Caves and temples of Maharashtra stand out from the rest in India. King Shivaji played an important role in building the forts, while ancient Rashtrakutas build the caves. We covered architectural jewels of Maharashtra on a 10 day tour from Karnataka. Caves of Ajanta, Ellora, Aurangabad were the highlights, along with temples of Kolhapur, Nashik, Shirdi, Pandarapur
Kolhapur
Mahalakshmi temple here is considered a Shaktipeeth. The temple was built by Chalukya rulers in 7th century. If you have the time, visit different ceremonies that happen throughout the day from 5:30 AM- 7:30 PM
Kohlapur is also famous for leather footwear, but I was not keep on using leather. Panhala fort, one of the largest forts in the Deccan region is an hour away
Mahabaleshwar
A hill station famous for views, strawberries and vineyards. There are many points along the hills to soak the beauty of region below. Aim to relax here rather than find places to visit
Nasik
Sita was believed to have been abducted from here in Ramayana times. You can see Sita Gufa, with Shivlinga and Panchavati with five banyan trees
Shirdi
Houses samadhi or last remains of Sai Baba, who lived here. Sai Baba was a saint who had magical powers, which he used to cure illness, treat the needy and go good to the world. The temple offers free lunch, where many people offer seva
Ellora
About 25 km from Aurangabad, visit the best rock cut temples in India here. They are a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are 34 caves here, each better than the other. Cave 16 is no doubt the best one- The Kailasa temple is a temple cut from above with many carvings all around
Ajanta
Ajanta caves are known for their colorful paintings – they are a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are 30 rock cut caves in semi circular shape with paintings and carvings inside. Some of the caves have large Chaitya halls with two lined pillars
You can buy crystals that are found inside stones here. Some are also converted to cheap jewelry like earrings and chains
Aurangabad
Daulatabad fort was initially built by Yadava king Billama V. It was taken over later by Muhammad bin Tughluk
Bibi Ka Maqbara is a replica of Taj Mahal built by Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah for his mother Dilras Banu Begam
Lonar Crater Lake is about 2 hours away, which was formed by a meteorite strike, millions of years ago
Pandarapur
Famous for temple of Lord Vittala and guava cultivation. Many devotees come here on foot as a pilgrimage