Located in West India, Maharashtra is India's third largest state in area and second most populated state after Uttar Pradesh. Western Coast of this state is attached with The Arabian Sea. Maharashtra is also one of the leading industrial states covering approximately 13% of industries of all over the India. Mumbai is the business capital of Maharashtra and has the headquarters of major banks, financial institutes, mutual funds and insurance companies. Mumbai also has India's largest and Asia's oldest stock exchange. Mumbai is also the centre of India's Hindi film and television industry which is also called as Bollywood. Marathi is the official state language. Numerous Buddhist and Hindu rock-cut caves lie scattered across the land. The state has pro-business image and a much figured itinerary of any business tourism. A magnanimous state, Maharashtra has many World Heritage Monuments and caves. Maharashtra is known for its beautiful beaches, hill stations, coastlines, monuments, national parks and many more.

Major Tourist Attractions in Maharashtra

Mumbai - Mumbai is although the political capital of Maharashtra but also famous for its several tourist attractions. Mumbai presents a gamut of fun and entertainment options. Mumbai serves its visitors Juhu Beach, Essel World, Museum of prince of Wales, Hanging Gardens, Gateway of India, Haji Ali, Chowpatty Beach and many more.

Elephanta Caves - Elephanta Caves is also known as 'Gharapuri' or ' The Place of Caves' and situated in Aurangabad. Among all the caves, the most important cave is Mahesha-Murti cave with an impressive figure of Dvarapalas, or doorkeepers. The cave temple has a large pillared hall with numerous rows and columns that appear to hold up the roof of the cave.

Nasik - Nasik in Maharashtra is also known as holy junction. This place houses several famous and old temples which are the prime attractions to Hindus. The pious and holy city of Nasik lies on the banks of Godavari river about 195 kms from north-east of Mumbai. Nasik is one of the four cities which host the holy Kumbh mela.

Aurangabad - The city of Aurangabad is well known for its world famous Ajanta and Ellora caves. These caves are also the part of World Heritage sites. Ajanta houses 30 Buddhist caves and Ellora has 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock temples. Kailasa Temple is the most important place as it has one of the world's largest monolithic sculptures. Aurangabad also has other renowned tourist attractions like Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, Pan Chakki and Darwaazas.

Pench National Park - Pench National Park is a wildlife national park in Maharashtra which covers an area of 257 kms. Pench National Park shlelters some rare variety of animals which are very difficult to find like tigers, panthers, sambhar, chital, barking deer, nilgai, black buck, gaur, wild boar, chausingha, sloth bears, langurs, mouse deer, and flying squirrels.

Shirdi - Shirdi, not only famous in Maharashtra but in all over India for its religious value. This place is dedicated to Sai Baba, the famous saint of western India. This place has a temple of Sai Baba which attracts thousands of visitors and devotees. It is beleived that the whole place is guarded and hallowed with Sai Baba's divine presence.

Panchgani - Surrounded by five breath-taking hills with river Krishna snaking through it, Panchgani is one of the most sought after hill stations of Maharashtra. Deep valleys, beautiful gardens, old British and Parsi houses are some of the most important sites of the place.

Adventure Holidays in Maharashtra

As Maharashtra is one of the largest states of India, it offers several adventure activities for its visitors to indulge in. A major portion of this state is touched with Arabian Sea, it offers several water sports and sailing options to visitors. Several hill stations of this region also provide several adventure activities. Maharashtra is an ideal place for people who have a hunger for adventure. As this state is in Western Ghats, these hills provide several adventure activities like rock climbing and trekking. So this part of India is the hub for major adventure activities like Rock Climbing, Trekking, Water sports and Sailing.

Maharashtra Cities in Maharashtra

Cities of Maharashtra are well known for their tourism and tourist spots which attracts tourist from all round the world. These cities have their own stories and historical places and monuments speak these stories by themselves. Some of the most famous and major cities of Maharashtra are Mumbai, Aurangabad, Chalisgaon, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur, Pune, Thane, Khandala, Amravati and Nagpur.

Hotels in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is the only state of India which is visited by every type of visitor as this state has everything for everyone. Maharashtra offers several famous beaches, hill stations, adventure sports, wildlife national parks, pilgrimage places, business points and many more. Accommodation in Maharashtra is not a big issue as you can find several hotels and resorts according to your choice which suits your prestige and budget. Most of the Hotels in Maharashtra are located at accessible distance from the airport, railway station and the bus stands. Some of the best hotels of Maharashtra are:
» Grand Hyatt, Mumbai
» Le Meridien, Pune
» Pratap Heritage, Mahabaleshwar
» Hotel President Park, Aurangabad
» Brightlands Resorts, Matheran
» Blue Country Resort, Panchgani
» Taj Residency, Nasik
» Tuli Imperial, Nagpur
» Treasure Island Resort, Lonavala
» Hotel Dukes Retreat, Khandala
» Hotel Sun-n-Sand, Shirdi