Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar, Queen of all Hill Stations, is situated at an altitude of 1,372m in the heart of Sahyadri Hills in Satara District. The hill station has a legendary past. The name 'Mahabaleshwar' is derived from a temple of Lord Mahadev and three Sanskrit words, "Maha" (great), "Bal" (power) and "Ishwar" (God). But, some say that the name 'Mahabaleshwar', which simply means very mighty God, seems to have a mythological past.

MUST SEE:
Wilson Point: Also called as Sunrise point. The highest point. 4710 ft above sea level. It is a vast plateau. There are three masonary round platforms to see the sunrise. You are advised to see sunrise from platform no:2. You can see sunset also from this point.

Connaught peak: Connaught Peak and Hunter Point are situated off the Old Mahabaleshwar Road. Connaught Peak is the second highest peak of these hills. It offers a panoramic view of the Venna Lake and Krishna Valley. It was first known as Mount Olympia, and was a favorite spot for riders. The Duke of Connaught was so enchanted by its majestic view that he could not resist the temptation of associating his name with the spot. Hence in 1880, Mount Olympia became Connaught Peak.

Arthur's Seat: Queen of all points. Some compare the stractification of rocks on southern side to the world famous stratification of rocks of the Grand Canyon of Colarado. USA. It is facinating to see the barren deep valley Savitri on the left & shallow green valley on the right. It is more facinating to know that Arthur's seat is the only place showing geographical distinction of kokan & Desh (Deccan), two territories of Mahabaleshwar, so clear & so near. If you go by the steps you come across a spring known as Tiger's spring which is supposed to be the source of the river Savtri. Immidiately below the seat is window point. You have to go deep by steps to reach the window point.Kates Point: Offers breathtaking view of krishna valley & deep waters of the dhom dam. From southern side it looks like an elephants head. There is also an echo point.

Krishna Temple: Old Mahabaleshwar nestles around the source of the Holy Krishna River, with a temple dedicated to Krishna' locally known as "Panchgana" meaning "Five Rivers" i.e. Krishna, Konya, Yenna, Gayatri and Savitri. The earliest shrines here date back to pre historic period, but this Krishna temple in its present form is attributed to Singhan, a Yadav King ruling from Devagiri in the 13th century. It was later restored first by Chandra Rao then Jaoli in the late 16th century and later by the Great Maharatha Shivaji himself in 1635, then by Sahu (1670-1709) and lastly by the 19th century banker Parashuram Angal.

Lodwick Point: Named after a General who reached this point in 1824. He was the first European to set foot on the Mahabaleshwar hills. A monument at the top of the promontory has been erected in his memory. Beyond Lodwick Point is the extreme end of the mountain range known as Elephant's Head. It is only 12 feet to the Koyna Valley below. From Lodwick's point, the overhanging cliff looks like an elephant's head and trunk, and hence the name.

NEAR BY DESTINATIONS:
Pratap Gadh 25 Kms
Panchgani 20 Kms
Tapola

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to June.

THE WAY TO MAHABALESHWAR:
By Air: Nearest airport is Pune at 120-km.

By Rail: Nearest railway station is Wathar at 62-km, but Pune is the convenient railway station at 120-km.

By Road: From Bombay via Pune, Mahabaleshwar is 290-km and via Mahad it is 247-km. The State Transport buses ply from Bombay and Pune to Mahabaleshwar. MTDC operates daily bus services except during the monsoon, between Bombay-Mahabaleshwar-Bombay. Also sightseeing tours for Mahabaleshwar and Mahabaleshwar-Pratapgad Fort.

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