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Lonavala located at a distance of 120 kilometres from
Mumbai, Lonavla is a favourite hilly destination around Mumbai. Ideal
for a day or weekend trip, Lonavla is beautiful and cool hill station
decorated with gurgling streams and quiet glided walks. The waterfalls
of Tungarly or trek up to the Duke's Nose (a gigantic hillock )will also
give you the complete feeling of being close to mother nature. A must
visit to be included in your excursion itinerary.
Numerous lakes surrounds Lonavala. Tugauli, Lonavala
and Bhushi lakes are worth visiting; so is the Walvan Dam. The small
hill station of Khandala is just 5 km away. Travelers coming from Mumbai
pass through Khandala before reaching Lonavala. Kaivalyadhama Yoga
Hospital is 2 km from Lonavala on the road to Karla and Bhaja caves.
This center attracts both local and foreign tourists seeking yogic
healing. This center was founded in 1924 and conducts various courses in
Yoga along with a research center and a training college. Karla and
Bhaja Caves, located in the hills at a distance of 11 km from Lonavala,
are important places to visit. These rock-cut cave temples dating back
to 2nd century BC and are amongst the oldest and finest examples of
Buddhist rock cut temple art in India, belonging to the Hinayana sect of
Buddhism. Adventure seekers can try their hand at rock climbing at the
Dukes Nose peak and other locations in the Karla hills, near Lonavala.
Karla Caves
Just 11 kms from Lonavala are Karla & Bhaja Caves, Rock-cut
structures are one of the most primitive forms of architecture found in
several parts of India. The Karla Caves in Maharashtra are one of the
finest examples of this architectural style. The Caves are located high
in the surrounding hills. A narrow winding path, leads up to them. Built
by Buddhist monks, the caves are in keeping with the Buddhist ideas of
simplicity. The caves are characterised by many halls and a huge stone
stupa along with the 2000-year-old teak wood ceiling which is still
intact. Outside the cave is a pillar crowned with lions. This was an
emblem of the Buddhist King Ashoka, now adopted by the Indian Government
as the state emblem. |
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Reach:
Air: The nearest airport from Lonalvala is Pune, which is 64 km
from Lonavala & Mumbai which is 100 kms. Train:
Lonavala is on the main railway line between Mumbai and Pune , all
express trains plying between the two cities stop here.
Road: The bus service between Mumbai to Lonavala and to
Pune is good (2 hours). Buses shuttle between Lonavala and Khandala (5
km from Lonavala; 15 minutes trip). |
