Travel India

Maharashtra is India’s third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. It is located in southwestern India. The Arabian Sea makes up the state’s western coast. Mumbai, India’s most populous city is the capital of Maharashtra. Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city, and serves as the financial and entertainment capital of the country.

The state of Maharashtra has a lot to offer to tourists. There are caves, shrines, beaches, hill stations, sanctuaries and forts to explore. A tourist just has to pick his interest.

Dating back to the 2nd BC and artistically built over a few centuries, the Caves of Maharashtra have an extraordinary appeal and aura. Nestled in the formidable Sahayadri Mountain Range, these caves have been home to monks of different religions. Caves like Ajanta and Ellora, Elephanta and Pitalkhora are famous all around the world for their ancient paintings and sculptures.

There are roughly around 350 forts in the state. Most of the forts in Maharashtra built up in the hills or near the seas are associated with Shivaji –the great Maratha warrior and an equally great fort builder. Devagiri Daulatabad fort, Murud Janjira Fort, Raigarh Fort, Sindhudurg Fort, Panhala Fort, Vijayadurg Fort are among the best known ones.

Steeply rising Western Ghats have given a special touch to the natural beauty of the state. There are numerous hill stations in Maharashtra which offer a clean, calm and a thoroughly refreshing alternative to city life. They are probably the only places in India where you can observe the fall of the land all the way to the shimmering sea. Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Bhandardara, Chikhaldara, Malshej Ghat, Panchgani, Jawhar, Amboli, Panhala, Khandala Lonavala Karla, Toranamal hill stations are a must visit for anyone who would like to see the beautiful hills.

Travel to Maharashtra would not be complete without its beaches. Maharashtra’s 720 km long affair with the Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north up to Goa proceeding southwards. If you like sand, sea and surf, this state has a great many interesting options in store. Most of the places are conveniently linked to Mumbai and are well connected with state buses. Seas are rough only during the monsoon which strikes between June and September. Discover the beaches in Maharashtra at Dahanu Bordi, Ganapatipule, Mandwa and Kihim, Marve Manori and Gorai, Shriwardhan Harihareshwar, Tarkarli, Velneshwar and Vengurla Malvan.

Maharashtra is a home to large number of animal and bird species including the tiger, crocodile, bison, gawa, neelgai, wild deer, sambars and rare migratory birds. There are some huge wildlife sanctuaries where you get amenities like jeep rides, night safaris, and library and audio-visual facilities. Chikhaldara, Pench National Park, Bor Dam and Dajipur are some of the well known wild life sanctuaries and national parks in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra is a special state which gives you the leisure of traveling through its hill stations to the beautiful beaches, to its historical forts. Cities are well connected making for an easy travel throughout the state.

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Jaipur is the largest city in Rajasthan and was built in the eighteenth century by Sawai Jai Singh as India’s
first planned city. This famous city is the capital of Rajasthan and has earned universal renown as the “Pink City “, and pink it is, with beautiful constructed palaces, havelis, forts and heritage hotels. Jaipur which means the city of victory was built exactly 273 years back and is 262 km by road from Delhi (Capital of India). A strong wall encircles the old city and even today has a suggestion of formidable strength; its function of protecting all within is obvious.

There is a feast in store for tourists. Attractive monuments where one can breathe the fragrance of history. Comfortable and luxurious hotels in Jaipur, once the proud of kings, parks, gardens, and excursions of nearby places of interest, makes it a tourist’s paradise.

The ancient heart of the Pink City still beats in its fairy-tale palaces, rugged fortresses perched on barren hills and broad avenues that dot the entire city.

There are a lot of beautiful places in and around the city which you can visit all year round. Places like Abhaneri, Bagru, Bairnath, Karauli, Ramgarh, Sanagner, Samode, Sambhar, Tonk, Ranthambhore national park and Sariska national park attract tourists from all over the world.

Some of the famous forts and temples are Nahargarh fort, Amber Palace, Jaigarh Fort, Jal Mahal(Palace on lake), Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Galtaji, Govind Dev ji Temple, City Palace Museum, Ganesh Temple, Kanak Ghati and Albert Museum in Ramniwas Bagh.

Some Facts and Figures-

Area: 200.4 sq. km.

Geographic Location: Jaipur is located at 26.92 degrees N and 75.82 degrees E.

Altitude: 431 m above sea level.

Climate: Three main seasons - summer, monsoon and winter. Summers (March to June) Winters (November-February) Monsoon (July-September)

Maximum Temperature: 45 degree centigrade

Minimum Temperature: 5 degree centigrade

Rainfall: 556 mm

Languages: Rajasthani, Hindi and English.

Religion: Hinduism is the major Religion observed here. Other religions include Islam, Jainism, Sikhism and Christianity.

Best Time to Visit: Winters

Jaipur, the pink city is famous for its forts, palaces, colors, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, arts and crafts, fairs and festivals. Jaipur perfumes( parfum) and jaipur colognes are well known all over. It is a must see if you like the luxurious past blending into the modern era perfectly.

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A Trip to Rajasthan can be a mystical journey through time. You see the sand dunes of the great desert with historical monuments, forts, palaces, havelis all around the state, giving you the glimpse of the rich cultural heritage it has. Some of the palaces and havelis are converted into heritage hotels. There is a lot to be explored and experienced by tourists. You can enjoy the scenic views in style with the royal treatment in palace on wheels, or plan a visit to colorful fairs and festivals of the state, check out wild life in jeep or camel safaris or indulge yourself in some adventure sports.

Palace on wheels-

Roll back the pages of time for one glorious week, re capture the pomp and pageantry of a royal past in royal style. Step aboard the Palace on Wheels, once the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Gujrat and Rajputana, the viceroy of British India and the Nizam of Hyderabad. See Rajasthan in all its splendour and the TajMahal at Agra..a celebration of everything that is beautiful. The Palace on Wheels has been rated one of the ten best luxurious train journeys in the world.

Travelling on the famed Palace on Wheels is one of the most memorable ways to explore India’s stately splendour.Unquestionably it’s an unparalleled experience to ride the replica carriages refurbished to look like the original saloons of the Maharajas, the erstwhile rulers of India. The Palace on Wheels is one of India’s most fascinating sojourns covering the pink state capital Jaipur, the golden citadel Jaisalmer, the blue city of Jodhpur, the National Park Ramthambhor, the symbol of chivalry Chittorgarh, romantic city of Lakes Udaipur, the bird sanctuary Bharatpur and the mughal capital Agra before returning to Delhi.

Celebrate-

Rajasthan, is a colourful desert. The unconvincing Thar Desert and with it all the barren land of Rajasthan has much to offer through the plethora of celebrations. Festivals and fairs, music and dances, turns the land to a creative fertile basin. Season heralded with a festive fervour and cattle marts turn into delightful fairs. Festivals hold an unusual lure for the Rajasthanis and they have any number of reasons to celebrate. Pushkar Fair, Desert festival, Elephant Festival and Camel festival are internationally famous and are not to be missed.

Wild life-

In spite of a comparatively hostile terrain, Rajasthan surprisingly is the abode of a number of mammals and birds. Its vast size and latitudinal variations above the sea level of 1,700m provides it with varied vegetation. It provides semi green forests of Mount Abu to dry grasslands of the desert, and from the dry deciduous thorn forest of Aravali to wetlands of Bharatpur. Bird watching and jeep or camel safaris are popular with tourists. Ranthambhor National Park, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Tal Chapper Sanctuary,Darrah Sanctuary, Sajjangarh, Kumbhalgarh, Desert National Park, Mount Abu, SitaMata Sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana National Park to name a few.

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