Located in the northern center of peninsular India, Maharashtra is surrounded by the Arabian sea in the west, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on the south. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, which derives its name from the Goddess Mumba Devi.

Mughal rulers from Delhi tried their best to keep this region under their control. From the middle of the 17th century, a new group of warrior people came to dominate the scene in Maharashtra and elsewhere in India called Marathas. The origin of Marathas is still debatable, but what is known is that they stole the limelight from the great Mughals and at one point of time even captured Delhi. It was only after defeating the Marathas that the English could establish their rule in India. Shivaji was the first great ruler of Marathas and it was he who paved the way for future Maratha influence on India.

Click for Maharashtra Tourism Tour: Magical Maharashtra - 14 Days

Mumbai - Lonavala - Matheran - Nasik - Shirdi - Aurangabad - Pune - Mahabaleshwar - Mumbai

Bombay (Mumbai)

Shivaji was the first great ruler of Marathas and it was he who paved the way for future Maratha influence on India.

Mumbai (till recently known as 'Bombay') derives its name from the local deity Mumba Devi, whose temple is still there. The Portuguese predecessors of the British preferred to think of the name as Bom Baim, the Good Bay. Bombay was once a cluster of seven islands called Heptanasia by Plotemy in AD 150. Mumbai is home to people of all Indian creeds and cultures.

Altitude: Sea level

Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 33.3, Min 22.7; Winter- Max 29.5, Min- 19.4

Rainfall: 212 cms (June to September)

Seasons: Throughout the year

Places Of Interest:

Excursions:

How To Reach -

By Air: Bombay is well linked to major cities of India.

By Rail: Well connected by to all major cities and towns of India.

By Road: Pune-163 kms, Nasik-185 kms, Mahabaleshwar- 239 kms, Shirdi- 307 kms, Aurangabad- 392 kms, Vadodara- 432 kms, Ahmedabad- 545 kms, Panaji- 597 kms, Hyderabad- 711 kms, Bangalore- 998 kms.