpoints and historically significant places. It is a great place for holidaying as it provides ample opportunities for leisure activities such as fishing, boating and trekking.

History of Mahabaleshwar

In the early 14th century, Mahabaleshwar was ruled by the Moguls but in the later half of the century a Brahmin dynasty took control of it. In the 15th Century Mahabaleshwar was won by Muslim Kings of Bijapur and Ahmednagar but by the 16th century the Maratha family of Chandarao More was ruling over it. Finally, in the 17th century Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj decided to show his resistance to foreign rule and for this he trained a large army and captured it. After him the Peshwas ruled till the year 1819, after which Mahabaleshwar came to be included in the territory of the Raja of Satara. One name that invariably finds mention in any conversation about the history of Mahabaleshwar is Colonel Lodwick, who later in his life became a General. He brought a lot of focus to the hill station, which is why a monument was named after him in Mahabaleshwar.

Accessibility

By Air : Pune is the nearest airport both for Mahabaleshwar (120 km and Panchgani (98 km)

By Rail : For Mahabaleshwar, the nearest railhead is Wathar (62 km) but Pune (120 km) is the convenient railhead. For Panchgani, the nearest railhead is Wathar (45 km). Mumbai-Wathar via Pune (312 km). Pune-Wathar (120 km)

By Road : From Mumbai via Pune, Mahabaleshwar is 290 km and via Mahad it is 247 km. The State Transport buses ply from Mumbai and Pune to Mahabaleshwar.

No comments: