Maharashtra

Pune (Poona)
Altitude: 598 mtrs.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max 40, Min 26; Winter- Max 29, Min 19.
Rainfall: 70 cms(June to September).
Season: Throughout the year.

Located in Sahyadri hills near the west coast of India, Pune is a fascinating city with a healthy climate all year around. Known until not so long ago as Poona, the city was the capital of the powerful Maratha empire and is closely associated with the great warrior king Shivaji. Today, Pune is distinctly divided into the spacious cantonment and the crowded old city, where locali-ties have been named after days in the week.

Infrastructure
Air: Vayudoot Services, East-West Airlines and Continental Aviation connect Pune with Bombay.
Fare : Bombay-Pune Rs.528/- (Vayudoot) Rs.820/- (East-West & Continental) 
Rail : Pune is linked by rail with Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi, Jammu-Tawi, Kanya Kumari, Madras, Nagpur, Secunderabad (Hyderabad), Trivandrum, Vasco-da-Gama (Goa) etc.
Fare : Calcutta-Pune Rs.1291/- (AC-2A), Rs.1082/- (I), Rs.318/- (II). 
Road : Pune is connected by bus services to Bombay (170 kms), Shirdi (195 kms) 
Nasik (202 kms), Aurangabad (226 kms), Sholapur, Nagpur, Bangalore etc. 
Taxi services : Taxis ply between Bombay and Pune regularly on seat basis from 
Dadar T.T. Fare : Rs.150/- per seat.
 
Tours
Shaniwar Wada, Kasturba Smarak, 0800-1100 Rs.50/- M.T.D.C
Kelkar Museum, Shindes Chattri, & Pune Railway Station
Tribal Museum, Tilak Smarak, 1500-1800 Rs.50/- Pune Municipal Transport
Saras Baug, Pataleshwar Caves, (daily) Pune Railway Station Bund Garden. 

Places to see
Shaniwar Wada, Saras Baug, Parvati Hill, Raja Kelkar Museum, Shinde's Chhatri, Bund Garden, Kasturba Smarak (Inside Agha Khan Palace) etc.

Alandi-22 kms, Dehu-29 kms, Karla-55 kms, Purandhar-40 kms, Sinhagad-25 kms, Panchgani-98 kms, Mahabaleshwar-120 kms, Shivneri Fort-94 kms, Bhima Shankar- 95 kms, Ashtavinayak Temples at Theur-20 kms, Ranjangaon-50 km, Morgaon-65 km, Madh-75 kms, Ojhar-75 kms, Pali-80 kms, Lenyadri-90 kms & Siddhatek-95 kms, Lonavala-64 kms, Bhatghar Dam-52 kms.

Informations
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) Central Office Bldg., Sassoon Hospital Road, Tel: 66697.

Aurangabad
Altitude: 513 metres.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max 39, Min 21.5; Winter- Max 31.3, Min 10.
Rainfall: 557 mms.
Best Season: Throughout the year.
STD Code : 02432 (0240 ?).
 
Aurangabad, 400 km from Bombay, is linked by Indian Airlines flights. Spectacular rock cut caves and cave paintings exist at two nearby places, Ajanta and Ellora. The most notable feature of these cave temples is that entire hillsides were cut away with the artisan’s chisel to produce some of the world’s most exquisite sculpture. Ellora’s 34 caves are over 10 centuries old and represent elaborate sculptures of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. The caves at Ajanta date back to the 5th century and contain paintings and sculptures of major events in the life of the Buddha. 
Aurangabad is a convinent base for organising visits to the famous rock-cut temples of Ajanta & Ellora. The town is named after Aurangzeb, the last of the six great Mughal Emperors, who built a mausoleum here for his wife.

Infrastructure 
Air : Aurangabad is connected by Indian Airlines flights with Bombay, Delhi, Jaipur and Udiapur.
Fare: Calcutta-Bombay-Aurangabad Rs.6155 (US$ 226). East-West & Continental Airways also operate flights between Bombay and Aurangabad. 
Rail: Aurangabad is directly connected by rail with Bombay, Manmad, Nasik Road, Kalyan, Secunderabad (Hyderabad) and with other cities via Manmad.
Fare (approx): Calcutta-Aurangabad Rs.2900 (AC-I), Rs.1700 (AC-2A), Rs.1400 (I), Rs.400 (Sleeper). 
Road: Aurangabad is well connected by good motorable road with Ajanta 106 kms, Bombay 392 kms, Ellora 30 kms, Nanded 272 kms, Nasik 221 kms, Pune 229 kms Shirdi 136 kms and other important cities. 

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (MTDC) and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) conducts following tours:
1) Ellora & City Sightseeing (daily 0930-1730 hours) : Rs.100.
2) Ajanta Sightseeing (Daily 0800 to 1730 hours) : Rs.135.
3) Paithan Sightseeing (1400 to 2130 hours) : Rs.60. (1st & 3rd Friday and 2nd & 4th Sunday)

Places to see
Aurangabad Caves, State Archaeological Museum, Nehru Udyan,
History Museum of Marathwada University, Bibi ka Maqbara, Panchakki, Siddharth Udyan.

Daulatabad Fort (13 kms), Khuldabad (26 kms), Grishneshwar Temple (30 kms), Paithan (56 kms), Shirdi (136 kms), Pithalkhora Caves (78 kms), Aundha Nagnath (203 kms), Ajanta (106 kms), Ellora (30 kms)

Informations
1.Government of India Tourist Office Krishna Vilas Station Road (West), Tel: 24-817.
2.Government of India Tourist Counter, Chikalthana Airport.
3.Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, MTDC Holiday Resort, Station Road (East), Tel: 24-713.
 
Ajanta
The thirty rock-hewn caves at ajanta which are cut into the scrap of a cliff are Chaityas (Chapels) & Viharas (Monastries). Most of these are carved so that a flood of natural light pours into them at any given time of the day. Both the facade & the inside of the chambers faithfully reproduce the structural patterns known to those ancient builders. On the walls are paintings, many still glowing with their original colours. The outer walls are covered with brilliantly executed sculpture. The caves are not numbered in chronological order. Cave nos. 9,10, 12, 13 are the earliest belonging to Hinayana sect of Buddhism. Cave no 1 to 8, 11 and 14 to 30 are of Mahayana sect among these Mahayana Caves nos. 19, 26 & 30 are the Chaityas and rest of them are Viharas. The most notable of all these caves are 1,2,9,10,16,17,19 and 26, here ancient Indian art attained the zenith of its development and revealed a dynamic rhythm of life.

Infrastructure
Air: The nearest airport Aurangabad is 106 kms from Ajanata.
Fare: Calcutta-Bombay-Aurangabad Rs.6155 (US$ 226).
Rail: The nearest railhead Jalgaon is 60 kms from Ajanta, however Aurangabad (106 kms) is the most convenient railhead.
Fare (approx): Calcutta-Jalgaon Rs.
Road: Ajanta is connected to all major centres of the region by good roads.

Ellora
There are 24 caves at Ellora, carved between 7th & 11th century AD. These cave temples represent 3 religious faiths. Carved in sickle shaped hill, spread north to south in a area of 3 kms, they were dug into the slope of a hill. Of these 12 are Buddhists, 17 are Hindus and 5 are Jains. The most remarkable of the carved shrines at Ellora is the Kailasa Temple. It is 50 metres in length, 33 metres wide & 30 metres high. The fantastic edifice has been chiseled out by hand from single rock with Gateway, Pavilion, Courtyard, Assembly Hall, Vestibule, Sanctum and Tower-hall those out of the same enormous rock.

Infrastructure
Air : Nearest airport Aurangabad is 30 kms from Ellora. 
Rail: Nearest railhead Aurangabad is 30 kms from Ellora. 
Road: Bus services are available from Aurangabad. 

Entry
Special Permission from Archaeological Survey of India needed for use of Tripod & Artificial lights to take photographs of Archaeological monuments. However video shooting from the exterior of the monuments is permitted by paying a nominal fee.