Friday 31 May 2013

Posted by jinson on 15:29 3 comments
This beautiful hill station is situated 90 kms from Mumbai and just 3 kms from Lonavala- another popular hill station of Maharashtra. Due to the ease of accessibility from the nearby cities Khandala is a popular weekend gateway for the local residents of Mumbai and Pune. Further it provides escape to the local people from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It is among the finest hill station of Maharashtra and is set in the hills of Shayadri Mountains. 

The place is gifted with astound natural bounty. Here you will find beautiful hills, deep green valleys, fabulous lakes and historic forts. The place experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year and hence the place can be visited during any time of the year.

If you are a fan of Indian movies then you must have heard the name “Khandala”. The name of this town was mentioned in a popular song “aati kya Khandala” from the Hindi movie “Ghulam”.

Following are the major tourist attractions of Khandala that one must visit:

Shivaji Park: The statue of great Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj stands in the park and it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenic beauty of surroundings. Earlier it was a playground and was converted into a park in the year 1956.

Duke’s Nose/Nagfani: It is a cliff & named after the Duke Wellington who had a pointed nose resembling the cliff. It is also known as “Nagfani” as it looks like the hood of a snake. The place provides amazing experience of the surrounding mountains, valleys and forests. One can also enjoy mountain climbing here.

Karla and Bhaja Cave: These are the historical rock cut caves and are situated at a distance of 16 kms from Khandala. The caves are the examples of Early Buddhist temple art in India. Due to their enormous antiquity and beauty these caves are the main attractions here and must be visited. The Karla Cave complex were completed in 80 BC and comprises of carved elephant heads [which once had ivory tusks], an aisle made up of 37 pillars and the representative of Lord Buddha whereas the Bhaja Cave complex comprises of 18 caves and 14 stupas dating from around 200 BC. 
           
Tiger’s leap: From a certain point at this location if someone view the valley it will appear as if a tiger is leaping into the valley. For the same reason this fascinating place got its name as Tiger’s Leap. Throw a stone from this point and listen to the echoes caused by dropping rocks and see it topple down the valley and get destroyed.

Khandala Lake: The picturesque surroundings and tranquil environment of the lake will take away your heart. One must enjoy boating in the lake.

The nearest airport to Khadnala is Pune at a distance of 69 kms. The closest rail head is Lonavala at a distance of 5 kms. Khandala is well connected by road to the major cities.

Khandala offers a wide range of accommodation facilities ranging from Deluxe to Economy so staying here is not a problem.


3 comments:

  1. Nice discription of the Khandal region ,people who wnat to find more places to stay near by can find it here http://www.trivago.in/lonavala-103548/hotel

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had visited Lavasa last year during the winter season. I had a gala time with my family and we surely made lots of new memories. We are planning on visiting it again since I’ve heard that it has developed quite a bit after my last visit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice Post. Looking for nice weekend then there is many weekend getaways near mumbai . Khandala is one of them. Here you will find beautiful hills, deep green valleys, fabulous lakes and historic forts, etc. The place experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year.

    ReplyDelete