8 Popular Places to Visit in Lonavala on Your Weekend Getaway! Explore Famous Places to Visit in Lonavala Away From the City's Hustle and Bustle!
Here is a list of places to visit in Lonavala for a peaceful and relaxing getaway. Also, don't forget to check out budget-friendly hotels in Lonavala for a comfortable and convenient stay.
1. Tiger's Leap: Located 8 kms away from Lonavala, Tiger's Leap is a popular viewpoint. This clifftop resembling the shape of a tiger leaping into the valley, with a sheer drop of over 650 mts is famous for breathtaking sunrise and sunset views. Another highlight of the Tiger's Leap, is the echo point, where you can hear your voice bouncing back.
While looking for a stay near Tiger's Leap, you can book Treebo hotels in Lonavala near the viewpoint for a comfortable and relaxing experience.
2. Lohagad Fort: The famous places to visit in Lonavala include various forts that hold great significance in the course of the history of the region. One such important fort is Lohagad Fort, also known as 'Iron Fort', located at a height of 3,389 ft above sea level. The fort was under the rule of various rulers, including the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahmanis, Nizams, Mughals, and Marathas, which makes it an important site for history enthusiasts. While embarking on a 2-3 hour trek uphill, you get to witness the bounty of nature and historic Bhaja caves, making it a popular tourist attraction for nature lovers and adventure seekers.
The Treebo hotels near Lohagad Fort, Lonavala, are best-suited for travellers looking for affordable yet comfortable accommodation.
3. Visapur Fort: A popular hill fort near Visapur village close to Lonavala, Visapur Fort is one of the best weekend getaways from Mumbai and Pune. You can reach the fort by climbing the rocky hill for around 2-3 hours starting at Bhaje Village. Standing at a height of 1084 mts above sea level, it offers a panoramic view of the surroundings covered in lush greenery. For the best travelling experience, monsoon is the best time to visit the fort as the trek will be covered in thick greenery, brimming waterfalls and mist.
For a relaxing stay before and after the trek to the Visapur Fort, you can book Treebo hotels near Visapur Fort Lonavala, which are ideal for solo travellers, couples, groups of friends, family and business travellers.
4. Tungarli Lake: Along with the historic forts, Lonavala is also known for its sparkling lakes and dams. Tungarli Lake, formed due to the construction of Tungarli Dam in the Rajmachi region, is one of the famous places to visit in Lonavala for camping and picnics. You can enjoy a relaxing time by the lake and admire the mesmerising views of the city, or take leisure walks and short treks to the Tungarli Dam.
You can look for hotels in Lonavala near Tungarli Lake to enjoy easy accessibility to the lake.
5. Lonavala Lake: Another famous lake located around 1.6 kms away from the city centre is the Lonavala Lake. It is a popular site for food hopping, birdwatching, swimming and angling and is a base camp for famous treks to Tiger Point, Lion Point and Aamby Valley. The beauty of the lake is at its best during and post monsoon season when you can enjoy the views of flowers, grazing animals and lush greenery.
There are numerous Treebo hotels in Lonavala offering travel desk facilities to help you explore the city in the best possible way.
6. Rajmachi: If you wish to experience the culture and tradition of the region, then Rajmachi is the perfect place for you. It is a small village situated in the Sahyadri mountains near Lonavala and is famous for two forts, including Shrivardhan Fort and Manaranjan Fort. Ruled by the famous rulers like Shivaji Maharaj, Emperor Aurangzeb, Shahu Maharaj and the British, the village holds significance for history enthusiasts. To reach the village, you can either trek for 3-4 hours starting from the Kondhane caves or drive to the village from Lonavala. From the village, the forts are just a 20-30 minute trek away.
Numerous Treebo hotels near Rajmachi Point, Lonavala, offer private cab facilities to help you explore the places to visit in Lonavala at your leisure.
7. Karla Caves: The ancient Buddhist rock-cut caves, Karla Caves, are one of the most famous tourist places in Lonavala, attracting a large number of history enthusiasts, devotees and nature lovers. The caves, also known as Karli Caves, Karle Caves or Karla Cell and are known to be one of the oldest Buddhist cave shrines in India, which is believed to have been built around the 2nd century BC. It houses one of the largest Chaityas (prayer hall with a stupa) in India and the Ekvira Temple dedicated to Goddess Ekveera.
To reach the caves, you have to climb around 350 steps from the base hill or 200 steps from the car park around halfway up the hill. You can book a stay at hotels near Karla Caves, Lonavala, offering private cab facilities for a convenient travel towards the caves and other tourist attractions in the city.
8. Bhushi Dam: One of the significant dams built on the Indrayani River in Lonavala, Bhushi Dam is a must-visit destination, especially during the monsoon season. The water in the dam overflows during the season, creating a sort of waterfall which flows through the steps of the dam and then the rocky terrain, making it a breathtaking sight to behold. It is also a perfect spot to enjoy picnics and spend relaxing time with your loved ones.
If you are looking for a family-friendly stay in the city, then Treebo hotels near Bhushi Dam Lonavala offer a home-like experience to the guests by offering them modern amenities and complimentary services like breakfast, Wifi and toiletries.
Thus, the places to visit in Lonavala not only offer an escape from the city chaos but also offer an insight into the rich heritage of the region. So, whether you are a nature lover, a history enthusiast or an adventure seeker, these places are perfect for you. Moreover, for the ideal accommodation, you can easily find numerous Treebo hotels in Lonavala, which you can directly book from Treebo Club's website or app.
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India Today
28-07-2025
- India Today
UNESCO recognises Maratha Military landscapes as a world heritage site
UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the Maratha Military Landscapes twelve forts arching from the Sahyadri peaks to Konkan's sea bastions and the granite outpost of between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, they knit together hill-hugging ramparts, rain-harvesting reservoirs and coastal redoubts that powered Maratha resurgence against much larger empires. India's forty-fourth inscription is therefore not merely an architectural victory; it reminds us that strategic imagination can be as deserving of recognition as palatial splendour. advertisementBeyond the New Laureates The Maratha listing opens the door to a wider mosaic of sites equally poised for global recognition. In the Chambal ravines near Gwalior, the circular Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawali often hailed as a proto-Parliament design and the delicately carved Padawali fortress, dubbed a "mini Khajuraho," illustrate the fusion of tantric ritual, military defence and fine sculpture. Far north-east, Tripura's Unakoti hill bears seventh-century bas-reliefs so monumental they have been called an "Angkor in the clouds." Karnataka's megalithic Hire Benakal plateau preserves a prehistoric field of stone dolmens. Together they show how India's geography, from the Chambal badlands to the lush hills of Tripura, offers a time-capsule of civilisations waiting to be inscribed. Tapping India's Intangible Wealth UNESCO's brief extends beyond masonry. Its Intangible Cultural Heritage list already celebrates Indian practices from Vedic chanting to Yoga and Kolkata's Durga Puja carnival, but many living traditions remain offstage. The Nashik dhol war rhythms that still thunder across Raigad, the Koli sea songs mapping Konkan currents, or the oral ballads of Sahyadri hillmen each breathe life into the stones. Gond bana storytelling, Himachali pahari weaving and Khasi monolith rituals are further candidates for global acknowledgment, illustrating that India's heritage beats as much in drum-skins and looms as in brick and basalt. Lessons in Civic Stewardship from the West Western countries show how broad-based public engagement can turbo-charge preservation. In the United Kingdom, the National Trust's recent "Deep Time" citizen-science project enlisted more than 1,000 volunteers dubbed "Pastronauts"-to analyse LiDAR data across 512 km, discovering 12,802 previously unknown archaeological sites in just three months. Finland's Adopt a Monument scheme lets neighbourhood groups "adopt" historic structures; over 70 sites are already under volunteer care, their upkeep guided by museum professionals. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. National Park Service channels nearly 300,000 volunteers who donate more than 6.5 million hours each year through its Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) programme, a contribution valued at over $185 million. These models prove that when citizens become custodians, heritage management gains both manpower and emotional investment. From Conservation to Celebration India already channels similar enthusiasm. INTACH's 230 chapters and thousands of school Heritage Clubs equip students to document neighbourhood shrines and step-wells. advertisementThe Aga Khan Trust's craft-centred renewal of Humayun's Tomb wove 200,000 artisan work-days into a single restoration campaign, reviving skills and livelihoods alongside stone. Corporate-community partnerships forged under the Adopt-a-Heritage/Monument Mitra banner have upgraded visitor facilities from Red Fort to the hidden gem of Chandragiri. What links these successes is a three-way handshake: public bodies set standards, private sponsors underwrite logistics, and citizen groups provide passion and vigilance. When trekkers sweep litter from Lohagad, when villagers stage a Koli Folk-Fest beside Suvarnadurg, or when architecture students create QR-coded trails around Unakoti, preservation shifts from being a duty to becoming a celebration. Small local grants-crowdfunded or CSR-backed often spark the most inventive outcomes: poetry recitals beneath Padawali's torana, drone-camera surveys of Hire Benakal, or travelling exhibitions that pair Chausath Yogini's iconography with contemporary art. Each micro-project multiplies public pride in ways that no centrally run campaign could script. A Call to Co-Stewardship The Maratha forts' UNESCO medal is a milestone; the greater triumph will be an ethos in which every Indian-archivist or influencer, mason or manager-owns a thread of the national tapestry. Imagine schoolchildren charting Raigad's rain-water tanks for a science fair, Koli fishermen guiding tourists through Suvarnadurg's tidal moat, or marathon runners raising conservation funds along the ramparts of Rajgad. In such moments heritage is not merely safeguarded; it is performed. Partnership, not prescription, will carry the day. Institutions can safeguard bylaws and lab protocols, but the songs, stories and entrepreneurial sparks that make a monument sing come from the ground up. By shifting focus from conservation alone to celebration-from guarding the past to animating it-India can ensure that its forts, temples, looms and legends remain both anchors of identity and springboards for collective inputs from Maitridevi Sisodia is a Deputy Collector posted in Ahmedabad, an award-winning author, and women's rights advocate. She is also passionate about rural development, youth empowerment and social equality. Her writings are widely published and acclaimed. She's a speaker at national and global forums. - EndsTune InMust Watch
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First Post
20-07-2025
- First Post
Maratha bastion in Tamil heartland: Gingee fort's rise to Unesco glory
Given the manner in which Indian History is interpreted and taught, the period of Maratha domination of the northern region — including of who sat on the Mughal throne — has been systematically played down. Only in recent years has the truth been told about the 18th century period which can be termed 'The Maratha Century', if I may borrow a title of noted Maratha historian Uday Kulkarni. In this context, it is nothing short of stunning that a set of Maratha forts, so key to Shivaji's military strategy, have achieved Unesco World Heritage status. And while it is predictable that forts such as Shivneri, Raigad, Sindhudurg and others in Maharashtra would have been part of the list, what makes it truly impactful is the inclusion of Gingee among those acknowledged. For Gingee, in Tamil Nadu, is far from the Maratha home territory or its extensions in Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gingee's Rajagiri or Raja fort stands on a huge rock overlooking other structures Located just two hours south of the much-visited temple town of Kanchipuram, Gingee is one of India's most unusual forts and not merely because it has the reputation of being impregnable. The fort at Gingee, sometimes called Senji, is simplistically described as a 'hillfort'. The fort straddles three separate hills and encompasses all the land on top and between these hills. Each hill could function as a self-contained fortress and when combined, a formidable triangular defence network was created. Imagine the plight of an invading force that attempted to assault one hill only to be fired upon from another. But that didn't deter adventurous commanders from attempting an assault. The fort's history is the story of such attempts. Horse stables at Gingee fort, with the Krishnagiri hill, or Rani fort, looming in the background While some accounts hold that a small fortification here was done by the Chola dynasty as early as the 9th century, the widely accepted claim is that the first fort of significance was raised at Gingee in the 1190s. This was done by Ananda Kon, who came from a humble shepherd caste and had managed to subdue local chieftains. While he built a fort on Rajagiri hill — now called Raja hill — it became the nucleus for layer after layer of construction by dynasties across centuries. And with each came temples, mosques, water bodies, palaces, pavilions and to protect all this, longer and thicker walls. A mosque in Gingee fort, possibly from the time the Nawabs of Arcot controlled the fort After the Kons came another dynasty that rose from shepherd stock, the Kurumbars. And then the fort became part of the mighty Vijaynagara kingdom. Its eclipse in 1565 meant that the Nayakas, who until then had been feudatories of Vijaynagara, became independent rulers. It is they who built much of what is seen today at Gingee. And in the 17th century came the Marathas. They gained the fort after a tug of war with the kingdom of Bijapur. And when the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb unleashed his full force against the Marathas in the north Deccan region, Shivaji's second son Rajaram took refuge at Gingee, arriving here in November 1689. Aurangzeb's forces followed him and laid siege to the fort. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A painted icon on a rock while going up Raja hill While Rajaram escaped the invading forces, the Mughal army was in no mood to allow such a powerful fort to remain out of control. The siege was an epic struggle, ranging from use of military force to inducements being offered to Maratha chiefs. And the harrowing struggle for Gingee continued till 1698, when the fort finally fell. Musical chairs continued later at Gingee, with the fort passing through the hands of the Carnatic Nawabs to the French, from them to the British and then to Hyder Ali of Mysore and then back to the British. Two other interregnums are noteworthy. During the time that the fort was with the Kingdom of Bijapur, Elihu Yale — the man after whom the Yale academic institution in the US is named — came to Gingee. He was then an official of the East India Company in what became Madras (now Chennai) and came to Gingee seeking trading rights for the British in the region. He went back unsuccessful. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD View of the countryside from Rani fort The second case was when Gingee lay under Mughal control. Gingee was part of a jagir – land grant – given to a Bundela Rajput chief. His son De Singh inherited the jagir but was forced into a conflict with the Nawab of Arcot. De Singh died in battle and his young wife committed Sati. They left behind legends and folk ballads about love and heroism that are still remembered. Astounding to think of a folk ballad about a Bundela Rajput in the heart of the Tamil countryside. The British did not stay in Gingee for long though. The area around was considered malaria-prone and they shifted their base in the region to Arcot. Gingee's days of glory in history were over. But now, the World Heritage Status has put it once more in the spotlight. Today, when a visitor enters the fort, they see an assortment of buildings in the area between the hills. There is a mosque, a seven-storey high palace called Kalyana Mahal (in the lead picture), an open-air museum with various sculpted remains that could have come from temples long lost, various gateways and pavilions. Powerful walls of the fort, punctuated by bastions, encircle the place. Towering in the background is the hill on which 'Raja fort' stands. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It takes an effort to climb up, and carrying a stout stick to discourage enthusiastic monkeys is a good idea. On the way up, a small shrine appears on the right. This is dedicated to a Goddess who eliminated a demon with a hundred heads. As one keeps ascending the fort, one crosses various landmarks – a Hanuman icon carved on rock, various buildings, cannons and fortified walls, not to forget panoramic views of the fort spreading out below. To reach the inner citadel atop the hill, one needs to cross a small drawbridge. Crossing that while looking at the fort spreading itself out below gives a true sense of what the word 'impregnable' means. And for a moment, you feel sorry for those Mughal troops laying siege for seven long years! At the top of the fort are the Ranganathar Temple, a bell tower and a watch tower. Visible below is the Venkatramana Temple, and at a distance on another hill, the Rani Fort. This fort, which was originally called Krishnagiri, is the second of the three hill citadels that make up Gingee's mighty bastion and has some pavilions and shrines on top. The third is the Chandrayandurg, completing the triangle. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Divine icons inside Venkatramana temple, where worship continues The Venkatramana Temple, when viewed from the Raja fort hill The Ranganathar temple atop Raja fort hill In the space between the three hills lies the Venkatramana Temple. When a visitor enters its high gopuram, the structure reminds him of the shrines of Hampi, capital of Vijaynagara. When this author visited the place, the shrine seemed empty and abandoned. And just when I stepped back to leave, a priest carrying a ceremonial lamp emerged from inside, continuing a puja tradition that dates back centuries. It was a moment when time stood still! The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
India.com
20-07-2025
- India.com
From Maharashtra To Tamil Nadu: Maratha Legacy Carries On As India's Historic Forts Gain Global Recognition
photoDetails english 2934226 At the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, India's official nomination for the 2024-25 cycle, 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India', got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They became India's 44th property to receive this recognition. This global recognition highlights India's rich and enduring cultural legacy, reflecting the country's deep-rooted traditions in architecture, regional diversity, and historical continuity. From ancient temples and monuments to colonial-era structures and indigenous design practices, India's architectural heritage tells the story of its evolving identity. Now the recognition of Maratha architecture shows the contribution of the region and era, its unique style, materials, and craftsmanship, creating a legacy that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire awe on the world stage. Updated:Jul 20, 2025, 08:45 AM IST Maratha Legacy Lives On 1 / 8 According to ANI, spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this extraordinary network of twelve forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire. Ministry Of Culture 2 / 8 The proposal was sent for the consideration of the World Heritage Committee in January 2024, and after an eighteen-month-long process involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and a visit of ICOMOS's mission to review the sites, the Ministry of Culture stated. Selected Sites 3 / 8 The selected sites are spread across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. They include: Suvarnadurg, Lohgad, Shivneri, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Vijaydurg, Pratapgad, Panhala, Sindhudurg, and Salher in Maharashtra, and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. Forts Protected Under... 4 / 8 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protection to: Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee fort. Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra, protection to: Salher fort, Rajgad, and Khanderi fort, Pratapgarh. Location And Strategy 5 / 8 Located across a range of diverse terrains, from coastal outposts to hilltop strongholds. The forts reflect a deep understanding of geography and strategic defence planning. Types Of Forts 6 / 8 Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad, and Gingee are situated in hilly terrains and are therefore known as hill forts, as per ANI. Pratapgad, is within dense woods, and is classified as a hill-forest fort. Panhala, located on a plateaued hill, is a hill-plateau fort. Vijaydurg, positioned along the shoreline, is a notable coastal fort, while Khanderi, Suvarnadurg, and Sindhudurg, surrounded by the sea, are recognised as island forts. Maratha Military Landscape 7 / 8 The Maratha Military Landscape of India was nominated under criteria four and six of the list, recognising their exceptional testimony to a living cultural tradition, their architectural and technological significance, and their deep associations with historic events and traditions. The purpose of including these heritage sites in UNESCO's list is to preserve and promote shared heritage based on OUVs (Outstanding Universal Values). Credits 8 / 8 Information Source: ANI All Images: @DrSJaishankar/X
