Places to visit nearby destination
- Mumbai
Elephanta Caves
 Located nine kilometres by
sea from the Gateway of India, are
the Elephanta Caves, a place you must
include in your excursion itinerary.
The Elephanta Caves are characterised
by rock temples carved out of two
hills that emerge from the centre
of the island. It is said that the
Portuguese named this island after
the stone elephant they found here.
At Elephanta you can see the cave
shrine to Lord Shiva, which belongs
to the sixth century, and a massive
three-headed sculpture representing
Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver,
and Shiva the destroyer. You can also
find the other interesting sculptures
here include those that depict the
marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
Kanheri Caves
 A small trip of about four miles
will take you to the famous Kanheri
Caves a must visit excursion spot
of Mumbai. The caves are believed
to have been carved out by Buddhist
monks between the 2nd and 9th centuries
and have many interesting facts related
to them. Situated in the centre of
Mumbai's Borivili National Park, the
Kanheri caves are also regarded as
one of the biggest Buddhist monastic
establishment on the Konkan coast.
An unusual feature at Kanheri is the
number of open benches cut out of
rocks. Almost all the caves have benches
in their verandahs or front courts.
Sit down on one of these. And with
the evening breeze that comes from
the sea refreshing you, you realise
their purpose at once.
Karla Caves
 Rock-cut structures are one of the
most primitive forms of architecture
found in several parts of India. The
Karla Caves in Maharashtra are one
of the finest examples of this architectural
style. The Caves are located high
in the surrounding hills. A narrow
winding path, leads up to them. Built
by Buddhist monks, the caves are in
keeping with the Buddhist ideas of
simplicity. The caves are characterised
by many halls and a huge stone stupa
along with the 2000-year-old teak
wood ceiling which is still intact.
Outside the cave is a pillar crowned
with lions. This was an emblem of
the Buddhist King Ashoka, now adopted
by the Indian Government as the state
emblem.
Lonavla
 Located at a distance of 120 kilometres
from Mumbai, Lonavla is a favourite
hilly destination around Mumbai. Ideal
for a day or weekend trip, Lonavla
is beautiful and cool hill station
decorated with gurgling streams and
quiet glided walks. The waterfalls
of Tungarly or trek up to the Duke's
Nose (a gigantic hillock )will also
give you the complete feeling of being
close to mother nature. A must visit
to be included in your excursion itinerary.
Matheran
 Matheran is one of the nearest hill
stations of Mumbai. Calm and undisturbed,
Matheran makes a favourite getaway
for the city dwellers who want to
take a break from the city hustle
and bustle. Discovered in 1850, Matheran
provides very nice view of the nearby
places from the Hart point. A human
buggy is the main mode of transport
in Matheran. Interestingly one thing
that dominates the market is chikki,
a confection made of gram flour, jaggery
and cashew nut. You can also buy this
universally popular sweetmeat in large
quantity to carry back home. Matheran
has retained the tranquility and peace
of a hill station by not allowing
any kind of motor vehicle into the
town.
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