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Maharashtra, the third largest state in terms of area, spreads over 307,690 Sq. Kms. The state is second largest in terms of population. Mumbai, one of the four metros of India, is the capital of Maharashtra. Other major cities are Nagpur, Thane, Aurangabad, Nasik and Pune. The state is bounded by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Arabian sea bordered the state in the western side. Maharashtra has 35 districts, which are grouped into six divisions namely Aurangabad, Amravati, Konkan, Nagpur, Nasik and Pune. The Western Ghatshilly range running parallel to the sea covers at an altitude of about 1,200 meters. The Konkan coastal lands lie to the west of these hills, while the flat Deccan Plateau lies to the East. The Western Ghats is the source of many rivers in the state, such as Godavari and Krishna. The diversity of state in its physical features is reflected in its people and culture. Although Maharsashtra is dominated by Hindu but people of all religions live here. The Deccan Plateau in Central Maharashtra, is largely populated by tribal communities like the Bhils, Mahadeo Kolis, Gonds and Warlis. Maharshtra is the hub of many religions and cultural traditions, the life of the state people revolves around festivals. Some of the important festivals are Ganesh Chaturthi, Makar Sankranti, Gudhi Padwa, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Eid-ul-Fitr, Dussehra and Deewali etc.
Attractions of Maharashtra :
» Gateway of India - The most famous monument of Mumbai, was designed by George Witter. The gateway built in the Indo-Saracenic style has used Gujarati and Islamic elements like the wooden carvings. The monument was built to honour King George V and Queen Mary, who visited India in 1911. From here one can visit the Elephanta Island and other beaches across the port.
» Caves - The caves dating back to the 2 nd B.C,have been artistically built over centuries. Set amidst the Sahayadri Mountain Range, the Caves of the state have been home to monks of differentreligions. The famous caves like Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Cavesand Aurangabad Caves attract lots of visitors.
» Beaches - Maharashtra has a coastline of around 720 Kms. The Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north upto Goa in the south. The state has the popular beaches like Bassein, Dahanu- Bordi,Marve-Manori-Gorai, Ganpatipule, Murud-Janjira, Mandwa-Kihim,Shriwardha-Harihareshwar and Vengurla-Malvan etc.
» Forts -Maharashtra is the perfect place to explore massive forts. There are around175 Forts in the state. The unique feature of these forts are their base, as almost all of them are situated on erosion lava landscape. The famous forts are located along the Sahyadri and Satpura ranges. The state houses several magnificent forts like Khanderi, Undheri, Malvani, Murud, Sindhudurg and Suvarnadurg etc.
» Hill Resorts - The state is known for several hill resorts, which attract lots of tourists. The popular hill resorts of Maharashtra are Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Lonaval, Khandala, Matheran andAmboli etc. These hill station are easily accessible from cities of Maharastra.
Accesbility :
The cities of Maharshtra are well connected to major cities of the country.Mumbai can be the base to visit other cities of Maharashtra. As it is connected by Air, Rail and Road links.
» Air - The cities like Mumbai, Nagpur and Punehave their own airport. Flights are available for the cities like Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai etc.
» Rail - Mumbai is the major rail head, other cities like Nagpur, Thane, Pune and Nasik etc are connected to main railline of the country.
» Road - National and State highways connect Maharashtra with rest of the country and cities within the state. Buses and taxi services are available for famous tourist destinations.
Accommodation :
The state is dotted with several hotels, which offer varied accommodation choices according to one's budget.
Best Time to Visit :
The state has the climate typically monsoonal in character. The temperaturesoars in March, April and while the south-west monsoon arrives in first weekof June. So the best time to visit Maharashtra is November to February, when the sky remains clear and gentle breezes makes the weather peasant.
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