Major pilgrim and tourist places located in Maharashtra (2023)

FAQs

Which place in Maharashtra is known for tourism? ›

The tourism capital of Maharashtra, Aurangabad is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Named after the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Aurangabad was once a prominent Mughal city. Representatives of India's glorious architectural past, the famous Ajanta and Ellora Caves are situated here.

Here are the top 123 places to visit in Maharashtra in 2023:

Ajanta and Ellora caves complex is adorned with beautiful sculptures, paintings, and frescoes and include Buddhist monasteries, Hindu and Jain temples. T...

The state boasts of thickly forested hills and valleys that are home to diverse flora and fauna, ancient caves, and a rich cultural heritage. Maharashtra is also known as the hub of the Indian entertainment industry or Bollywood as it is commonly called. The state is a major tourist destination in India.

Some of the eminent pilgrimage destinations in India include ancient and revered destinations such as Rishikesh, Mathura, Haridwar, Dwarka, Allahabad, Pushkar, Varanasi, Shirdi, Puri, Rameshwaram, Kolhapur, Madurai, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Nashik, Kanyakumari, Amritsar, Murudeshwar, Tarapith, Ujjain, Varkala, ...

Char Dham (Four Holy pilgrimage sites): The famous four holy sites Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath (or alternatively the Himalayan towns of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri) compose the Char Dham (four abodes) pilgrimage circuit.

Maharashtra is also famous for its culture and beauty. The ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora are UNESCO World Heritage sites and popular tourist destinations. Music, dance, Bollywood, festivals, and much more contribute to this lively culture.

Tourist Destination / Place

Lonar lake, also known as Lonar crater, is formed due to the meteorite collision. It is a notified Geo-heritage Monument with saline and alkaline water. Also declared as Wildlife sanctuary for the conservation of animals, plants as well as lake.

Sindhudurg District is the first tourism district in Maharashtra to be declared as the tourism district.

Mysore Palace is the second most visited monument in the country after Taj Mahal. You ought to visit Mysore during Dusshera celebration.

Nashik is an ancient city and the largest city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated on the banks of the River Godavari and surrounded by nine hills. Nashik is popularly known as the Wine and Grape capital of India.

What are the types of tourism in Maharashtra? ›

Maharashtra abounds in numerous tourist attractions ranging from ancient cave temples, unspoiled beaches, ancient forts and monuments, forests and wildlife, unique hill stations, pilgrimage centres, and a rich tradition of festivals, art and culture.

Coastal towns of Alibaug, Malvan, Ganpatipule are also popular with tourists. Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is famous for having three UNESCO World Heritage sites. The state is also well known for its ancient forts and caves including Elephanta Cave in Mumbai and Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad.

Maharashtra is the 3rd largest and one of the most populated states in India. Bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, it is a favoured destination for travel enthusiasts. Besides its world-famous entertainment industry, the state is also known for its delectable taste palate, rich culture, festivities, etc.

Holy Places: Himalayan Chota Char Dham - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Varanasi, Prayagraj, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Dwarka and Rameswaram.

AYMERIC PICAUD, a French monk, is one of the most famous pilgrims who made the Route to Santiago. Around 1140 he wrote the “Pilgrim Guide to Santiago de Compostela”, which is included in the 5th book of the “Codex Calixtus”, also called “Liber Sancti Jacobi”.

Arguably the most famous pilgrimage site in the world, Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and where he received the first revelation of the Qur'an. It is a central pillar of Islam that every able-bodied Muslim should carry out a Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

Thus, whereas the pilgrim seeks a self worthy of the experience, the tourist seeks experiences worthy of the self.

They first anchored in Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims — or separatists, as they called themselves — were headed to the Colony of Virginia to begin their new settlement, but ended up in Provincetown when they encountered dangerous shoals trying to make it around Cape Cod.

'Pilgrim' became (by the early 1800s at least) the popular term applied to all the Mayflower passengers - and even to other people arriving in Plymouth in those early years - so that the English people who settled Plymouth in the 1620s are generally called the Pilgrims.

Sachin Tendulkar is one of Maharashtra's most popular personalities, and he continues to make the state and the country proud.

Which temple is famous in Maharashtra? ›

Khandoba temple

Khandoba is the famous God of Maharashtra, and its temple in Jejuri is one of the most frequented spots in the state. It is located at the crown of a hillock, and one needs to climb 300 steps carved out of mountain rock.

Maharashtra is known for its purogami culture (forward culture). 'Maha' means big and 'Rashtra' means nation.

Narayangaon yatraotsav (Narayangaon fair) is the largest trade fair dedicated to it. Troupes from all over Maharashtra congregate to the fare during which performances are booked by patrons by payment of advances.

Mahabaleshwar is considered as the best hill station in Maharashtra. A photographers dream, Mahabaleshwar is at a height of 4500 ft above sea level. Tourists flock to see spectacular views that can be seen from Elephant point, Falkland point and Arther seat.

Maharashtra was ruled by the Maurya Empire in the 4th and 3rd century BCE. Around 230 BCE, it was taken over by the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled the region for the next 400 years. A notable ruler of the Satavahana dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni, who defeated Scythian invaders.

Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves are one of the oldest UNESCO World heritage sites in Maharashtra, and among the most prominent Maharashtra tourist places. One of the most visited ancient monuments in India, these caves are situated about 98 km from Aurangabad, 326 km from Pune, and 443 km from Mumbai.

Maharashtra - The dream of heaven.

Cyriacus of Ancona (1391-1452), the first cultural tourist since antiquity, lacked these advantages when, in the first half of the 15th century, he sailed around the Mediterranean in search of the remains of Greek and Roman civilisations.

1. Delhi. One of the historic spots in India, Delhi is home to some of the spectacular scenes. This the capital city of India and the most visited by tourist as it is the first destination which tourists visit ever.

Which is the beautiful place of India? ›

Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand - Most beautiful place in India for spectacular Himalayan valleys. Hidden from the chaotic streets and probing eyes of civilization and situated high over the Himalayas and the Garhwal Hills of Uttaranchal is a valley filled with colorful pastures and vibrant flowers.

India is one of the world's most attractive countries, and multiple factors have increased its popularity among tourists. Its natural wonders, artificial marvels, national parks, theme parks, etc., have made it a popular name for tourism. Further, it is a land famous for its diverse cultures and enchanting landscapes.

Winter (November - February)

This is the peak season for tourism in India. Favorable weather and temperature makes it ideal for sightseeing, city breaks and other outdoor activities.

Cultural tourism

The various fairs and festivals that tourists can visit in India are the Pushkar fair (Rajasthan), Taj Mahotsav (Uttar Pradesh), and Suraj Kund mela (Haryana). Sites like Ajanta & Ellora caves (Maharshtra), Mahabalipuram (TamilNadu), Hampi (Karnataka), Taj Mahal (Uttar Pradesh), Hawa Mahal (Rajasthan).

1. Mumbai. Source The capital city of Maharashtra, Mumbai is also the financial capital of the country.

A large percentage of Maharashtra's forests and wildlife lie along the Western Ghats or Western Maharashtra and eastern Vidarbha. The Sahyadris hold several beautiful hill stations in their lap, which are cool, beautiful and refreshingly serene. Best of all, they are usually near a city.

1. Mumbai – City Of Dreams. With an estimated GDP of $310 billion, Mumbai ranks number one in the list of the richest cities in India.

Forms of tourism: There are three basic forms of tourism: domestic tourism, inbound tourism, and outbound tourism. These can be combined in various ways to derive the following additional forms of tourism: internal tourism, national tourism and international tourism.

The five vital components of tourism system are Attraction, Accessibility, Accommodation, Amenities and Activities.

What is Maharashtra famous food? ›

The most-popular forms are bhaji, vada pav, misalpav and pav bhaji. More-traditional dishes are sabudana khichadi, pohe, upma, sheera and panipuri. Most Marathi fast food and snacks are lacto-vegetarian.

Mumbai offers natural heritage and modern entertainment including leisure spots, beaches, cinemas, studios, holy places, amusement parks and historical monuments.

Tourism generates income and creates easily accessible training opportunities and jobs, as well as sales markets for services and local products. Infrastructure. Revenue from tourism can be used to expand important transport, energy and other infrastructure, and for waste and wastewater management, for example.

In India, Mango fruit is famous in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Shrines like Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Dargah of Baba Shah Muzaffar, Sayeed Burhan-ud-din and Sayeed Zain-ud-din in Aurangabad; Haji Ali mausoleum in the Mumbai; Gharib Nawaz Mosque in Nagpur, and Dwarakamayi Mosque (Shirdi) are amongst the spectacular Muslim shrines of Maharashtra.

Varanasi is one of the main pilgrimage sites.

Varanasi:

Also known as Banaras, the city is considered to be the religious capital of India. It has a number of ancient as well as modern-day temples like Vishwanath Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Dhanvantari Temple and several others.

Both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims agree on the three Holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram (including the Kaaba), in Mecca; the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Medina; and the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem.

The yatra of Goddess Muktaai starts after the day of 'Varuthini, Ekadashi. This is one of the biggest yatra in Maharashtra state. People come from different parts of the state to enjoy this festival.

What Maharashtra is famous for? ›

Maharashtra is one of India's largest commercial and industrial centres, which has led to its being called the gateway of India. Maharashtra is also famous for its culture and beauty. The ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora are UNESCO World Heritage sites and popular tourist destinations.

The Trivikrama Temple is considered as the oldest standing structure in Maharashtra.

The main Deity worshipped in Maharashtra is Krishna in the form of Viththal.

This Yatra or pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath – nestled high up in the Himalayas. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations.

Seven of holy cities of Sapta Puri are Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kasi (Varanasi), Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantika (Ujjain) and Dvaravati (Dwarka).

Kumbh Mela: The Kumbh Mela (the "pitcher festival") is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimages that is held every three years; the location is rotated among Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain.

For Hindus, Varanasi, India, is the holiest of the seven sacred cities.

The English term 'pilgrim' originally comes from the Latin word peregrinus (per, through + ager, field, country, land), which means a foreigner, a stranger, someone on a journey, or a temporary resident.

St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai, is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Mumbai of the Church of North India. Named in honour of Saint Thomas the Apostle, the Cathedral is located in the historic centre of Mumbai.