Maharashtra

 

Maharashtra

Maharashtra attracts tourists from other Indian states and foreign countries. It was the second most visited Indian state by foreigners and fifth most visited state by domestic tourists in the country in 2021. Aurangabad is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra has a number of places that attract national and international tourists. The most popular or well known are the state capital, Mumbai, Ajanta, the Ellora Caves, and the Nature reserves in the state. Ajanta–Ellora are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Mumbai, being the biggest and the most cosmopolitan city in India, attracts tourists from all over the world for its many attractions, including colonial architecture, beaches, Bollywood, shopping, and an active nightlife. The city attracts three million foreign and forty million domestic tourists annually. The state wants to increase the numbers by allowing retailers and entertainment venues to be open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
The city of Pune, in association with MTDC, organises many cultural events during Pune festival which coincides with the Hindu Ganeshotsav festival. Hill stations built during the British rule are popular tourist destinations, especially during the summer months. These include Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, and Matheran in Western Maharashtra, and Chikhaldara in the Vidarbha region. The mountainous districts of Western Maharashtra are dotted with the ruins of hundreds of mountain forts from the Deccan Sultanates and the Maratha Empire eras. These forts and the surrounding hills are popular among people interested in trekking, and hiking, and heritage tourism related to Shivaji. Notable forts popular with tourists include Shivaneri, Rajgad, Sinhagad, Raigad, and Pratapgad.

A number of temples such as Trimbakeshwar, Bhavani of Tuljapur, Shani Shingnapur, Jyotiba Temple, Ashtavinayaka Ganapati temples, Lord Pandurang temple at Pandharpur attract a huge number of Hindu devotees every year. Khandoba temple of God Khandoba at Jejuri in the Pune district attract pilgrims from all over the Maharashtra where worshippers shower each other with Bhandar (turmeric powder). Saibaba temple at Shirdi is visited by an average of 25,000 pilgrims a day and during religious festivals, this number can reach up to 300,000. The places associated with the Warkari sect such as Pandharpur, Dehu, and Alandi remain popular throughout the year, and attract huge number of people from all over the state during religious observations. Situated in Nanded, Sikh Gurudwara of Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The area around the city of Aurangabad has many ancient and medieval sites including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves, the Daulatabad Fort, and the Bibi Ka Maqbara.
The Vidarbha region of Maharashtra has numerous nature reserve parks. These include Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagpur district, the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary, and Navegaon National Park (bird sanctuary) of Gondia District.
According to a survey by the government of Maharashtra, in 2009–10, domestic tourists accounted for 98% of the total number of visitors to Maharashtra and the remaining were foreign. Visitors from the US, UK, Germany, and UAE each form a significant percentage of the foreign tourists. The state government has established the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) for the systematic development and promotion of tourism in the state. MTDC owns and maintains resorts at all key tourist centres.

Mumbai
The city is the eastern equivalent of New York City and Los Angeles, the financial capital and entertainment (Bollywood) capital of the country. Places of interest include: Gateway of India, The Bandra–Worli Sea Link, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a humongous architectural stone structure built by the British more than 200 years ago, Downtown Mumbai - reminiscent of the 19th century British architecture. Girgaon Chowpatty beach, Madh Island beach and other beaches towards the south of Mumbai. Elephanta Caves, carved out of a giant stone on an island are a short ferry away into the Arabian Sea. Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai is one of the most popular temple of Ganesha in Mumbai. Along with being a religious place, it is a great attraction for tourists.

Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch-monument, completed in 1924, on the waterfront of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of King George V of the United Kingdom for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911 at Strand Road near Wellington Fountain. He was the first British monarch to visit India.
The foundation stone was laid in March 1913 for a monument built in the Indo-Saracenic style, inspired by elements of 16th-century Gujarati architecture. The final design of the monument by architect George Wittet was sanctioned only in 1914, and construction was completed in 1924. The structure is a memorial arch made of basalt, which is 26 metres (85 feet) high, with an architectural resemblance to a triumphial arch as well as Gujarati architecture of the time.

Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir
The Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha. It is located in Prabhadevi neighbourhood of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801. It is one of the most popular Hindu temples in Mumbai.
The temple has a small mandap with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak ("Ganesha who grants your wish"). The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayaka (the eight manifestations of Ganesha in Maharashtra). The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statue is of Ganesha. In the periphery, there is a Hanuman temple as well. The exterior of the temple consists of a dome which is lit up with multiple colors in the evenings and they keep changing every few hours. The statue of Shri Ganesha is located exactly under the dome. The pillars are carved out with the images of the Ashtavinayaka.

Global Vipassana Pagoda
The primary destination referred to as the "pagoda" in Mumbai is the Global Vipassana Pagoda. Declared as one of the "Seven Wonders of Maharashtra", it is the world's largest hollow stone masonry structure containing relics of Gautama Buddha and features a pillarless meditation hall that seats 8,000 people.

Haji Ali Dargah
The Haji Ali Dargah is a Sufi shrine and the monument of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, Which is located on an islet off the coast of Worli in southern Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, India.
An example of Indo-Islamic architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Bukhari was a Sufi saint and a wealthy merchant from Uzbekistan..Located near the heart of the city, the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai.

Shirdi
The Shri Saibaba Temple, Shirdi, also known as Shri Saibaba Samadhi Mandir, is a prominent Hindu temple complex located in Shirdi, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, India. Dedicated to the 19th-century saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, it is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in India, attracting millions of devotees annually from India and abroad.

Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwar Wada is a historical fortification in the city of Pune, India. Built in 1732, it was the seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Confederacy until 1818. The fort itself was largely destroyed in 1828 by an unexplained fire, but the surviving structures are now maintained as a tourist site.

Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar (pronunciation) is a small town and a municipal council in Satara district, Maharashtra, India. It is a place of pilgrimage because the Krishna River, which considered sacred by Hindus, has its origin here along with five of its tributaries. The British colonial rulers developed the town as a hill station, and it served as the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency during the colonial rule.

Mahalakshmi Temple Kolhapur
Mahalakshmi Temple (also known as Ambabai Mandir) is dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi. According to Hindu beliefs, Goddess Mahalakshmi is the consort of Maha Vishnu, it is customary among Vaishnavas to visit Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Kolhapur Mahalakshmi Temple and Padmavathi Temple as a yatra (pilgrimage). It is believed by Hindus that visiting these temples as a pilgrimage helps achieve moksha (salvation). It is believed by Hindus that Mahalakshmi had appeared here to kill demon Kolhasur. It is considered one of the three and a half Shaktipeetha's in the Shakta tradition.