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Time of India

Mahabaleshwar, Thoseghar & Mahalaxmi temple see large crowds; traffic on highways at a standstill

Kolhapur: Due to the extended weekend, popular tourist destinations in Kolhapur and Satara districts — including Mahabaleshwar — are fully booked. The surge in travel has led to heavy traffic on highways and congestion at several tourist spots, as a large number of vehicles make their way to these locations. Rain, road widening and flyover construction works have been causing delays of about two hours on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway due to heavy traffic congestion. Toll plazas at Khed Shivapur, Anewadi, Tasawade, Kini and Kognoli are also witnessing long queues. Jayant Sawant, an IT professional from Pune, said: "I was returning to my hometown Kolhapur, and the MSRTC Shivshahi bus journey took me seven hours to reach Kolhapur from Swargate, which is usually covered in five hours. At the Karad and Malkapur stretch, the bus got stuck for more than an hour due to severe traffic congestion." Hill station Mahabaleshwar is also packed with tourists enjoying on-and-off drizzling rains, a pleasant climate, lush green surroundings and a foggy atmosphere. Prices of hotels are seeing a sharp hike. Tourist spots like Lingmala Waterfall, Mahabaleshwar Temple, Krishnabai Temple, Kate's Point, Kas Plateau, Tapola, Bamnoli, Thoseghar Waterfall, Chalkewadi Windmills among others are seeing a huge rush of tourists. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Over 3 lakh devotees visited the revered Mahalaxmi temple in the city on Friday and Saturday. As per Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti (PMDS) officials, on Friday, the temple was visited by 1,87,650 devotees. The count is expected to further increase on Sunday. In Kolhapur district, tourist places like Jyotiba temple, Panhala fort, Rankala lake, New Palace, Kaneri Math, and Nrusinhawadi Datt temple are packed with tourist devotees. Due to the tourist rush, local shopkeepers and street vendors are seeing good business. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.