From Bollywood to ancient Buddhist monuments

Maharashtra has a beautiful long coast line with countless inlets, ridges and valleys, and is known for its ancient forts. Inland, parallel to the Arabian Sea, are the Western Ghats, with their own range of forts and picturesque hill stations.

Cradled in the centre of the state is the Deccan Plateau, site of ancient cave paintings and rock-cut architecture at Ajanta and Ellora. To the east are verdant hills and jungles, home to some rarely visited but interesting wildlife parks.

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the financial, commercial and industrial capital of India. The city is also the centre of fashion and film making in modern India. As such the city hums with activity and its 13 million+ residents seem to be constantly on the move.

Mumbai used to be just a collection of fishing villages. The real development commenced only after the British East India Company took over the settlements from the Portuguese. Hence most of the historical monuments such as the Gateway of India are relics from the British Raj.

Aurangabad, named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, is the gateway to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora. These complexes of caves are excellent examples of rock cut architecture. Ellora is the site of stunning Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples, built by artists from the 6th century A.D. till about 1000 A.D.

A site worth visiting in Aurangabad itself is the Bibi ka Maqbara, built by Azam Shah in 1678 to rival the world famous Taj Mahal in Agra. Just to the north is the magnificent hilltop fortress of Daulatabad.

Tadoba Tiger Reserve is a pristine and unique eco-system situated three hours drive south of Nagpur, in the east of the State of Maharashtra. The Reserve is endowed with rich biodiversity and has a beautiful forest atmosphere. The main species to be found here are Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Gaur or Indian Bison, Rusty Spotted Cat, Ratel, Indian mouse deer, Spotted deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Four horned antelope, Wild dog, Flying Squirrel etc.

The park is open all year round but it is better to avoid visiting during the monsoon period from July to September.