Tuesday 5 April 2016

Bhandardara Tourism - Tour To Maharashtra

Bhandardara is a village located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Bhandardara is an important holiday destination in the tourism map of Maharashtra and it is a popular weekend destination of people of Mumbai, which is at a distance of 185 km away.

Bhandardara is situated on the banks of River Pravara, towards the western coast of Maharashtra, among the Sahyadri Hills. According to the legends, this place was the meditating place of Sage Agasthya, who meditated for one year surviving only on water and air. Lord Shiva, who was pleased with his devotion, came to earth and blessed sage Agasthya with a stream of Ganga, which was later termed as River Parvara. An earthen dam was built in River Parvara in 1910 called Wilson Dam, which is regarded as the largest earthen dam in India. Bhandardara is also home to Mount Kalsubai, the highest peak in Maharashtra that elevates to a towering height of about 1600 meters above the sea level.

Bhandardara is famous for its breathtaking ambience and  scenic beauty that comprises of lofty mountains, roaring waterfalls, tranquility, lush greenery, fluorescent green paddy fields and rapids and rivulets that criss-crosses the land. Bhandardara offers many tourist attractions to its tourists such as Wilson Dam, Arthur Lake, Agasti Rishi Ashram, Ratangad Fort, etc. Another attraction of Bhandardara is the AmriteswarMandir, an ancient temple built in 1100 AD in Hemadpanthi style of architecture.

Bhandardara also offers tourist destinations for excursions such as Nashik (70 km), Shirdi (90 km) and Trimbakeshwar (30 km). Nashik is a major tourist destination and industrial hub of Maharashtra that possesses mythological, cultural, historical, culotural and social significance. Shirdi is primarily a pilgrimage destination owing to its Shirdi Temple, the abode of Sai Baba. Trimbakeshwar is yet another destination famous for its Trimbakeshwar Temple that abodes one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.

Bhandardara is easily accessible by roads, which connect this holiday retreat to Mumbai (185 km) and Pune (192 km). The nearest railhead is at Igatpuri, which is about 45 km away from Bhandardara. The nearest airport is the ChatrapathiShivaji International Airport of Mumbai, which is about 177 km away.

The peak tourist season in Bhandardar is from November to April, when the climate is mild and cold. However, Bhandardara achieves its glory during the monsoon months when the dark clouds descends from the sky and blankets the fresh lush green vegetation of the land.