Saturday, January 17, 2015

Mahabaleshwar’s Admirable Points

mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar’s Admirable Points

Hill station Mahabaleshwar is situated amid the Sahyadri ranges in Maharashtra’s Satara district at the average elevation of 1,353 meters. It has evergreen forests, peaks soaring into the sky, lovely valleys, and cool-clean atmosphere.  The central town bazaar at the heart of the hill station is crowded with hotels, shops and restaurants. Outside the bazaar are innumerable bungalows and government offices.  Mahabaleshwar is known for its strawberries, honey, jams, crushes and chikki.  It is also known for handmade leather footwear.

Old-era buildings

Visitors can reach all sight-seeing places by car or taxi along good roads. Many old-style buildings such as Mount Malcolm, the one-time residence of the governor, Moraji Castle, where Mahatma Gandhi lived in 1945; and the Mahabaleshwar Club are worth seeing.

Source of five rivers

Mahabaleshwar is the source of the Krishna River. Rivers Venna, Koyana, Savitri, and Gayatri also begin from Mahabaleshwar.  Close by is the serene Venna Lake, where boating facilities are available. Venna Lake has emerged as a picnic spot with many gaming stalls, rides, pony rides and fast food joints. 

Fantastic views

Mahabaleshwar has numerous sightseeing points, which offer a magnificent view of hills and valleys. The tourist spots of great interest include Old Mahabaleshwar, Lodwick Point, Arthur’s Seat, Wilson Point, Carnac Point, Helen’s Point, Elphinstone Point, Babington Point, Bombay Point, Falkland Point, and Kate Point. Arthur’s Seat offers a stunning view of the Sahyadri mountain range and a deep valley. All these points are in lush green zone and driving to them itself is a great experience.  In between, there are many eye-pleasing waterfalls. These include Chinaman’s Falls, Dhobi Falls and Lingmala Falls, which cascades down 600 feet from a cliff.

mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar’s Admirable Points

17th century fort

Pratapgad, a fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1656, is 24 km away. The fort was the site of Shivaji’s victorious battle with Bijapur Sultan’s mighty general Afzal Khan. The battle was a turning point in the Maratha history.  Panchgani is situated 19 km, from Mahabaleshwar.  It is known for its vast table land, the huge flat area formed by laterite rock. It is the second biggest mountain plateau in Asia. Panchgani is also known for its resident boarding schools.

Connectivity

Mahabaleshwar is located 45 km from Satara and 120 km from Pune. It is well-connected by bus service with Mumbai (260 km), Pune, Satara, and Sangli. Nearest railroad is Satara and major railway junction is Pune.   The nearest airport is Pune. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport of Mumbai is 270 km away.

Pleasant climate

The climate is pleasant throughout the year. The best time to visit is between October and June.  Temperatures range from 16°C to 20°C in summer and can fall as low as 5°C in winter.   Cottons and light woolens are recommended. The annual rainfall is 6,226.3 mm. When it rains, it really pours. Not many tourists will visit Mahabaleshwar in the rainy season. But those who like rain can possibly find nothing better than a rainy season in Mahabaleshwar. 

Jacket will serve women well
 
mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar’s Admirable Points

Families on vacation at Mahabaleshwar need not worry too much about heavy winter clothes. They will be comfortable with light woolens. Women can put on trendy jackets and can buy women jackets online in India when they plan the vacation at Mahabaleshwar.

The author is a freelancer, writing about tourism, online trade, and environment. He likes to write analytical articles on new trends in textiles for websites like www.woollen-wear.in ....

image source - Author

0 comments:

Post a Comment