Maharashtra
is
the largest state of India. With a rich
cultural heritage, it is a land of intense
spirituality and
religious faith. Maharashtra has
to its credit some great pilgrimage
centers, picturesque
beaches, historical
monuments,
religious sites, lush green
locales, amusement parks, resorts and
innumerable five star hotels . The
vineyards in the valleys of the
Sahayadri hills
are becoming popular.
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Climate
The state enjoys a
tropical monsoon climate with hot
summers (Mar-May, average
temperatures 22-40 deg. celsius),
monsoons between June and Sep.,
and cool winters (Oct-Feb
with average temperatures 12-25 deg.
celsius).
Language
The main languages are
Marathi, Hindi and
English.
Connectivity
Maharashtra is very well
connected by air, rail and
road.
Mumbai, the capital city
of Maharashtra, is also the largest city in
India and a favoured destination for tourists from all over.
It is similar to New York in its fast way of
life and also called the business
capital
of the country.
Wine tours to the hill slopes of Nashik
in Maharashtra, which are now covered with
vineyards, are becoming popular. The
wines produced here are of
international standards
and appreciated well by European connoisseurs.
Maharashtrian cuisine
covers a range from tangy to mildly
spicy. A typical lunch or dinner usually starts with
Poli (bread), accompanied by one or
more bhajis
(curries) and a koshimbir
(salad) along with some pickles. The
Kolhapuri taambda rassa (red curry)
and pandhra rassa (white curry) of
chicken and mutton from the southern city of Kolhapur
and the varhadi rassa (chicken
curry) from Vidarbha region are well
known. The puran poli (a
sweet), the aamras (thick
mango pulp) and
chiwda (spiced flattened rice, a
snack
)
are also popular.
Some of the highlights the state has
to offer the visitor are... Caves - Elephanta, Aurangabad ,
Ajanta & Ellora; Hillstations - Amboli,
Chikhaldara, Jawahar, Lonavala, Khandala and
Karla, Mahabaleshwar,
Matheran, Panchgani
; Forts - Raigad, Rajgad,
Torna, Panhala, Shivneri, Sindhudurga, Vishalgad, Pratapgad,
Devgiri
; Pilgrimage Centres - Karavir
Kshetra, Bhimashankar, Kunkeshwa, Jyotiba, Ghrishneshwar,
Pandharpur, Tuljapur, Nashik, Shirdi, Sidhivinayak
Temple , Alandi Trimbakeshwar, Ashtavinayak
Yatra
;
Wildlife Parks -
Bhimashankar, Mahim, Melghat, Borivili, Karnala, Nagzira,
Navegaon, Dajipur, Tadoba, Kalasubai Harischandrgad
; Konkan Region (Beaches) - Bassein, Dahanu Bordi,
Ganpatipule, Mandwa - Kihim, Marve, Manori, Gorai, Vengurla -
Malvan, Vijaydurg - Sindhudurg, Murud - Janjira, Velneshwar,
Shriwardhan - Harihareshwar, Tarkarli, Dhamapur, Kondura
; Arts & Crafts - Sawantwadi Crafts,
Narayan Peth, Paithani Sarees, Kolhapuri
Chappals, Mashroo and Himaroo, Warli
Paintings , Bidriware
; Cities - Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur, Kolhapur,
Sangli, Aurangabad.
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