Road Trips to 10 Top Religious Places in Maharashtra
India is a beautiful country where you can find so many people from different religious communities living together, maintaining peace and harmony. Therefore, it is obvious that you will find temples, mosques, churches, monasteries, gurudwaras in almost all the nooks of the country. And if you are planning to go on a religious trip, you can actually choose any place in the country. However, if you want to make it a memorable one, you must choose Maharashtra as your destination. You will surely not regret your decision. Here are some of the religious places in Maharashtra that you must visit.
10 Best Holy Places in Maharastra with Pictures
1. Shirdi
Shirdi is certainly one of the famous religious places in Maharashtra that is frequented by devotees and tourists all through the year. The place has gained so much attention because of the shrine of Sai Baba here. It is believed that Sai Baba came to this place in 1858 and spent 60 years of his life. Apart from this shrine, there are other temples also here such as Dwarkamai, Chavadi, and Samadhi Mandir.
- Best time to travel: December to February
- Entry fee: For the Darshan, you have to pay INR 200 and for the morning Aarti it is INR 600. For the noon, evening, and night Aartis, the charge is INR 400.
2. Nasik
Nasik is one of the holy places in Maharashtra as Kumbh Mela is held here every 12 years. The city is perched on the banks of River Godavari and is home to several Hindu temples. Apart from the number of temples, Nasik is also famous for wine tasting. You can visit many vineyards, waterfalls, and forts in this city.
Best time to travel: November to February
3. Bhimashankar
Bhimashankar is one of the religious places near Pune, which is also called a temple town. Here you can find one of the 12 Jyotirlingam shrines of Lord Shiva. The place is located at an altitude of around 3250 feet and is surrounded by verdant hills. Apart from this, you can also visit the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary here. It is a great place for trekkers as well.
Best time to travel: October to March
4. Kolhapur
Located on the bank of River Panchaganga, Kolhapur is the place where you have to be to visit the Mahalakshmi temple. You can also visit this place during the auspicious festival of Naag Panchami. You can find locals here feeding the snakes milk and rice during the festival. Apart from the religious part, Kolhapur is also popular for Kolhapuri chappals, Kolhapuri jewelry, and Kolhapuri cuisine.
Best time to travel: October to March
5. Aurangabad
Declared as the Tourism Capital of Maharashtra by the Government in 2010, Aurangabad got its name by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century AD. Here you can find the famous caves of Ajanta and Ellora. The other attractions in Aurangabad are Daulatabad Fort and the Mausoleums of Aurangzeb and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara. As a matter of fact, the architecture of Bibi-Ka-Maqbara is worth witnessing. Aurangabad is also one of the pilgrimage places in Maharashtra as you can visit Grishneshwar Temple here, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country. While you are here, you can also indulge in shopping.
Best time to travel: October to March
6. Hedvi
It is a hamlet located in the Konkan region of the state. Pilgrims from across the country visit this place to see the Lord Ganesha temple. Besides visiting this old temple, you can also visit Hedvi Beach where you can find the 35 feet high large black monolith called the Bahman Ghal.
Best time to travel: September to May
7. Harihareshwar
The beach destination is quite close to Mumbai and Pune and is famous for Lord Harihareshwar temple. Apart from this, you can also find several other temples here where you can see Maratha architecture.
Best time to travel: October to March
8. Ganpatipule
Ganpatipule is a beach town on the Konkan coastline in Maharashtra. If you are on a religious tour, you can visit the Lord Ganesha temple here. The temple is more than 400 years old and the idol you can see here is a self-created monolith of Lord Ganesha. It is a great place for peace lovers as the place has not been touched by commercialism yet.
Best time to travel: November to February
9. Mumbai
The City of Dreams, which is mostly associated with Bollywood, Mumbai is one of the metropolitan cities in India. Did you know that you can find some of the most famous religious places in Mumbai? Some of the holy places in Mumbai include Mumba Devi Temple, Siddhivinayak Temple, Haji Ali Dargah, Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Holy Name Cathedral, Afghan Church, St. Thomas’s Cathedral, Babulnath Temple, Walkeshwar Temple, etc.
Best time to travel: November to February
10. Chiplun
This is not a usual city that is super busy. Chiplun is a place where you can find mango groves and a lake next to it, Vashishti. The city is mostly famous for its mango and cashew groves and white sand beaches. One of the famous temples that you must visit here is Parshuram Temple. This is the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Lord Parshuram.
While you are on your road trip to Maharashtra, you will come across several things to do. To make the trip even more convenient, you can take a self-drive car rental service. You can take a car on rent from Revv so that you can start and end the journey at your convenience.
