Monday, November 2, 2009

Mahabaleshwar

A hill station located in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.Located at a distance of 285 km from Mumbai,it is the ideal get away spot for most of the people in the state. Mahabaleshwar in Sanskrit stands for God of Great Power. Mahabaleshwar is comprised of three villages:Old "Kshetra" Mahabaleshwar,Malcolm Peth and part of the Shindola village.The hill station is surrounded by valleys on all its sides. The highest peak of the plateau is Wilson/Sunrise Point which boasts a height of 4,720 ft .Mahabaleshwar is known to be the source of Krishna river and legend has it that it comes out of a bull's mouth in the Mahadev Temple in Old Mahabaleshwar along with four other rivers Gayatri, the Koyana,Savitri and the Veni.

Mahabaleshwar


As the hill station was a summer capital of Bombay during the reign of British Empire,It has traces of British era in the architecture of cottages,mansions and bungalows built there.Mahabaleshwar was named "Malcolm Peth " after the then General of Bombay ,Sir John Malcolm.The market place is still named after him.

Famous for its massive production in strawberries,it acts as the biggest supplier of the fruit across the country and abroad.Major attractions are:
The Venna Lake which is surrounded by trees on all its sides.One can enjoy boating in the evening especially when its a little foggy. Panchgani,another scenic hill station smaller in size though is very close to Mahabaleshwar,about 20 km. The Table Land Phenomena of the little hill station is simply mesmerising

Mount Malcolm, which was built in 1829 under the rule of the then Governor of Bombay,Sir John Malcolm is worth a watch but has lost its old world charm now.

Mahabaleshwar


Mahabaleshwar Club was built in the year 1881.It is open for members only.It is well taken care of and is popular for its well tended rose gardens and a jogging track.The Golf course,however can be visited by tourists in the club

Morarji Castle in the hill station was once home to Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1945.

There are various points which are famous among which a must visit are Lodwick Point which has a great view.The point has a monument of a general which was erected by his son.Elphinstone Point is a another scenic spot overlooking the valley of Koyna river.It was named after a former General of Bombay.Other Points to visit are Kate's Point,Wilson's Point.

Mahabaleshwar gets more beautiful with every place that you visit there,filled with streams,perennial springs and amazing climate all throughout the year,it has become the most popular hill station across the nation.

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