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Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar was the summer capital of the erstwhile Bombay presidency. A popular town, with an air of unspoilt beauty, it meanders leisurely for 5 kms at an altitude of 1372 m. You can while away the hours boating or fishing at the placid Venna Lake or explore the walks or the thirty points that offer panoramic views of the valley and the sea.
The crystal waters of the numerous waterfalls are delight to bathe in.
The adventurous could trek down to Pratapgarh Fort, 24 kms away where Shivaji dramatically bested General Afsal Khan. You could just roam through the tiny lanes of the bazaar, shopping for everything from shoes to luscious strawberries,blackberries, jams and jellies.
Elphinstone Point, Babington Point, Kate's Point, Bombay Point are some of the famous lookout points. There are also some beautiful waterfalls, a short distance away, that are worth a visit, like Chinaman's (2.5 km), Dhobi(3 km),and Lingamala (6 km). Arthur's Seat, 12 km from Mahabaleshwar, looks out over a tremendous drop of 600 metres, to the coastal strip of Konkan.
Also a site to be visited, is the historic Pratapgad Fort (24 km), built in 1656, by Shivaji to control the rebellious Satraps of the surrounding Javali Basin. Legend has it that Shivaji was blessed with a shining sword at the temple of Goddess Bhawani here. It was the site of the famous battle between the Maratha chieftain Chhatrapati Shivaji and Afzal Khan, the commander of the Bijapur Sultanate.

Information
Location
Pune120 kms.
Distance Wathar (62 km)
STD Code 02168
Language Marathi,Hindi,English
Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit
Never too hot because of the heights. Never too cold bacause of the nearness to the arabian sea. Duration of higher temperature is short.October, Diwali & X'mas holidays & summer
Entertainment
view points lakes and waterfalls.
How to Reach
Air:Pune is the nearest airport both for Mahabaleshwar (120 km and Panchgani (98 km)
Rail: For Mahabaleshwar, the nearest railhead is Wathar (62 km) but Pune (120 km) is the convenient railhead.For Panchgani, the nearest railhead is Wathar (45 km). Mumbai-Wathar via Pune (312 km). Pune-Wathar (120 km)
Road: From Mumbai via Pune, Mahabaleshwar is 290 km and via Mahad it is 247 km. The State Transport buses ply from Mumbai and Pune to Mahabaleshwar. MTDC operates daily bus services except during the monsoon, between Mumbai-Mahabaleshwar-Mumbai. Also sightseeing tours for Mahabaleshwar and Mahabaleshwar-Pratapgad Fort.