Mahabaleshwar - the Queen of hills..

Mahabaleshwar is known for its "points", from which a person can stand and enjoy the entire scenery. There are more than 14 points in total, which provide unique view to the tourists.

About

Mahabaleshwar  is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of India, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during the British Raj.

Mapro Garden

Mapro Gardens is a garden park in the hill station of Panchgani, Maharashtra, India, situated close to Mahabaleshwar, known for their strawberry produce, and a popular tourist destination.  It is host to the annual Strawberry Festival. Mahabaleshwar contributes to 85% of the total Strawberry produce in India and about 80% is consumed fresh. The Strawberry Festival encourages the strawberry cultivation in the belt. The highlights of this festival are fresh farm picked strawberry lined up on tables for visitors to eat to their fullest as well as traditional folk performances such as Shivkalin Dhol and Lezim, a high energy dance for which dancers are invited from Pratapgarh.


Strawberries in Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar is famous for the strawberries and nuts and the famous Mahabaleshwar 'chana'! Stroll through the Mahabaleshwar market, though slightly crowded you could find bargain footwear here. Visit Mapros if you want to see a strawberry farm in Mahabaleshwar from close quarters.

Points

Arthur's Seat

View from Arthur's Seat
Arthur's seat is a point at an elevation of 1340 mts. The point was named after Sir Arthur Mallet, who sat here and gazed at the Savitri River, where he lost his wife and children in a tragic ferry mishap. The point is a very scenic location to visit. Many tourist cabs have this point in their tourist plans.

Kate's Point
Balakwadi dam viewed from Kate's Point
Kate's point is located to the east of Mahabaleshwar and is famous for its view of two reservoirs, Balakwadi and Dhom. The point is around 1280 mts high. The point got its name from Sir James Malcom's daughter Kate, who developed a liking for the place.
Needle Hole Point


Needle hole rock
Needle hole point is located near Kate's Point. One can see a natural rock formation with a hole in between, thus giving the name Needle-hole. The point is also famous for the view of Deccan traps, which look like an elephant's trunk.

Wilson Point
Named after Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor of Bombay from 1923–26, Wilson Point is the highest point in Mahabaleshwar at 1439 mts. Known as Sindola Hill during the colonial rule, Wilson point is the only location in Mahabaleshwar where both sunrise and sunset can be seen. It offers a spectacular glance of Mahabaleshwar in all directions.

3 Monkey Point
Named because of the natural sculpture of the stones which looks like three monkeys sitting beside each other and potraying 3 monkeys of Gandhiji.

Sights

Mount Malcolm

Built in 1829, this was one of the famous buildings of its time.

Holy Cross Church

The stained glass windows of this old Roman Catholic Church still retain their beauty.

Mahabaleshwar Club

Built in 1881, the Mahabaleshwar Club offers a peaceful retreat for those wanting to get away from it all.  The Club offers many recreational facilities, including a badminton court and a mini golf course.  Facilities are available to everyone at a very low fee.  For those who prefer the quiet outdoors, there is a jogging track encircling the premises, edged with beautiful rose bushes.  The Club also offers a clear view of Venna Lake below.  Every year, Christmas is celebrated here with much fervour and pomp by the club members.

Pratapgad Fort

About 24 km. away from Mahabaleshwar lies Pratapgad, the pride of the Maratha Empire.  Built in 1656, it is a maze of ponds, chambers and long dark walkways, some of which lead to trap doors that open to a 100 meter fall!  It was here that Afzal Khan, the mighty general of Bijapur, met his untimely death at the hands of Shivaji.  Since Pratapgad lies slightly off the road to Mahabaleshwar, a visit to this historic monument is recommended in all travel itineraries

Mahabaleshwar has many points offering great views of flat-topped ghats, dense forests and lush green valleys.  Lodwick Point, towering almost 1,240 meters above sea level, is one of the most visited Points and holds a monument in memory of General Lodwick Arthur’s Seat is well liked too for its great view of the Jor Valley.  About a kilometer away lies Tiger’s Spring, and if you venture further down you’ll come to a ledge named The window – a point that’s famous for its mesmerizing view.

There are many locations offering pleasant views of the plains below: Wilson Point, Carnac Point, Helen’s Point, Elphinstone Point, Babington Point, Bombay Point, Falkland Point, and Kate Point are all well known

There are pleasant waterfalls also worth visiting, such as Chinaman’s Falls, Dhobi Falls and Lingmala Falls, the latter being the most impressive, cascading amost 600 ft from a cliff!

Another tourist attraction is the Sangam, or the confluence of the five rivers that flow over the Deccan Plateau.  There are many old temples too, which become the focus of attention during the festive season,

More...

Location

Mahabaleshwar is situated 1,372 meters above sea level in the Western Ghats, in Satara District of Maharashtra State, in India.

Languages spoken

Marathi, Hindi and English.

Climate and clothing

The climate is pleasant throughout the year, but the best time to visit is between October and June.  Temperatures range from 16°C to 20°C in summer and can fall as low as 5°C in winter.   Cottons and light woolens are recommended attire.

Shopping and food

Mahabaleshwar is famous for its fruit products, Strawberries, honey, Jams, crushes and chikki (a sweet made from jaggery and an assortment of nuts) are a favourite buy-and so is handcrafted leather footwear.

Also Visit ...

Panchgani

About 19 km, from Mahableshwar lies the hill station of Panchgani. It is surrounded on all sides by hills (“Panch” = 5, “Gani” = hills) and is very popular with tourist owing to its close proximity to Mahabaleshwar. Panchgani is known for its resident boarding schools and its strawberry and raspberry farms. Visitors to Mahabaleshwar almost always come to Panchgani to make the most of their holiday in the hills..

Getting There

The nearest airport is Pune, 120 km.

Nearest railhead is Wathar, but Pune is considered to be more convenient.

Mumbai-Mahabaleshwar via Mahad, 247 km. State Transport buses ply regularly between Pune-Mahabaleshwar and Mumbai-Mahabaleshwar

Distance from Major cities

Pune to Mahabaleshwar : 140
Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar : 110
Kol'pur to Mahabaleshwar : 370
Nagpur to Mahabaleshwar : 920
Nagpur to Mahabaleshwar :620
Nagpur to Mahabaleshwar :1000