SHIVSMARAK CASHLESS INITIATIVES TOURISM … Chaturthi is celebrated across ... Directorate General...

SHIVSMARAK CASHLESS INITIATIVES TOURISM POLICY 2016 SOUVENIRS MUST SEE EVENTS

VOL.6 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2017 `50 PAGES 52

Atithi Devo Bhava

MUST SEE EVENTSThe magnificent State of Maharashtra hosts several festivals and events throughout the year to welcome

visitors with an assortment of art, culture, nature, cuisine and pleasure. In its Tourism Policy 2016, theGovernment of Maharashtra aims to promote various such events. The list includes several farm produce

festivals such as orange, chickoo, alphonso and strawberry festivals, religious get-togethers such as Dahi Handiand Urus, wildlife-focused events like Tadoba Festival and other interesting festivals like Photographers’Conclave, Pune Literature Festival and Agriculture Tourism. The Department of Tourism, Government ofMaharashtra will promote such events through both offline and online media. A special feature of 2017 wouldbe the country's first SAARC Tourism Summit hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, to be held inAurangabad, also considered the tourism capital of Maharashtra, in the second week of October. The StateGovernment hopes that the summit will also bolster Make in India and Make in Maharashtra campaigns andmay bring more foreign investment. Here are a few events that you can attend during your stay in Maharashtra.

The month of January sees the ElephantaFestival at Mumbai. A grand cultural extravaganzaheld every year to pay tribute to legendary classicalperformers and popularise Indian classical music,heritage and art forms, the festival has witnessed

performances by legends like Ustad Zakir Hussain, HemaMalini, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Jasraj andHariharan. With the magnificent caves as background, itbecomes one of the finest experiences one can have inMaharashtra. Another important cultural festival of theState is Ajanta−Ellora Festival held in October at the SoneriMahal of Aurangabad. Organised annually by MaharashtraTourism Development Corporation, it showcasesrenowned musicians and dancers and explores themagnificent caves filled with history.

In March, the festivalof colours, Holi iscelebrated zealouslyin Maharashtra with

fervour. The festivecelebrations begin a daybefore the festival withlighting of bonfires in theevening. On the day of thefestival, all in the State,irrespective of caste, creedand community, revel incolours and become one.

April is whenMaharashtra hostsTadoba Festival atTadoba forests,

Strawberry Festival atMahabaleshwar, AlphonsoFestival and Velas Turtle Fest.At Velas, several Olive Ridleyturtle hatchlings emergefrom the golden sand andcommence their endlessvoyage to the ArabianSea—a sight to remember.

The most-cherishedseason of theyear, monsoonbecomes grand in

Maharashtra. The monthsof July and August are tohead to the beautiful localesof Matheran, Lonavala andKhandala. The perfectweekend getaways offer acombined package of land,water, natural beauty,picnics and food.

Ganesh Chaturthi iscelebrated acrossMaharashtra mostlyin August. It begins

with the installation of anidol of Lord Ganesh. OnAnant Chaturdashi, aprocession of the idol istaken from the home to thenearest water body—amidstthe chanting of GanapatiBappa Moraya and playingwith gulal—for immersion.

H I G H L I G H T S

1

2 3 4 5

MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � JANUARY 2017 03

07CH. VIDYASAGAR RAOMAHA POTENTIAL FOR TOURISM Maharashtra should identify,develop and upgrade its top 20tourist spots and build world-class infrastructure at the sites,says the Maharashtra Governor

09TOURISM AT A GLANCEA MAGICAL LAND, ALLTHROUGH THE YEAROn the occasion of VisitMaharashtra Year 2017, ananalysis of State’s tourismpotential and the highlights ofGovernment’s new tourism policy

D I S C L A I M E R : V I E W S A N D O P I N I O N S E X P R E S S E D I N T H E M A G A Z I N E A R E T H O S E O F W R I T E R S

26BOLLYWOOD TOURISMLIGHTS, CAMERA,FILMSBollywood not just drives cinema,but also tourism. A ride throughthe sets of films and tele-serialscan give you glimpses of theworld of cinema

30PLACES TO VISITMAHARASHTRAUNLIMITEDExplore the hidden gems ofMaharashtra, as the State awaitsyou with the best of locations,lifetime experiences, culture,cuisine and pleasure

44CAVE TOURISMABODES OF DEVOTIONCarved by meticulous craftsmenand artists over centuries, therock-cut caves of Maharashtraare where religious harmonymeets peace, history andarchitecture

14DR MAHESH SHARMAMAGNIFICENTMAHARASHTRATourism promotion schemes ofthe State are being assisted andencouraged by the Centre, saysUnion Minister of State forTourism and Culture

CONTENTS What’s Inside

16JAYKUMAR RAWALSTATE TOURISM TO BEPROMOTED GLOBALLY There is a huge employmentpotential in tourism and theState Government is committedto development of the same,says Minister for Tourism

18MADAN YERAWARBRAND MAHARASHTRA,A COMMITMENTBlessed with myriad opportunities,Maharashtra’s tourism potentialis waiting to be unleashed,says Minister of State for Tourismin an interview

47CASHLESS INITIATIVESBUILDING AN ERAOF E-CASH The Union Finance Ministryannounces package forpromotion of digital andcashless economy, while theState Government plans tolaunch its own digital wallet

S P E C I A L I S S U E : V I S I T M A H A RA S H T RA 2 0 1 7

05SHIVSMARAKMARK OF VALOUR ANDGOOD GOVERNANCEPrime Minister Narendra Modilaunches the work ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharajmemorial off the Mumbai coast,and major metro and roadprojects for Mumbai and Pune

VOL. 6 ISSUE 1 � JANUARY 2017 � `50 � PAGES 52

Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Dotted with scenic landscapes, undulating rivers, serene beaches, gurglingwaterfalls, picturesque mountains and the mighty Sahyadri range, Maharashtrawith its verdant hues is a land of plenty offering immense opportunities. Addingto this beauty is State’s glorious history, a rich lineage, mighty warriors, able

rulers and a marvellous heritage all of which combine to make it progressive and withunparalleled growth. Maharashtra has been a frontrunner in major growth arenas due toits focused approach towards all-round development. Its idyllic settings, favourableweather conditions, plentiful natural resources and panoramic beauty have all playedtheir part well in spearheading its upward momentum on a continuous basis.

Maharashtra has a large number of land and sea forts built by rulers of differentdynasties during various periods in history, numerous caves, museums, wildlife reserves,bird sanctuaries and magnificent places of worship. Mumbai, apart from being thefinancial capital is India’s entertainment capital and continues to be a major touristattraction. The Government works tirelessly towards maintaining the law and ordersituation in the State while ensuring peace in the State. The vibrancy and upwardlymobile nature of the State and its people have attracted tourists, students, analysts,professionals, industrialists, patients and others from both India and abroad. An eclectic

mix of both traditional and modernelements existing in tandem hasgiven a tremendous impetus toState tourism.

The multiple facets of tourism thatpresents itself in various types,including rural tourism, Bollywoodtourism, MICE tourism, caravantourism, sustainable tourism, naturetourism, adventure tourism, beachtourism and lighthouse tourism havethe potential to upgradeMaharashtra’s economy. Led by thisopportunity, the Government ofMaharashtra has proposed to mark2017 as Visit Maharashtra Year. Aspart of its proposed plans, variousinitiatives have been taken in sync

with the new State tourism policy to attract maximum tourists during the year. TheGovernment is proactive in taking State tourism to the next level. Keeping this in mind,the current issue of Maharashtra Ahead has done a special review of the tourismopportunities available in the State.

Following the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonetise `500 and`1000 currency notes, the Centre has mooted numerous initiatives like Lucky GrahakYojana and Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) to ensure that the country adoptsdigitisation and the economy moves towards a cashless economy. The Government ofMaharashtra has declared a cashless policy or Maha Wallet and has prepared a roadmapto work it out. The Centre has announced rewards and benefits to people who opt forcashless transactions. The issue talks about the success stories of Harisal and Dhasaivillages with respect to demonetisation.

The Directorate General of Information and Public Relations has been publishing,Marathi and Urdu Lokrajya, Aapla Mantralaya and Maharashtra Ahead in English ona regular basis. We are pleased to announce that from this month, we will bepublishing Gujarati and Hindi Lokrajya to reach out to the Gujarati and Hindispeaking people at large.

We wish our readers, subscribers, retailers, writers and everyone a Happy New Year!

Brijesh SinghEditor-in-Chief

MAHARASHTRA CALLING

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFBrijesh Singh

ASSIGNMENT EDITORAjay Ambekar

EDITORMeenal Joglekar

EXECUTIVE EDITORKriti Lalla

TEAM CO-ORDINATIONEDITING

Suresh Wandile(Deputy Director)

SALES AND CIRCULATIONPravin Takey

(Senior Assistant Director)

Ashwini Pujari(Sub-Editor)

COVER DESIGNSeema Ranarkar

MEDIA TRANSASIA

ASSOCIATE EDITORJyoti Verma

ASSISTANT EDITORPallavi Singh

DEPUTY ART DIRECTORSachin Jain

CHAIRMANJ.S. Uberoi

PRESIDENTXavier Collaco

Maharashtra Ahead is printedon behalf of the Directorate Generalof Information and Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra,at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD.

Plot No.W-17 & W-18, MIDC,Taloja Industrial Area,

Taloja-410 208, Navi Mumbai

Letters should be addressed toDirectorate General of Information

and Public Relations,New Administrative Building,

17th Floor, Opposite Mantralaya,Mumbai-400032.

Email: [email protected]

Follow us on www.twitter.com/MahaDGIPR

Like us on www.facebook.com/dgipr

Subscribe us on YouTube/MaharashtraDGIPR

Visit us on www.mahanews.gov.inBlog/maharashtradgipr

Please visit the website http://dgipr.maharashtra.gov.inDirectorate General of Information and Public Relations

A Government of Maharashtra Production

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed thejalpoojan and bhoomipoojan of the memorialof Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj planned offthe Mumbai coast in the Arabian Sea. The

Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Metro2B: D. N. Nagar—Bandra Kurla Complex—Mankhurd;Metro 4: Wadala—Ghatkopar—Mulund—Thane—Kasar-vadali; Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Kurla−VakolaElevated Road, flyover at Kalanagar Junction, MUTP-III, recently. A memorandum of understanding(MoU) of ̀ 55,000 crore was signed on the occasion.

Speaking at the bhoomipoojan of the Shivsmarakin Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi saidChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj dedicated his life for thewelfare of people, and his giant monument in theArabian Sea will help people draw inspiration fromhis ideals. Inspired by the great Maratha leader,the Union and State Governments, taking thecommon man as focal point, have taken up manywelfare schemes. Under this, infrastructure projectsworth `1.06 crore have been taken up, shared thePrime Minister.

EXCELLENT ADMINISTRATOR Prime Minister Narendra Modi called ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj a multifarious personality. “Manyfacets of his life impacted the people. Even inthe midst of struggle, he remained the torchbearerof good governance and valour. His water manage -ment princi ples are followed even today. It wasChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who created hisown armoury for coastal security. His acts expressthe greatness of his personality,” said PrimeMinister Narendra Modi. “Many landmarks havebeen built for tourists world over, most of whichhave become identities of the respective countries.India also has many such places that are recognisedglobally,” he added.

Addressing the bhoomipoojan ceremony, ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis said that the work of thememorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in ArabianSea will start in January 2017. “It was in thisauspicious month 352 years ago, Chhatrapati Shivaji


ShivsmarakMEMORIAL

During his recent Mumbai visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches thework of the international memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj off the Mumbaicoast, and major metro and road projects for Mumbai and Pune

A MARK OF VALOUR ANDGOOD GOVERNANCE

(From top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing jalpoojan of Chhatrapati Shivaji MaharajMemorial in the Arabian Sea, 4 km off Mumbai’s Marine Drive; and the Prime Minister withGovernor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief UddhavThackeray, Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Raje Shahu Chhatrapati and other dignitaries at KalashArpan ceremony at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai

Maharaj performed the jalpoojan of Sindhudurg Fort.It is very heartening to see that on this very day wehave performed the jalpoojan of this great monument.As the US is known for Statue of Liberty, henceforthIndia will be known for the memorial of ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj. It will spread the message of courage,bravery and good governance. We are endeavouring totransform the Maharashtra of the dreams ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj into reality,” he added.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s memorial, whichincludes a proposed 192-meter-tall statue of the 16thcentury ruler, will be built on the land reclaimedfrom the Arabian Sea.

MAJOR PROJECTSDuring his recent visit to Maharashtra, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi also performed “digital”bhoomipoojan of a number of key projects. The projectsinclude two metro rail corridors, namely Metro 2B,the 23.5-km D.N. Nagar to Mankhurd corridor and

the 32-km Wadala to Kasarvadavali Metro 4 corridor,which will come up at an estimated cost of `10,986crore and `14,459 crore, respectively. The otherprojects are the 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link,the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-III(MUTP-III), 2-km flyover at Kalanagar Junction inBandra and a 5-km-long Kurla−Vakola Elevated Roadto ease traffic in these busy areas.

The State Government also signed an MoU withthe Railway Ministry to implement the MUTP-III,which includes procurement of 47 new-age suburbantrains, adding 300 new suburban services, expandingfacilities at the Thane station, quadrupling theVirar−Dahanu stretch, a new 28-km corridorbetween Panvel, Karjat and Khopoli, and otherprojects. The Ministry of Railways also exchangedMoUs with the Government of Maha rashtra for the48-km Bandra−Virar Elevated Rail Corridor,CST−Panvel Elevated Rail Corridor and the 70-kmVasai−Diva−Panvel suburban corridor.

06 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � JANUARY 2017

ShivsmarakMEMORIAL

(From top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the two metro corridors and other projects at Bandra Kurla Complex inMumbai. Governor of Maharashtra Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban PovertyAlleviation and Information & Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis, Minister for Education Vinod Tawde and other dignitaries are also seen; and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the foundation stone laying ceremony ofPune Metro. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar, GovernorCh. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other digitaries are also seen

Looking atthe rising numberof global tourists,

the country hasgiven impetus to

adventure tourism.Taking a step

ahead, Centre’sarchaeological

department willtry to conserve and

preserve forts ofthe country. Let us

begin this from thefort of Chhatrapati

Shivaji Maharaj.——NNaarreennddrraa MMooddii

Prime Minister

CCoolluummnn � Governor


Maharashtra has an infinite potential fortourism, much of which remains un -tapped. The State is endowed with themost tranquil and beautiful beaches in the

Konkan. It has ancient forts, the natural Lonar CraterLake, Sahyadri mountain range, tiger reserves, wildlifeparks, religious places and so on. The State also holdspotential for medical tourism, eco-tourism, winetourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, agrotourism, and so on. The key to the progress of Maha -rashtra, to its balanced regional development and forelevating the standards of living of its people, lies inunleashing and realising this potential.

I often mention in my speeches, albeit in a lightervein, that the world is not talking so much aboutcommunism, socialism, capitalism or such other ‘ism’.The only ‘ism’ the world is talking about today is‘tourism’. Tourism ranks on the top of the agenda of theHonourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. ThePrime Minister has spoken of upgrading heritageand pilgrimage sites across India and extending

e-visa facilities to more nations. Within India, Maharashtra remains one of the

most progressive and advanced States. The State isrightly regarded as the engine of growth of the nation’seconomy. The city of Mumbai is not just the StateCapital; it is, more importantly, the financial andcommercial capital of the country. Maharashtra is alsothe Cultural Capital of India. The State has enjoyedleadership in music, dance, theatre, folk art andvarious other forms of art and fine arts. Maharashtrawas in the forefront of the Indian freedom movement,and there are a number of places in the State associatedwith our struggle for independence.

As Governor of Maharashtra, I often receive Headsof State, Heads of Government, Parliamentarians andProvincial Heads from various countries visitingMumbai. Many of these leaders invariably include intheir itinerary a visit to a Bollywood film studio. Thereis tremendous interest among people for Indian films.Mumbai is the undisputed capital of Indian cinema. Itshould be made possible for people to visit Bollywood inthe same fashion as visits to Hollywood film studiosare permitted.

Home to four World Heritage Sites, the Ajanta,Ellora and Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj Terminus, Maharashtra is one of the mostacclaimed tourism States of India. It has tremendouswealth of archaeological heritage, and I am sure peopleacross the world would love to see it.

Maharashtra has several places associated withHinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and other faiths. Creation of religiouscircuits will help attract more tourists from thissegment. We can also develop fort circuits and tourisminfrastructure in and around the huge structures.These circuits will certainly be one of their kind inthe entire country.

The State Government is committed to creating aninvestor-friendly ecosystem to promote tourism and

(Right) A deer atthe Tadoba–Andhari

Tiger Reserve inMaharashtra

“THERE IS MAHAPOTENTIALFOR TOURISM INTHE STATE”Maharashtra should identify, develop and upgrade its top20 tourist spots and develop world-class infrastructure atthese locations within a specific period to reap the richbenefits of tourism, says Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao


putting in place infrastructure for the sector. However,it is also necessary to build a wider stakeholder group,where professional minds can help explore commonopportunities to accelerate the growth of tourism andimprove the quality of tourism products and services tomeet international standards.

Maharashtra has a population of nearly 115million. This is many times the population of severalsmall countries. The rising middle class in the State isready to spend on tourism. It is necessary to tap thepotential of domestic tourists to the extent possible.Even if 10 per cent of the State’s population explorestourist places within the State, Maharashtra can reaprich dividends of tourism. It should also be possible toidentify, develop and upgrade the State’s 20 best placesof tourism and build world-class infrastructure at theselocations within a specific period, of say three years.

Every year, I visit the Mahalaxmi Saras exhibition,which displays the finest handicrafts, clothes and fooditems produced by women self-help groups and ruralartisans of Maharashtra. Tourism can provide a majorimpetus to our rural and cottage industry, generate alarge number of employment opportunities and enrichour people. We have fruit hubs in Maharashtra, and wemight as well create theme-based festivals such asOrange Festival, Grape Festival, Mango Festival,Strawberry Festival and so on.

Mahabaleshwar is one of the important places oftourism in the State. It should be possible to host aninternational polo competition here. Such an event willput the hill station on the world map of tourism.

Branding and marketing are as important as theproduct itself in today’s times. A simple tagline ‘God’sown country’ did wonders to tourism in Kerala.Maharashtra should innovate and create a similartagline to brand tourism in the State.

–As told to Umesh Kashikar,PRO to the Governor

� The StateGovernment iscommitted tocreating aninvestor-friendlyecosystem topromote tourismand putting inplaceinfrastructure forthe sector. � The risingmiddle class inthe State is readyto spend ontourism. It isnecessary to tapthe potential ofdomestic touriststo the extentpossible.� We can alsodevelop fortcircuits andtourisminfrastructure inand around thehuge structures.� Mahabaleshwarhas an excellentpotential forhosting a polocompetition.

FACT FILE

“Maharashtra has several places associated with Hinduism, Judaism,Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other faiths. Creation of religious

circuits will help attract more tourists from this segment. We can also develop fortcircuits and tourism infrastructure in and around the huge structures

(Clockwise fromabove) Visitors at the

Mahalaxmi SarasExhibition; GovernorCh Vidyasagar Rao,

Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis

and Minister of Statefor Finance, RuralDevelopment andPlanning Deepak

Kesarkar at the SarasExhibition; foreign

tourists at the AjantaCaves; and fresh

Alphonso mangoes inMaharashtra

CCoovveerr SSttoorryy � Tourism at a glance

The full potential of India’s tourism market hasunfortunately never been tapped. With theState Government's initiatives, the trends areslowly but steadily showing signs of growth.

Taking a substantial lead here is the State ofMaharashtra, a large market for travel and tourism interms of both domestic and foreign visitors.

The Union Budget 2016-17 has allocated `1,590million to the tourism sector to focus on infrastructuredevelopment and public relations initiatives. Traveland tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earnerfor India. The several branding and marketinginitiatives by the Government of India such asIncredible India and Athiti Devo Bhava have provideda focused impetus to growth. The total contribution ofthe tourism sector to India’s GDP is expected to increasefrom $136.3 billion in 2015 to $275.2 billion in 2025.

The Government of India has also launched TouristVisa on Arrival (TVoA) enabled by Electronic TravelAuthorisation (ETA), so known as e-Tourist Visa, helpingthe tourism sector further. The major two hubs havebeen Mumbai and Delhi. The facility of e-Tourist Visa hasbeen made available to citizens of 150 countries arrivingat 16 international airports across the country. In 2015,India received 8.03 million foreign tourists compared to7.68 million in 2014 with a growth rate of 4.5 per cent.The top five States in terms of number of FTVs (foreigntourist visits) during 2015 were Tamil Nadu, Maha -rashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal.

With Mumbai both a financial hub and the base ofBollywood, Maharashtra offers a diverse portfolio ofniche tourism products, including MICE (meetings,incentives, conferences and exhibitions), film tourism,cruises (there is a recent announcement to have an


ALL THROUGH THE YEARTourism in India is growing. Understanding the need to push Maharashtra on theglobal map, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced 2017 as Visit Maharashtra Year.Chandragupta Amritkar analyses the tourism potential of the State and highlightssome of the important takeaways from the Government’s new tourism policy

A MAGICAL LAND,

The Union Governmentis doing its bit topromote tourism in thecountry by wayof promotionalcampaigns andincentives, but the realsuccess depends on theState Government’sinitiatives and actions

international standard cruise port in Mumbai),adventure, wellness, sports, eco-tourism, rural andreligious tourism.

The Union Government has also released a freshcategory of visa–the medical visa or M visa–toencourage medical tourism in India. With Mumbai andPune having some of the best hospitals and doctorsproviding treatments at reasonable prices compared toglobal markets, the Centre’s move stands to helptourism in the State tremendously. As India is anestablished destination for spiritual tourism globally,Maharashtra enjoys a reasonable share of this marketas well. According to a new research by Booking.com,Mumbai is among the world’s top trending destinationsfor 2017, and will see an increase in domestic andforeign tourist footfalls. The data experts atBooking.com examined the top 300 destinations basedon growth in search and bookings to find the most up-and-coming places to visit in 2017.

The Government has also been making seriousefforts to boost investments in the tourism sector. Inthe hotel and tourism sector, 100 per cent FDI is

allowed through the automatic route. A five-year taxholiday has been offered for two, three and four-starcategory hotels located around UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites (except Delhi and Mumbai). Theinvestment in tourism sector is expected to be $12.4billion in the 12th Five Year Plan; of these, privateinvestments are likely to be $9.2 billion.

Taking a leaf out of the newly drafted NationalTourism Policy and making it suitable for Maha -rashtra, the State Government has launched the newMaharashtra Tourism Policy with a strategy to attractprivate sector investments in the sector.

Maharashtra is the third largest State in India andone of the few regions in the world that have on offer avariety of tourist destinations. It has a long coastline of720 km along the lush green Konkan region, theWestern Ghats and the Sahyadri mountain range withhill stations, water reservoirs and semi-evergreen anddeciduous forests. Vidarbha, with its dense forests, ishome to several wildlife sanctuaries and nature parks.Add to this the State’s rich history, tradition andculture–with its ancient forts and monuments, cave

t

10 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � JANUARY 2017 M

(Clockwise fromabove) Sunset at

Ganapatipule; Bibi kaMaqbara; foreigntourists as part of

Bollywood tourism;Ajanta Caves; and

tourists enjoy coconutwater at Ganapatipule


temples and pilgrimage centres–that makes it awholesome tourist destination.

There have been widespread, interrelated globaldevelopments that have had a strong bearing on thetourism sector in India. The same have impactedMaharashtra as well. Increased desire and financialmobility for travel among middle class travellers, steep-change increase in air access (airlines, airports androute development) with dip in the cost of travel,growth in the quest of travellers for experiences rich incultural and natural exposure, path-breakinginnovations in the field of information technology suchas mobile usage, digital content creation and sharing,and, more importantly, appreciation of tourismeconomy among the heads of States and policymakersand increasing tourism-related infrastructureinvestment are few such developments.

MAHARASHTRA TOURISM INVESTORFACILITATION CELLThis was a much-needed department as many tourismboards across the globe have a tourism investmentpromotion and investor facilitation department. Themain aim is to attract fresh investments in the sectorand develop the brand equity of a region as a top globaltourist destination. The cell also acts as a one-stopconnect for providing relevant information to investorson the business approvals required for starting abusiness in the State. It ensures that business approvalsare provided to investors as quickly as possible.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODELThe Department of Tourism, Government of Maha -rashtra will also launch a Public-Private PartnershipTransaction Advisory Cell to provide advisory services forprivate sector participation in the development projectscarried out across the State. Public-private projects willbe a key conduit for greater infrastructure investment indeveloping Maharashtra. The major functions willinclude cooperation between the public and privatesectors aimed at carrying out long-term investmentprojects in the social and infra structure sphere.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISMMaharashtra also aims to promote the practice ofsustainable tourism, wherein all tourism activities ofwhatever occasion–holidays, business travel,conferences, adventure travel and ecotourism andothers–need to be sustainable. Sustainable tourism isdefined as ‘tourism that respects both local people andthe traveller, cultural heritage and the environment’.Its main aim is to optimise the use of environmentalresources, while preserving natural heritage andbiodiversity. Through agriculture and rural tourism,the State also plans to educate the public and promote

farm products to generate additional farm income.

MEDICAL TOURISMMumbai, Pune and Nagpur are home to some of thebest state-of-the-art hospitals in South Asia. Theseinstitutes also have rich experience in research anddevelopment. There is also a unique culture ofpracticing wellness, yoga and ayurveda, among others.Every year, there are more than 2 lakh medical touristarrivals in India. Maharashtra aims to provide acomplete package of above-mentioned practices tothese tourists and domestic travellers.

AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTUREAirports are built for movement of cargo and people.Maharashtra boasts India’s major airports. Theprominent ones in the State are: � Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport,Mumbai: The international airport has twoterminals–Terminal 1 or Domestic Terminal, whichcorresponds to the old Santa Cruz Airport, andTerminal 2 or International Terminal, the brand newterminal. The CSIA has been selected as the ‘World’sLeading Airport Lounge—First Class 2015’ at the WorldTravel Awards, making India and Maharashtra proudof its excellent airport infrastructure. The newintegrated Terminal 2 at CSIA enhances the airport’scapacity to service 40 million passengers and onemillion tonnes of cargo annually. Terminal 2 is alsohome to India’s largest public art programme titledJaya He in the form of a 3.2 km multi-storey Art Wallilluminated by skylights. It has over 7,000 pieces ofartwork and artefacts from every nook and corner ofIndia, one of India’s largest airport garden and multi-level car parking with a capacity of 5,200 cars.�Pune–Lohegaon Airport is operated by the AAI atthe Lohegaon Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force.The airport handles both domestic and internationalflights. As this airport cannot be expanded to cater tothe increasing demand of passengers and aircraft, a

1 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � JANUARY 2017 11

(

As per the MarketResearch Divisionof Ministry ofTourism, thenumber ofdomestic touristvisits to Statesand UTs was1,432 million ascompared to1,282.8 million in2014, registering agrowth of 11.63 percent over 2014. Thetop five States interms of numberof domestictourist visits (inmillions) during2015 were TamilNadu (333.5), UP(204.9), AndhraPradesh (121.6),Karnataka (119.9)and Maharashtra(103.4). During2015, the numberof foreign touristvisits (FTVs) toStates/ UTs was23.3 million ascompared to 22.3million in 2014,registering agrowth of 4.4 percent over 2014. Thetop five States interms of numberof FTVs (in millions)during 2015 wereTamil Nadu (4.68),Maharashtra(4.41), UP (3.1),Delhi (2.38) andWest Bengal (1.49).

FACT FILE

!

Going forward, Maharashtra will get 10 new airports. The MoU was signed in thepresence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Chief Minister Devendra

Fadnavis. The airports will be developed at Shirdi, Amravati, Gondia, Nashik, Jalgaon,Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in the first phase



greenfield airport for Pune has been decided.� Aurangabad is well known for its World HeritageSites, Ajanta and Ellora Caves. With many internationaland domestic guests visiting the district, an excellentairport was required. With the help of Japan Bank forInternational Cooperation (JBIC) and in coordinationwith AAI, the airport was built to accommodate up tofour wide-bodied Airbus planes. Its runway is of 9,300 ftand has an instrument landing system (ILS).� Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar InternationalAirport, Nagpur is operated by MIHAN India PrivateLimited and Maharashtra Airport DevelopmentCompany. The airport handles around 4,000 passengersdaily and caters to four domestic airlines and twointernational airlines connecting Nagpur to Sharjah,Doha and 12 domestic destinations.

Under the national policy on civil aviation, theCentre will provide funds and assist the StateGovernments in developing essential infrastructure.The Centre will bear 80 per cent of Viability GapFunding. The State Government will reduce the localbody tax (LBT) on air fuel from the existing 10 per centto 1 per cent for a period of 10 years.

HOSPITALITY, THE BACKBONE OF TOURISM In India, the existing room supply grew by 5.5 per centin 2015-16 totalling to 1,13,622 rooms (as of March 31,2016). There are an estimated 2,319 hotels in Mah -arashtra available for booking online. The State hasbeen fortunate that even tier-II cities have someexcellent properties and they need not be global brands.

One rare example is Express Inn in Nashik, the mostpopular hotel during Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2015.“Nobody thought that a city like Nashik can cater to a200-room hotel. At that time the biggest hotel was Tajwith around 60 rooms. But we foresaw the potential andwent ahead, adding a huge banquet facility. For the top-end CEOs and dignitaries visiting Nashik, we created apresidential wing. We were recently awarded as theBest Luxury Business Hotel in the Western Region ofIndia–competing with some of the best-known globalbrands and home-grown luxury brands,” said Narayan

S(Clockwise from topleft) Tourists enjoy atractor ride; medical

tourists; inside view ofa hotel; Hotel Taj

Mahal in Mumbai;Chhatrapati Shivaji

International Airport;bed and breakfast

facility at Ratnagiri;and a representative

image depicting MICEtourism

� Every year,more than 2 lakhmedical touristsarrive in India. � Mumbai, Puneand Nagpur arehome to some ofthe best state-of-the-art hospitalsin South Asia.These institutesalso have richexperience inresearch anddevelopment.� The State alsohas a uniqueculture ofpracticingwellness, yogaand ayurveda,among others.� Maharashtraaims to provide acomplete packageof above-mentionedpractices to thesetourists anddomestictravellers.

FACT FILE


!

Shelar, CMD, Express Inn.While Maharashtra has almost all the global hotel

brands–Marriott, Accor, IHG, Hilton, Four Seasons,Oakwood and Ramee–it’s the home-grown brand TajHotels Resorts and Palaces (including Ginger) that hasthe largest room inventory in the country as well as theState with ten hotels located across Mumbai, Pune,Nashik, Aurangabad and Gondia. In fact, India’s firstluxury hotel was launched in 1903 when JamshedjiTata opened the Taj Mahal hotel. “Apart from the iconicTaj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, we have four more hotelsin Mumbai–Vivanta by Taj President, Taj Lands End,Wellington Mews, Taj Santacruz, each located in keybusiness districts of Mumbai. One more Taj is scheduledto open in Vashi soon with a capacity of 150 rooms,” saidRakhee Lalvani, AVP—Public Relations, Taj HotelsResorts and Palaces.

Mumbai (including Navi Mumbai) continues to be atthe top of the chart in terms of average room rate(`7,363) as well as occupancy (74.3 per cent). The NaviMumbai market focuses mainly on budget and mid-market hotels, but these have achieved a healthyoccupancy of 82 per cent. Again, this is mainly due tocorporate travel and demand from Mahape, Relianceand IT parks and other companies located in the vicinity.

Pune, in spite of having so many hotels (since 2009,the city has seen a 400 per cent increase in rooms, themaximum by any city in India), saw an estimated 7 percent increase in occupancy touching 65 per cent. Beinga major IT and manufacturing hub, it has always beenan attractive MICE destination.

A local brand from Pune, Pride Hotels has becomea major player in the national hospitality industry.“Starting with a single hotel in Pune, we have emergedas one of the fastest growing business hotels chain in

India. Being a leading Indian brand, I can proudlysay, we are ‘Truly Indian, Traditionally Luxurious,Purely Pride’. Currently, we manage and operate 12hotels with more than 1,150 rooms, 33 restaurantsand 55 banquet halls all over in India. Our flagshiphotel, The Pride Hotel, Pune has 112 rooms with hugebanquet and conference facilities. Our Nagpur hotel,just half a kilo metre from the airport, has 102 rooms.We are planning to expand the existing property by 72rooms,” said S. P. Jain, Managing Director, PrideHotels Limited. The hotel chain is planning to add250 to 300 rooms in Mumbai and mid-market hotels inNashik city by 2020.

While most hotels generally provide only bed andbreakfast, Hotel Kohinoor Elite in Mumbai is an inno -vation in hospitality. Its USP is its unique single billconcept, wherein a guest is offered accommodation, allmeals, laundry and internet service in a single valuepackage. A massive LCD screen at the reception providesthe guest with real-time flight information, news andworld time to keep them updated with the latesthappenings around the world. Kohinoor Elite offers aselection of 100 spacious well-equipped rooms with themost elegant décor. The group’s flagship hotel is KohinoorContinental Mumbai, a 137-room property.

The tier II and tier III Indian cities are most popularwith brands, as there are low-entry barriers and areable to establish brand recall and loyalty among thepeople of that town, including corporate.

MICETOURISMToday, most hotelbusiness inMaharashtra comesthrough corporatetravel and MICE(meetings,incentives,conferences andexhibitions).Maharashtra, withglobal cities likeMumbai and Pune, isalready a majorplayer in thissegment due tonumerous hotels andother conferencesupport facilities. TheGovernment plans toinvite bids in heavybusiness districtswith a population ofover one million,especially Mumbai,Thane, Nagpur, Pune,Aurangabad, Nashik,Kolhapur andSindhudurg toprovide air-conditioned,multi-purposeconvention orexhibition centre of asize minimum of3,000 sq. m.

Pune with a large number of hotels (since 2009, the city has seen a 400per cent increase in rooms, the maximum by any city in India) saw an

estimated 7 per cent increase in occupancy touching 65 per cent. Being a majorIT and manufacturing hub, it has always been an attractive MICE destination

The Government of Maharashtra has an -nounced 2017 as Visit Maharashtra Year.Under the initiative, the State will promote itsbouquet of tourist places and leisure activities.

The tourism promotion schemes of the State are beingfully assisted and encouraged by the Centre, says

Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (IndependentCharge) for Tourism and Culture, Government ofIndia in an interview with Mangesh Vaishampayan.Excerpts:

Q. What is the scope of opportunities for Maha -rashtra in the area of tourism development?A. As one of the developed States of India, Maharashtrahas enormous opportunities in the area of tourismdevelopment. Mumbai, with Delhi, is one of the twomajor cities of India in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.Out of the total visits, 40 per cent of the tourists visitMumbai first and then go to other places. Besides beingthe financial capital of India, the city is a magnificenttourism centre of the world with a range of landmarks,from traditional hotspots such as Gateway of India,Nehru Planetarium and Bollywood to newly plannedstructures like the upcoming international memorials ofDr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj. The metro rail projects at Mumbai, Pune andNagpur are going to provide comfortable facilities totourists in time to come. Add to this, the stunning cavesculptures of Ellora and Ajanta and the 720-kilometre-long seashore of the State.

Maharashtra also boasts of historic forts andfortresses, wildlife sanctuaries like Tadoba and nationalparks like Sanjay Gandhi National Park. I haveobserved that the State has made appropriate plans totake advantage of these locations. The opportunity ishuge from the point of view of tourist arrivals andresulting foreign exchange coming to the nationalexchequer. The Government of India also looks forwardto Maharashtra’s prosperity in the sector of tourism.

Q. What about the Centre’s assistance to theState’s tourism schemes?A. When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis andMinister for Tourism Jaykumar Rawal met me in Delhion the matter of tourism development in the State, Iencouraged the State Government to go ahead and draftthe schemes and be assured of the Government of India’scomplete support. In the culturally affluent State, atourist gets to experience the entire Indian culture.When we consider an example, like that of the annualpilgrimage Pandharpur Wari, we know that no otherevent can match the vastness and variety of the practice.

Q. What are the plans to promote Maharashtra’snatural hotspots?A. Tourism projects from Maharashtra will getattention in the Government of India’s SwadeshDarshan projects. The famous Lonar Crater inVidarbha, created due to a meteor, is the third suchcrater in the world. The Government has proposed aspecial project for setting up a tourism hub at the crater.

A


(From facing page) Arepresentative image

of the plannedChhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj Memorial;

and a representativeimage of the proposed

Dr BabasahebAmbedkar Memorial

in Mumbai

IInntteerrvviieeww � Union Minister of State for Tourism

“THE STATE HASENORMOUSOPPORTUNITIES INTHE AREA OFTOURISM”

I

Another hub is planned for Wardha, the seat ofMahatma Gandhi Sewagram Ashram. There are plansto improve the facilities at Mozri Point at Chikhaldaraand conserve ancient forts. The sound and light show atRaigad–the birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj and hiscapital Rajgad–and a short film on the great Marathaleader will begin in few months.

The second stage of the development of WorldHeritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora, in alliance with JapanInternational Corporation Agency, will get fullassistance from the Centre. The conservation of theancient caves, proposed causeway at Ajanta−Ellora,foot bridge, walking lanes for tourists, sound and lightshow, fibre optic lighting of Ajanta as well asdevelopment of Aurangabad Airport will be givenpriority. The project includes the inspection and main -tenance of Pitalkhora caves, Bibi ka Makbara and fortsat Daulatabad and Patandevi.

Q. How would you assist the development ofcoastal tourism?

A. The Government of India has already selectedSindhudurg Coastal Circuit under Centre’s SwadeshDarshan Scheme. The State Government has decided toestablish a Sea World at Tondavli−Wayangani. TheUnion Tourism Ministry has sanctioned a project ofaround `83 crore. From its first instalment, Maha -rashtra has been given `13 crore. The rest of the fundswill be disbursed stage by stage. Under this scheme,essential facilities will be provided at sea shoresat Sagareshwar, Tarkarli, Vijaydurg, Tondavali,Mithavab, Shiroda and Mochemad.

A period of around three to four years is needed forthe tourism development works in Maharashtra. Toaccomplish these, proper coordination between theState and the Centre at ministerial level and officerlevel is paramount. Officer-level coordination is equallyimportant for the completion of projects related to theforts of the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,Buddhist circuits and the rest. I have issued clearinstructions to the officers in Delhi on proper executionof the decisions taken.


(

“Union Tourism Ministry has sanctioned a project of around ̀ 83 crore. Fromits first instalment, Maharashtra has been given ̀ 13 crore. The rest of the funds will be

disbursed in stages. Under this, essential facilities will be provided at Sagareshwar,Tarkarli, Vijaydurg, Tondavali, Mithavab, Shiroda and Mochemad sea shores

� Going forward,metro railprojects atMumbai, Pune andNagpur willprovide com -fortable facilitiesto tourists � The Centre hasproposed aspecial projectfor setting up atourism hub atthe Lonar crater.A hub is plannedfor Wardha, theseat of MahatmaGandhi SewagramAshram. � Around three tofour years areneeded for Maha -rashtra’s tourismdevelopmentworks.

FACT FILE

Except snow-peaked mountains, Maharashtrahas everything of India’s geographicaldiversity and almost every landscape! It hasfive heritage sites declared by UNESCO and

varied tourist attractions, from historical monumentsto ancient caves like Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta. Italso boasts of beautiful hill stations such as Kalsubai,Mahabaleshwar and Toranmal and unique tigerreserves. The State has beautiful beaches, an inter -national city like Mumbai and exceptional locationslike Kaas plateau and Lonar Crater Lake.

About 40 countries in the world have tourism-basedeconomies. However, despite the huge potential,tourism in Maharashtra has remained largelyuntapped. Going forward, the State Government plansto work towards creating employment by developingthe sector. For instance, Nashik has places of religiousimportance, Mumbai and Pune have event-basedattractions, Nagpur has tiger tourism, while Sindhu -durg is a beach capital.

AURANGABAD, THE TOURISM CAPITAL Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation(MTDC) with the Japanese Government is building aninternational airport in Aurangabad. The emphasis is onshowcasing the historical importance of the city bypromoting Ajanta and Ellora caves. We are following upwith UNESCO through the Union Government to giveAurangabad the status of heritage city.

MUMBAI DARSHANApart from being the State capital, Mumbai is aninternational city. To familiarise the locals as well astourists with the city’s glorious past, we have startedMumbai Darshan bus service. At a minimal cost, thebus service gives a tour of 90 historical spots in Mumbaibetween 9 am and 5 pm.

After Delhi, Mumbai hosts the highest footfall ofinternational tourists in India. But after landing here,they leave for Bengaluru, Jaipur or Goa. Instead, ifthey stay in Mumbai even for a day, it can increase therevenue by `800 crore annually. Since manyinternational tourists visit Mumbai, it is important togive them a good experience through all services.

VISIT MAHARASHTRA 2017Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announcedVisit Maharashtra 2017 for attracting more tourists,thereby generating more employment as tourism picksup. As part of this, key tourism places will beshortlisted and marketed well. This is to ensure thattourists coming to Mumbai explore Maharashtra. Toencourage them, they will be offered connectivity byroad, rail and air. The State tourism department ispreparing a policy for restoration of historical forts for

t


(Clockwise from right)A tiger in Tadoba; and

Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis

with Minister forTourism Jaykumar

Rawal at theSarangkheda Chetak

Festival in Nandurbar

“TOURISTS COMINGTO MUMBAI NEEDTO EXPLORE THE STATE”

CCoolluummnn � Minister for Tourism

There is a huge potential for employment by developingthe tourism sector in Maharashtra and it is imminent toimbibe the mantra of Atithi Devo Bhav. The Departmentof Tourism is committed to the growth and developmentof tourism, says Minister for Tourism Jaykumar Rawal

tourism purpose. A committee has been set up for this.It includes respected members like brand ambassadorof forts Chattrapati Sambhaji Raje and Udaipur’sprince Lakshyaraj Singh and other experts.

BEACHES, TIGER RESERVES, TRIBAL BELTSThe beaches of Konkan are nature’s generous gift toMaharashtra. Forts by the sea are not a very commonsite in the world. An exception, the Konkan region hasthese amazing spots that are a treasure for tourists.

Maharashtra has seven tiger projects within aradius of 50 km from Nagpur city. There is one project

in Gondia that is connected to an international airport.It is gradually picking up with increasing numbers oftourists visiting the place annually. While some visitorscome to see tigers, others are keen to explore thejungles. With the help of the ecotourism board, theforest department is running massive forestationdrives to curb deforestation, improve the green coverand protect the ecosystem.

FOCUS ON DHULE AND KHANDESHLocated on Mumbai−Agra and Kolkata−Ahmedabadnational highways, Dhule has good tourism potential.Using this to advantage, forts like Laling, Songeer,Thalner and Bhamer can enhance tourism activities.Going forward, MTDC will have a regional office inDhule, which is only 200 km away from important citieslike Nashik, Surat, Indore and Aurangabad.

Khandesh is an entry point for tourists coming fromNorth India and is well connected by rail, road and air.Tourist spots in Khadesh are diverse and unique. Also,the lifestyle of people and cuisine of the region can bequite interesting for tourists. Khandesh Tourism willbe developed as a brand.

RELIGIOUS AND AGRO TOURISMThe number of religious tourists to the State has beengrowing year on year. Pandharpur, Shirdi, KumbhMela of Nashik, Ashtavinayak, Trimbakeshwar, Veruland Parali Vaijnath temples and jyotirlings ofBhimashankar and Shegaon are crowd pullers. Effortsare being made to offer all basic facilities and servicesto the devotees visiting these sites.

Agro tourism has been included in the State’sTourism Policy 2016. Nashik’s wine festivals are notonly promoted well, but various incentives are beingoffered to the providers giving amenities to visitors.

–As told to Ranjit Rajput


(

“The districts of Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Amravati,Nagpur and Gadchiroli have pristine tribal belts. Inspired by a tribal village

in South Africa, a tribal village will be set up in Palghar to showcase the lifestyle,cuisine, art and craft, and traditions of the indigenous tribes settled here

� An ambitioussea-world projectis planned on 250acres to attractvisitors. The seaworld willshowcase theaqua life andbiodiversity of theocean with anaquarium. � Efforts are onto promoteSaranga khedaChetak Festival,Toranmal (thesecond coldesthill station inMaharashtra)and unique tribalHoli festivals. � A grandmemorial ofChhatrapatiShivaji Maharajwill be built in theArabian Sea inMumbai. Thiswould be the mostfamous touristattraction notjust in India,but also in theentire world.

FACT FILE

SARANGKHEDA FESTIVAL

A GRAND AFFAIR

Maharashtra’s much-awaited event, the SarangkhedaFestival was recently organised by Maharashtra

Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) for the firsttime to boost tourism in Nandurbar. The festival heldfrom December 13-27 witnessed the arrival of more than2,000 horses at its market place, which is also one of thelargest horse fairs in the country. It also showcased horsedance show and powra, a tribal dance, by the people ofthe district. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis whilevisiting the Sangarkheda horse fair said the Governmentis committed to take the Sarangkheda fair to a globalplatform. It should become a brand on the lines ofPushkar's camel fair, he added.

At the festival, MTDC also organised a host of eventssuch as Tourism Conclave, Uttar Maharashtra RatnaGaurav Puraskar and Horse Painting exhibition. Thesewere inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisin the presence of Minister for Tourism Jaykumar Rawal,Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Smt. Valsa NairSingh, Managing Director, MTDC Dr. K.H. Govinda Raj,Joint Managing Director, MTDC Satish Soni, and GeneralManager, MTDC Swati Kale. The first edition ofSarangkheda Festival witnessed a huge participation oflocal as well as national tourists.

Blessed with myriad tourism opportunities,Maharashtra’s tourism potential is waiting tobe unleashed. With single-window clearances,dedicated funding, skill development prog -

rammes and many such thoughtful plans, the sector isgeared to be the third biggest employment generator forthe State. Minister for State, Tourism, Madan Yerawarshares with Mrudula Varaskar how the State Govern -ment is planning to turn around brand Maha rashtra onthe world tourism map with Visit Maha rashtra 2017.Excerpts from the interview:

Q. What is Visit Maharashtra 2017 all about?A. The Government has earmarked the year 2017 fortourism. Maharashtra has huge tourism potential, andto tap it we will work in tandem with several bodiesand make every effort to boost it. Various policies andinitiatives have been worked out and since the Govern -ment can’t make all the investments, we are workingon proposals to get foreign investments in an investor-friendly, professional environment. In a nutshell, 2017is going to be a very important year for tourism, jobcreation and economy.

Q. How is Maharashtra placed in terms oftourism initiatives vis-à-vis neighbouring Statessuch as Goa, Rajasthan and Gujarat?A. We have not been able to capitalise on tourism theway they have. Normally, foreign visitors land inMumbai and leave for tourist places like Jaipur andGoa. If we can stop these tourists in the State byoffering them a great tourism experience, it cangenerate a lot of revenue for us. Now, with a seamemorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj planned, wewill soon have an international tourist attraction.

Q. There seems to be a lot of excitement for thememorial being built on the Arabian Sea. A. For a legendary king as great as Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj, whatever we do to cherish his legacy willnever be enough. Recently, in my constituencyYavatmal, we built Maharaj’s statue with a libraryand community centre. I am sure it will help peoplelearn more about the great king.

The sea memorial will be a great tourist attractionand generate a lot of revenue for Maharashtra. Thearcheological department is making all efforts tomaintain and restore forts. The State Government isalso working to make them attractive for tourists. Wehave already started with Raigad and Shivneri forts. Apolicy for forts will be ready soon.

Q. The Maharashtra Tourism DevelopmentCorporation recently started Mumbai Darshanbuses. What has been the response?A. Very encouraging! You would not believe, in the firstfew days of the bus service at least 50 people have toldme that they have learnt so much about Mumbai’s

h


(From facing page) Aferry near the

Gateway of India,Mumbai adds to the

beauty of themonument; the

Sindhudurg Fort offthe Malvan coast in

Maharashtra

IInntteerrvviieeww � Minister of State

“YEAR 2017 WILLBE IMPORTANTFOR TOURISM, JOBCREATION ANDECONOMY”

history and heritage through the tour. People pass bythese spots so often, but are completely oblivious totheir historical or cultural past. But when touristguides narrate the history of these places, people lookat these locations differently. Our guides are welltrained and doing a great job.

Q. Similar to the trained guides, the tourismsector needs trained manpower for variousservices. How is the department addressingthe need?A. We are encouraging hospitality institutes, chamberbodies and others to use corporate social responsibility(CSR) funding to train manpower. We are setting up atraining institute in Sindhudurg, Konkan. In regionssuch as the Konkan, where we plan to promote homestays and bed and breakfasts or water sports tourism,we cannot do it without expert and professional staff.The need is huge and we are ready for the challenge.

Q. Talking of the Konkan, the ambitious sea-world project has been pending for a long time...A. The work on the project will start soon, as all thepermissions, land acquisitions and procedural hurdleshave been cleared. The sea world project will be built on250 acres of land. It will boost ancillary tourismfacilities such as resorts, restaurants and others. Weare planning to have a large oceanarium, where peoplewill learn all about sharks and other sea creatures,down to the smallest ocean species.

Q. How is Maharashtra tourism planning toembrace modern tourism modes?A. As everyone knows, we are planning a floatel in

Mumbai. More or less, all permissions are in place. Itwill be a three-tier yacht with the Bandra−Worli sealink as backdrop. While other States have launchedfloatels, the one in Mumbai will be the first of itskind. We have already launched helicopter tours.There is a growing interest in this segment with atleast 12-15 players. We have got a proposal by someplayers to give them facilities of temporary heliports.We are studying the design and safety aspects and thefeasibility factor. Then, we are working on yachttourism and seaplanes in some areas.

Q. What about caravan tourism, which is verypopular in many western countries?A. It is very much on our minds, but frankly, it is littleearly for us to launch caravan tourism. In westerncountries, the concept of weekend travel is very popular.Soon after placing our infrastructure in place, we willcertainly consider caravan tourism. At the moment, ourfocus is on strengthening existing tourism units.

Q. How will Visit Maharashtra 2017 be promoted?A. We are planning to launch an app that is handy anduser-friendly. We will have catchy websites. The em -phasis will be on online bookings for a hassle-free ex -perience. There might be various promotional eventsand festivals for helping the sector. We might rope incelebrities to endorse the Visit Maharashtra brand. Weare committed to create brand Maharashtra in 2017.


(

“We are planning a floatel in Mumbai. More or less, all permissions arein place. It will be a three-tier yacht with the Bandra–Worli sea link as

backdrop. While other States have launched floatels, the one in Mumbai willbe the first of its kind. We have already launched helicopter tours

� With the seamemorial ofChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj,Mumbai will havean internationaltouristattraction. � The sea worldproject in Konkanwill be built on 250acres of land andboost ancillarytourism facilitiessuch as resorts,restaurants, etc.� There are plansto launch an appthat is handyand user friendly.The emphasis willbe on onlinebookings for ahassle-freeexperience.

FACT FILE

Maharashtra is the third largest State inIndia both in terms of population and area.Its capital Mumbai, one of the largest andmost vibrant cities in the world, is also the

financial and entertainment capital of the country. TheState is also blessed with rich history, tradition andculture, which is evident through its world-classancient forts and monuments, ancient cave templesand pilgrimage centres. It has a long coastline of 720km along the lush green Konkan region. The WesternGhats and the Sahyadri mountain range offer hillstations and water reservoirs with semi-evergreen anddeciduous forests. And the Vidarbha region, with itsdense forests, is home to several wildlife sanctuariesand nature parks. The State is the leader in the countrywith respect to foreign tourist arrivals (20.8 per cent)and one of the leading States in terms of domestictourist arrivals (7.2 per cent).

With the objective of exploiting these numbers, theState Government has rolled out a new tourism policy,which designates tourism as a priority sector. It holdsthe potential to usher in economic development andgenerate high employment opportunities in Maha -rashtra. It aims to achieve sector growth of 10 per centper annum and a share of 15 per cent in Gross StateDomestic Product through tourism and tourism-relatedactivities, generate fresh investments in the sector tothe tune of``30,000 crore by 2025 and create 1 millionadditional jobs in the sector by 2025.

FOCUSED SEGMENTSThe policy has underlined a few specialised tourismsegments. These include sustainable tourism, ruraltourism, caravan tourism and others.Sustainable Tourism: Maharashtra aims to promotethe practice of sustainable tourism wherein all tourismactivities of whatever motivation–holidays, businesstravel, conferences, adventure travel and eco-tourism–need to be sustainable. Sustainable tourismis defined as tourism that respects both local people andthe traveller, cultural heritage and the environment.The objectives of building a sustainable tourism

ecosystem will be to optimise the use of environmentalresources while preserving natural heritage andbiodiversity, respect the local culture of the hostcommunity through conserving the living culturalheritage, and ensure sustainable and equitableeconomic operations and employment opportunitiesand social services to local community whilecontributing to poverty alleviation.Rural Tourism: Maharashtra offers a unique tourismproposition through its rural landscape, which makesapproximately 55 per cent of its area. It aims topromote rural tourism as the primary tourism productto spread tourism and its socio-economic benefits torural and surrounding regions. This will lead to abalanced and far-reaching growth in the State, thusimproving the economic situation at the village level.Caravan Tourism: Caravan tourism has gainedimmense popularity over the last few years since itprovides flexibility and freedom while holidaying vis-à-vis fixed schedules. Maharashtra is a perfectdestination for such kind of tourism, since MaharashtraTourism Development Corporation (MTDC) possessesland parcels that are in proximity to key touristdestinations. MTDC in collaboration with privateplayers through PPP/JV mode will undertake venturesof caravan tourism parks. The prime objective of the

c


Government of Maharashtra has rolled out a new tourismpolicy, which designates tourism as a priority sector. Itholds the potential to usher in economic development andgenerate high employment opportunities

TToouurriissmm PPoolliiccyy

THE STATE BECKONS

NATURETOURISM

The Department ofTourism will evaluate

and create SpecialTourism Estates

around nature parksand wildlife reserves.

The estates will becreated within 10 km

radius of the ecozones. It will also

developinternational level

tiger eco-tourismparks. These will be

developed withstate-of-the-art

facilities at Tadobaand Pench tiger

reserves, andpromoted at national

and internationalevents. MTDC will

also design specialprogrammes/infrastr

ucture to connecttiger eco-tourism

parks to tiger safaris,and tourism estates

with touristamenities, which will

act as gateways totourist destinations

in the area.

T

concept is to promote caravan tourism as a uniquetourism product, which provides family-oriented tourseven at circuits/destinations where adequate hotelfacilities are not available. Its second aim is to exploitvast lands at vantage locations that are unable toprovide basic amenities to tourists, while providing anopportunity to observe nature from close quarters.MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences andExhibitions): Maharashtra is a leader in receivingmaximum foreign tourist arrivals in India. It aims tobecome a major player in this segment, wherein itprovides suitable infrastructure–an impressivecombination of accommodation and other conferencesupport facilities to hold successful meetings,incentives, conferences and exhibitions.Film Tourism: With Mumbai being the entertainmentand fashion capital of India, it provides an idealdestination for this segment. With the existinginfrastructure in Mumbai Filmcity and sets in otherparts of the State, Maharashtra aims to build furtheravenues in the form of film museums, theme parks,Filmcity tours and others.Religious Tourism: Maharashtra is known for itspilgrimage centres like Ajanta and Ellora caves thatare part of the acclaimed Buddha circuit, jyotirling,the Ashtavinayaks, and other famous temples at

Shirdi, Pandharpur and Kolhapur. Special pilgrimcircuits will be promoted through marketing andtour operators. Heritage Tourism: All UNESCO World HeritageSites will be promoted through dedicated marketingchannels, which include roadshows in select countries.All the monuments under Archaeological Survey ofIndia, State Archaeological Department, heritagebuildings of Mumbai and others will be part of theheritage tourism circuit of the State. The Departmentof Tourism invites tour operators to form separatetourist activities around the forts. Beach Tourism: The Department of Tourism willprepare a comprehensive list of restricted and permittedactivities for beaches along the Maharashtra coastline.It will give special licenses to eco-friendly temporaryconstruction on the beaches of Maharashtra. Thesestructures need to be eco-friendly and CRZ compliantand may be in the form of shacks, portable cabins andothers, which will be open during the fair season of theyear. To develop coastal tourism and yacht tourism,single-entry pass issuing procedures for yachts will beimplemented by MTDC in collaboration with PortAuthorities, Border Patrol, Customs Department,Passport police, and other authorities. Nature Tourism: The Tourism Policy 2016 aims tocreate project profiles on various segments such aswildlife tourism, trekking, hitch-hiking, nature trails,jungle safari, balloon safari, bird watching, campingactivities and others. It will also earmark specificregions such as Melghat, Tadoba and Pench as naturetourism zones and promote them. The department willplan policies to promote other themes such as golftourism, heli-tourism, night cruises, floatingrestaurants, lighthouse tourism, island tourism andart villages. The regions of Vidarbha, Konkan,Aurangabad and special tourism zones will be givenprime focus. Adventure Tourism: The tourists in this segmentoften seek exceptional and authentic experience. Giventheir penchant for exploring new destinations andseeking new experiences, they are frequently covetedby emerging destinations at the early stages of tourismdevelopment and also in more mature destinations thathave protected and/or developed appropriate product.The State has many virgin and emerging areas, whichcan provide a whole new holiday experience to tourists.Medical Tourism: Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur arehome to some of the best hospitals in South Asia. Theseinstitutes also have rich experience in research anddevelopment. There is also a unique culture ofpracticing wellness, yoga and Ayurveda in the State.Every year, more than 200,000 medical tourists arrivein India. The State aims to provide a complete packageof said practices to global and domestic travellers.


Registration and enlisting of all service providers, informationregarding guides, hotels, homestays, resorts and travel and tour agentswill be displayed on Maharashtra Tourism website. Online booking for

water sports and adventure sports will be initiated by the State tourism department

• According toTourism Policy2016, a specialtourism policetask force will beconsidered.• The Governmentplans to providetourists a seam-less travel ticketto major touristspots, hotel stays,air and surfacetravel within theState.• The Departmentof Tourism willimprove last mileconnectivity,ensure clean-liness around sitesand facilitatecanteens, cleantoilets andsouvenir shops atmajor ASImonuments andsites. Culturalactivities, danceperformances andlight shows will bearranged at majorASI monuments.• The tourismdepartmentencouragesairlines to improveconnectivity totier II and tier IIIdestinations, anduse smalleraircraft and no-frill airports toreduce travelcost.• The departmentrecognises theneed to reach outto newer targetaudiences throughsocial and digitalmedia. It willappoint vendors todevelop mobileapps for tourismrelatedinformation • Training ofguides will beundertaken.

INITIATIVES

!


SSoouuvveenniirrss

WHAT MAKES THE STATE SPECIAL Maharashtra is a powerhouse of all things beautiful.If you happen to be in the State at any point of time, doremember to carry back souvenirs that you couldkeep for yourself, as well as gift to your near and dearones. Let’s pick some of the eclectic products fromMaharashtra that are a must-have in your home

KOLHAPURI CHAPPALS

Known globally for theirsimple and comfortable

design, the handcraftedKolhapuri slippers havealmost achieved a cult status.Originally created for thedaily use of farmers, thesesandals have becomeupwardly mobile and afashion statement as much inIndia as abroad.

KOLHAPUR JAGGERY

Amelt-in-the-mouth sweet, Kolhapur jaggery findsuniversal appeal. Patronised and encouraged

by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the organicjaggery figures high on the list ofcity’s trademarks, and has aGI tag. The jaggeryproduced in Kolhapurhas more than80 per cent canejuice and nochemicals, giving ita special taste.

PAITHANI SAREES

Named after the Paithan regionof Maharashtra, this saree

with a golden sheen always findsplace in the trousseau of atraditional Maharashtrian bride.Called maha-vastra or grandattire, the saree is an heirloom inthe Maharashtrian community. Acraft that goes back 2,000 years, aPaithani is more than a drape; it isa culture, a journey and a blessing.

KOLHAPURI SAAJ

Kolhapuri saaj is knownfor its intricate design,

unique appeal and grandeur,making it popular amongwomen. Typically, a goldnecklace with a heavy decorativepattern, varied metals and embellishments such as beadsand stones, saaj is a symbol of luck,prosperity, blessing and happy marriedlife. It depicts State’s cultural essence.

NASHIK VALLEY WINE

The district of Nashik inMaharashtra is known as the

wine bowl of India. Traditionalviticulture practices, mineral-rich soil, temperature andhumidity, all are needed for goodwines, which is why Nashikalone is home to some 38wineries of Maharashtra’s 72 oddwineries, including SulaVineyards–the country’s topwinemaker.

S

WARLI PAINTING

The Warli tribe ofMaharashtra uses

this art to embellish thewalls of their homes. Themonochromatic tribalpaintings express folkimaginations, beliefs andcustoms. Believed to

invoke the power of Gods, Warli symbolises humans’harmony with each other and with nature. You can buy itfrom Govardhan Eco Village at Thane or online portals.

SOLAPUR CHADDARAND TERRY TOWELS

Solapur, one of Maharashtra’slargest districts and an

important part of its textile zone, isthe source of Solapuri Chaddar, amultipurpose cotton blanket.Another traditional product, theterry towel–an allied product of theSolapur jacquard bedsheet–isequally famous. Both Solapurbedsheet and terry towel haveGeographical Indication (GI) status.


Tradition has it that during the wedding, the father-in-law is supposed togift a set of Sawantwadi dolls to his new daughter-in-law. The reason Sawantwadi toys

are famous is that small careless hands could not break them easily, and often, like some kindof family heirloom, they were passed on from one sibling to the next in line!

SEVAGRAM,WARDHA KHADI

Khadi, a hand-woven andhand-spun cotton cloth,

finds favour with people wholove to wear ethnic chic. Thekhadi spun at Sevagram,Wardha finds takers worldover for its softness, comfortand style in equal measures.The fabric can be worn inboth summer as well aswinter season.

MASHRU

Mashru is a venerable hand-woven textile craft. The

fabric means ‘permitted’ inArabic. In Sanskrit, mishrumeans mixed. It is a vibrant,hand-woven mix of silk andcotton textiles. It has a fine satinfinish, bright contrasting stripesin vibrant colours and stripedIkat weave, and is known for itsbold patterns and colours.

SAWANTWADI CRAFT

Apicturesque town located atthe southern-most tip of

Sindhudurg district,Sawantwadi is known for itsexquisitely carved wooden craftsand, more specially, for itscollection of brightly-colouredtoys or its lakda chi khelni.Mostly carved out of Pangarawood or the locally availablemango tree, the toys are madeusing several techniques.

HIMROO Himroo gets its name from the Persian word hum-ruh(similar). It is an extra-weft,figured fabric with a solidground of satin or twill,decorated with figurativemotifs and manufactured fromcotton and viscose rayon yarn ona cotton ground and also wovenfrom silk yarn and gold thread ona silk ground. You can purchase itat Himroo Fabrics, Aurangabad.

W

BIDRIWARE

Bidri–the ancient craft of inlaying orbrocading silver on black metal and

ultimately creating beautiful eye-catching pieces–has its origin in Persiaand Syria. It is believed to have enteredIndia more than 4,000 years ago, butthe art developed only during theMughal reign. For Aurangabad,Bidri is one of the many heritagecrafts left behind by severaldynasties that ruled the regionover centuries.

NASHIK SILVER ITEMS

Nashik’s silver articles have ahistory that dates back to

around 400 years. Purity, skilledcraftsmanship and reasonablepricing have made these silverjewels famous. Nashik is a placewhere unique craftsmanship ofsilver is executed with traditionalartistry. The jewellery made hereis known for its visual appeal andheritage.

S

SANGLI TURMERIC

The capital of turmerictrade in India, Sangli is

also the country’s soleturmeric exchange thatboasts of a centuries-oldpractice–storing turmeric inpits. The raw turmeric sold byfarmers is stored in these pits for three to four years.The spice hardens and matures while it is in the pit, adding tothe value of the variety. Termed superfood, today, over 80 percent of India’s turmeric trade is credited to the district.

NAGPURHANDLOOM SAREES

This saree famously woven inNagpur is known as Karvati

Kathi saree, a name derivedfrom the saw-edged design alongits borders. The saree is wovenon pitlooms using three-flyshuttles with silk, tussar andcotton yarns of various countsusing an interlocking technique.Maharashtrian women wear thissaree during religious events.

In a life of monotony, who wouldn’t wish for a timeaway from the daily stress? Trips away from thebusy city and to a quiet hamlet not only refreshour body and mind, but also help us learn a lot of

new things. Talking of new things, how would you liketo milk a cow, drive a tractor, plant saplings, pick fruitsfrom trees or take an early morning farm walk to checkwhether there is any crop infestation? All these andmany more such jobs await you on a farm, where youcan have a working vacation and a great time awayfrom stress.

India, as we know, has always been an agriculture-based country. One can also say that the roots of Indianculture are deeply connected to agriculture. So foranyone keen to see the true colours of India andexperience its culture, it is recommended one beginswith its villages. People living in urban areas are alwaysdrawn to a village owing to its fresh air, open land andoverall natural environment setting. There areinnumerable people who have shifted from villages to thecity for education, work or other reasons. These peoplealways look for a chance to visit their native lands so thattheir bond with their culture, emotion and roots staysstrong. These two reasons have opened doors for aunique concept of tourism known as agro tourism.

Basically, the concept of agro tourism involves afarmer. It presents tourists the opportunity to live afarmer’s life and understand his delights and hardships.The experience brings the traveller agriculture-relatedinformation such as the types of crop sown on the farm,the soil quality and environmental factors, besidesknowledge on local culture, cuisine and lifestyle. Thefarm vacation may include residential or lodging optionsfor visitors for a day or more.

It is believed that the onset of agro tourism cameabout 70 years ago in Australia. The concept was later


AAggrriiccuullttuurree TToouurriissmm

From rearing cows and running after chickens to plantingsaplings and plucking oranges, there are many activitiesthat can keep you busy on a farm. The “working vacation”is but an experience of a lifetime, says Shivaji Mankar

LIFE ON THE FARMLAND

followed up in Italy, Japan, Canada and Europe. InIndia, Maharashtra has led the pack of Statesdeveloping agro tourism. In Baramati, late AppasahebPawar started experimenting with innovative farmingtechniques. The farmers who visited these farms wereprovided food and shelter free of cost. Gradually,planned paid trips were organised to help farmersstudy these innovations.

Pandurang Taware took the initiative further bysetting up Maharashtra State Agri and Rural TourismCo-operative Ltd. With the help of the cooperative, theState is now becoming a strong player in thisspecialised sector in India. Saguna baug in Neral byChandrashekhar Bhadsavle is one of the best examplesto show how agro tourism can benefit farmers.

Agro tourism has many benefits. The major merit isthat it does not require a big capital. A well-maintainedfarm is what you need to begin with. If one wishes toexpand the business, one may hire local residents forassistance. Thus, the concept also helps generateemployment. The farm-grown products can be put onsale for added income, as tourists are always looking forfarm fresh and organic products. How much the visitorsenjoy their tour also depends on the hospitality of thefarmer and the assistant staff, if employed.

Every year, Maharashtra State Agri and RuralTourism Co-operative celebrates May 16 as World AgroTourism Day. On this day, farmers and entrepreneurswho have done notable work in the field are felicitated.It is believed that agro tourism will bring a newperspective to rural development, thereby wideningthe scope of development of entire Maharashtra.

In Tourism Policy 2016, the Government ofMaharashtra has underlined the practice of ruraltourism. The State offers a unique proposition throughits rural landscape, which stands at approximately 55

per cent of its total area. The Government aims topromote rural tourism as it brings socio-economicbenefits to villages and surrounding regions. This willlead to a balanced and far-reaching growth in the State,thus improving the economic situation at the villagelevel. The objectives of rural tourism are also to educatepublic on the concept and provide a rural experience tourban residents, promote farm products and generateadditional income, and allow diversification of incomeopportunities to farms and ranches that can help bufferfluctuating markets.


(Clockwise from left)Tourists ride a bullockcart; lodging facilitiesamidst farmland;foreign tourists at anagro-tourism centre; aforeign tourist learnsto sow a plant;children learn tomilk a cow; andschool children ona farm visit

The concept of agro tourism presents tourists the opportunity to live thelife of a farmer and understand his delights and hardships. The travellers

gain agriculture-related information such as crops sown, the soil quality andenvironmental factors, besides knowledge on local culture, cuisine and lifestyle

� It is believedthat the onset ofagro tourismcame about 70years ago inAustralia. Theconcept was laterfollowed up inItaly, Japan,Canadaand Europe. � In India,Maharashtra hasled the pack ofStates developingthis niche conceptof tourism. � In Baramati,AppasahebPawar startedexperimentingwith innovativefarmingtechniques. Thefarmers whovisited thesefarms wereprovidedfood and shelterfree of cost.

FACT FILE

!

The Indian film industry is the largest in theworld and Bollywood is one of the largest filmproducers in the country, representing 43 percent of the net box office revenue. The name

Bollywood came from the words Bombay (the earliermoniker of Mumbai) and Hollywood. The termoriginated in the 1970s, when India surpassed the USas the world’s largest film producer. Presently, ticketsales in India are forecasted to rise to 2.80 billion in2020 from 2.04 billion in 2015. Bollywood is also one ofthe biggest film industries in the world in terms of thenumber of people employed. While the number ofcinema halls in India is much lower compared to theUS, with more than 1,000 films produced annually,Bollywood is the world’s most prolific cinema factory.

Add to these factors the provision of 100 per centforeign direct investment that has made the Indianfilm market attractive for foreign enterprises such as20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros.

Looking at the potential, prominent Indian enterprisessuch as Zee, UTV, Adlabs and Sun Network’s SunPictures have also begun producing and distributingfilms. Tax incentives to multiplexes have further aidedcinema boom in India.

FILMCITYMaharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural DevelopmentCorporation Ltd., alias Filmcity, was established onSeptember 26, 1977 by the Department of CulturalAffairs, Government of Maharashtra. It was renamedDadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in 2001 to com -memorate the founder of the Indian film industryDadasaheb Phalke. Filmcity in Goregaon, Mumbai isone of the largest studio complexes in India.

Spread over 500 acres and 40 picturesque locales,Filmcity unveils more than hundred films a year. Itoffers a variety of natural locations like hills, valleys,open grounds, forests, shrubbery and water bodies.Starting with two studios in 1977, today it has 16 well-equipped, air-conditioned and sound-proof studios ofdifferent shapes and sizes catering to all demands offilms, tele-serials, advertisements and others. With 52make-up rooms, 12 overnight rooms and 12 dressingrooms, facilities of film processing and post production,peaceful environment for shooting films away fromtraffic, noise and crowds, a helipad, an artificial waterdam (lake) and Khandala bridge, it has everything themake-believe world needs.

Filmcity also has “permanent locations” such as atemple, church, court, police station, shopping arcadeand multipurpose building exterior. In collaboration

w


LIGHTS, CAMERA, FILMSA potential revenue earner, Bollywood not justdrives cinema, but also tourism. A ride through the setsof films and tele-serials can give you glimpses of theworld of cinema, says Varsha C. A.

!BBoollllyywwoooodd TToouurriissmm

(Clockwise fromabove) A group of

foreign studentsindulge in Bollywood

tourism; people watcha film shoot; a collage

of film posters; andcollege students

undertake a tour ofFilmcity in Mumbai

with Reliance Media Works, it provides world-classfacilities for colour film processing, managed by highlyskilled professionals. It also offers Digital Inter -mediates (DI) and Telecine facilities. Whistling WoodsInternational Institute provides training in acting,direction, audio designing, editing, scripting, ani -mation, and business of entertainment. All of thesemake the complex the one-stop shop for filmmakers inachieving everything from script to screen.

BOLLYWOOD DRIVES TOURISMHindi films have certainly made some shootinglocations quite popular. Mumbai has a mix of all that adirector can ask for–beaches, heritage, malls andcrowded places like roads, railways and airport. Themost popular locations in the city are Filmcity, theGateway of India, Arabian Sea, crowds, vendors and

the Taj Mahal Hotel, Juhu beach, Dharavi, Chhatra -pati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Marine Drive, AksaBeach, Colaba Causeway, Bandra, Bandstand, CarterRoad, Pali Hill, Bandra−Worli Sea Link and Jogger’sPark. Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest open-air laundry, is another place made famous by films.

Wai near Pune, surprisingly, is the next mostpopular destination for shooting films in Maharashtra.Chennai Express, Dabangg, Dabangg 2 and The Rising:Ballad of Mangal Pandey were all shot at Wai. Punehas its gardens, Symbiosis International University atLavale and Okayama Friendship Garden. Nashik hasPandavleni Caves, Godavari and numerous temples.The other popular locations are Panchgani, Maha -baleshwar, Sahyadri hills, Malshej Ghat, Ratangad,Khandala, Alibaug and Essel World.

To cater to tourists, Filmcity runs a two-hour guidedbus tour operated by Mumbai Filmcity Tours inconjunction with Maharashtra Tourism Develop mentCorporation. The tour begins with a brief history ofBollywood, followed by visits to various locations. Thetrip costs about ̀ 599 per Indian and ̀ 3,000 per foreigner.

The Dream Tour is a two-hour guided bus tour thatpresents the history of post-production activities, Foleysound experience, real voice recording studio, anopportunity to sing in a proper studio, introduction to thedubbing studio, and dub the voice over of famous moviescenes. There is also a live show tour that focuses on theshooting of a television show and visits to the set. Amongthe private tours, Bollywood Tours is quite popular.Established in 2003, it has a full-day Filmcity tour witha drive past Bollywood filmstars’ homes.


World over, films have showcased locations to attract tourists. While Switzerlandwas made popular among Indians by Yash Raj movies, Oscar award-winning film

Slumdog Millionaire established Mumbai globally. Thanks to Hindi films, many touristsarriving in Mumbai desire to see film stars and shooting locations

Filmcity officialsplan to developthe complex atGoregaon into aworld-classfacility on thelines ofUniversal/WaltDisney Studio,where touristscan spend one ortwo days toexperiencevarious aspectsof Indian cinemain an entertainingway. A guided tourcovering allaspects offilmmaking—from script toscreen—will soonbe included. Amuseum ofMarathi cultureis also beingenvisaged.

FACT FILE

!

India is historically a medical tourism destination.The practice of yoga gained popularity 5,000 yearsago. The Indian medical science is as old asthe Indus Valley Civilisation. For centuries,

people visited India for its exhaustive ayurvedictreatments. Today, over 2 lakh medical tourists arrivein India every year. The rising number has made manyIndian States launch dedicated healthcare packageswith related wellness offerings to these travellers. Themedical tourism industry is expected to grow from thecurrent $3 million to $8 billion attracting medicaltourists from Bangladesh, Iraq, GCC and CIS regionsand Africa.

Speaking at the recent Medical Tourism Conclaveorganised by IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industryand Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporationin Mumbai, Smt. Valsa Nair Singh, PrincipalSecretary, Tourism and Culture, Government ofMaharashtra said, “Maha rashtra aims to be thenumber one destination for medical tourism throughstate-of-the-art healthcare facilities, well-trainedmedical professionals and lower cost of deliverycompared to Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Our objective is toprovide infrastructure, hospitals and medical facilities

in Pune, Nagpur and other centres across the State. Tofurther boost this segment, we are planning to create aweb platform that will provide various services andfacilities to global patients seeking assistance in India.”

STRONG POTENTIALMedical tourists currently contribute less than 0.1 percent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Withconcerted efforts, the country can target a GDP shareof 2 per cent from the sector. Health tourism is good forthe economy and the people who benefit from low-costtreatments, availability of all-inclusive packages,doctors meeting international stan dards, advancedfacilities and technologies, no waiting lists, recovery ina stress-free environment and no discre tion (dependingon treatment, cosmetic procedures).

Maharashtra’s tertiary healthcare service haswitnessed an enormous growth in infrastructure in theprivate and voluntary sector. Out of the 28 hospitals inIndia accredited by American Joint CommissionInternational (JCI) for quality in medical tourism, onefourth, i.e. seven are from Maharashtra. It is estimatedthat 75-80 per cent of the healthcare services andinvestment in the State are from the private sector.

Today, Maharashtra has top-notch centres for kneereplacement surgery, hip replacement surgery, open-heart surgery, organ transplantation, cosmetic surgeryand cancer therapy, and virtually all the clinics areequipped with the latest electronic and medicaldiagnostic equipment. The facilities include full-body

p


(Clockwise fromabove) A doctor caters

to a senior citizenfrom abroad at a city

hospital; an oldwoman being

tendered to; anddoctor from Fortis

hears out a patient

SUN, SAND AND SURGERYMumbai, Pune and Nagpur are home to some of thebest state-of-the-art hospitals in South Asia. There is alsoa unique culture of practicing wellness, yoga, Ayurvedain Maharashtra, says Dr Ganesh Rangnath Sanap

!MMeeddiiccaall TToouurriissmm

pathology, comprehensive physical and gynaecologicalexaminations, dental check-up, eye check-up, dietconsultation, audiometric, spirometry, stress andlifestyle management, digital X-ray, 2D echo, ColourDoppler, CT scan, high-strength MRI. Thanks to these,many local medical professionals have treated a numberof international patients. The clinical outcome has beenat par with the world’s best centres. Many surgeonshave also presented research papers at internationalseminars and undergone fellowships at foreign uni -versities. Cost effectiveness is one of the most importantdriving factors for medical tourists in cities like Mumbai,Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and Nagpur. The cost oftreatment is very low as compared to the same availablein the US, UK or any other big city in India.

In its Tourism Policy 2016, the State Governmenthas clearly stated its preference for medical tourism. Tobecome a first-choice medical tourism desti nation, theDepartment of Tourism aims to revive the MedicalTourism Council of Maharashtra (MTCM) and initiateprojects under medical tourism, and create individualproject profiles for wellness and spa, Ayurveda, vipassanameditation and others across the State. The departmentwill identify potential nationalities visiting Maharashtrafor above-mentioned activities and create a targetedmarketing and promotion plan.

The MTCM will underline the additional quali -fication criteria for units that can be classified undermedical tourism. The Department of Tourism willdecide the quantum of additional incentives to beprovided. It will prepare a comprehensive databasealong with patient-friendly policies and infrastructureto assist medical tourists. In addition to offlinetraditional media, the department recognises its needto reach out to newer target audiences through socialand digital media.


(

To become a first-choice medical tourism destination, the Department ofTourism aims to revive the Medical Tourism Council of Maharashtra and initiate

projects under medical tourism, and create individual project profiles for wellnessand spa, Ayurveda, vipassana meditation and others across the State

� Medical tourismindustry isexpected to growfrom the current$3 million to $8billion attractingmedical touristsfrom Bangladesh,Iraq, GCC and CISregions and Africa.� Maharashtrahas top-notchcentres for kneereplacementsurgery, hipreplacementsurgery, open-heart surgery,organtransplantation,cosmetic surgeryand cancertherapy. � Costeffectiveness isone of the mostimportant drivingfactors formedical tourists incities like Mumbai,Pune, Nashik,Nagpur andAurangabad.

FACT FILE

!

CENTRE’S INITIATIVE

ONLINE MEDICAL AID

In the 18th SAARC Summit,Prime Minister NarendraModi announced that for those coming to India for

medical treatment, the country will provide immediatemedical visa for the patient and an attendant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inauguratedwww.indiahealthcaretourism.com, the first healthcaretourism portal of the country. The website has beenstarted as an endeavour to offer a one-stop shop offeringdynamic and genuine information that can be put intouse by a prospective medical tourist or a treatmentseeker from all around the world.

The portal has been developed as an all-inclusiveinformation website covering travel as well as hospitalrelated information in India. Currently, it enlists 124accredited medical facilities that is inclusive of 93 medicalinstitutes, 30 Ayurveda and wellness centres and onespecial category centre. Out of the total of 124, 73 are intier-I cities and the remaining in tier-II cities.

The medical institutes that are listed in the portal canbe located easily by searching different options such asmedical speciality, locations, language options andprocedures that are provided in the given hospitals andtheir certifications. The medical and wellnessprogrammes that are an institute’s speciality arehighlighted. The website also displays other relateddetails such as travel and visa formalities, costs of varioustreatments at the Indian hospitals, accommodation tariff,last-mile connectivity, advantages of treatments In India,information on how to make preparation about yourfuture journey and treatment, among others.

AURANGABADELLORA CAVES

One of the most fascinating archaeological sites inMaharashtra, Ellora dates back to about 1,500

years and is the epitome of Indian rock-cut archi -tecture. The 34 caves are actually Buddhist, Hinduand Jain religious monuments carved in the rock. Theywere given the status of World Heritage Site in 1983.Created between the 6th and 10th century, the 12Buddhist, 17 Hindu and five Jain caves carved inproximity are proof of the religious harmony prevalentduring this period of Indian history.�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Aurangabadwhich has daily flights to major Indian cities.Aurangabad railway station is well connected to mostcities. Ellora is about 30 km from Aurangabad. Buses,rickshaws and taxis ply regularly between the two.

AJANTA CAVES

Maharashtra is known for its abundance ofBuddhist caves–about 800 of them spread across

various districts. But of these, the 32 caves at the WorldHeritage Site stand out distinctively and attracttourists in large numbers because of their architecturalsplendour, Buddhist legacy and artistic masterpieces,including narratives painted on the walls of chaityas(prayer halls) and viharas (residential cells). The cavesinclude paintings and sculptures repre sentative ofBuddhist religious art with figures of the Buddha anddepictions of the Jataka tales.�� How to reach: Distance of Ajanta Caves fromAurangabad is about 100 km. After reaching the city,you can take the buses that run regularly to Ajanta.

JALNASHREE KSHETRA GANESH, RAJUR

The Ganesh temple of Rajur enshrines theswayambhu (self-manifested) idol of Lord Ganesh.

Rajur is regarded as one of the three and a half GaneshPeethams in Ganesh Purana. Other peethams are atMorgaon and Chinchwad (Pune) and the remaininghalf peetham is at Padmalaya. The temple is believedto have been built by Yadavas. The other attractionhere is the ancient Shri Vitthal Temple with sculptures,carved pillars and entrance gate.�� How to reach: Take a bus to reach the templesituated 25 km away from Jalna city in the north.

JAMB SAMARTH, GHANSAWANGI

Jamb Samarth, the birthplace of Sant Ramdas Swami,is in Ghansawangi tehsil of Jalna district. Ramdas

Swami wrote the holy book Dasbodh, Manache Shlokaand many more shlokas. He took as his slogan Jai JaiRaghuveer Samarth from the Hanuman Stuti. He builta number of Hanuman temples in villages throughoutMaharashtra, for the purpose of encouraging in youth adevotion to Rama. On Ram Navami, a popular annualfair is held at the Ram temple built here in the memoryof Sant Ramdas Swami.�� How to reach: Jamb Samarth is located around55.4 km away from its district headquarter Jalna. Thenearest railway station is Partur located about 22 kmaway. The nearest airport is Aurangabad situated at adistance of about 90 km.

BEEDPARLI VAIJNATH TEMPLE

Arenowned town in Beed district, Parli is identifiedby the presence of the Vaijnath Temple, a

jyotirling, on a small hill that attracts a large numberof devotees all through the year. Parli is also known fora thermal power station. That apart, the small townprovides a unique flavour of a laid-back atmospherethat is in stark contrast to the ‘life in a fast lane’ cultureof most metro cities.�� How to reach: The temple is located at a distance of

4


(Clockwise fromabove) Ellora Caves

near Aurangabad;Udgir Fort at Latur;

and the Parli VaijnathTemple in Beed district

Explore the hidden gems of a State that has the best ofhistory, nature, religious places, forts and adventurespots. Maharashtra awaits you with the best of locations,lifetime experiences, culture, cuisine and pleasure

PPllaacceess ttoo VViissiitt

MAHARASHTRA UNLIMITED

456 km from Mumbai. The nearest airport is atAurangabad. Parli Vaijnath is the nearest rail head.State transport buses ply regularly from Parbhani,Latur, Nanded, Pune and Mumbai.

NAIGAON PEACOCK SANCTUARY

Situated in Beed, Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary is theonly sanctuary of its kind in Maharashtra. The

nature reserve is adequately supplied with perennialstreams. Apart from peacocks, the variety of faunaincludes hyena, fox, jackal, hare, deer and wild cats. Italso features a wide range of flora. The ideal time tovisit the sanctuary is from September to March. �� How to reach: Naigaon Peacock Sanctuary is easilyaccessible from Aurangabad Airport. The nearestrailway station is Aurangabad, 20 km away.

PARBHANIHAZRAT SAYED SHAH TURABULHAQ SAHAB DARGAH

Atomb of great Sufi saint Hazrat Turabul Haq, whospent most of his last days in Parbhani, the shrine

is best known for its annual fair. It has a history of 108years. Thousands of followers of all religions and faithsgather at the site in February every year. A symbolof unity among religions, the huge popularity ofthe dargah has earned it the title of Ajmer Sharifof Maharashtra.�� HOW TO REACH: Parbhani is well-connected byroads and trains to major Indian cities. The nearestairport is Aurangabad about 200 km away.

CHARTHANA

In Jintur taluka, a historical place Charthana islocated. Charthana was earlier also known as

Charukshetra, charu meaning beautiful, a truedescription of the place. The city has almost 360temples, most of them fallen or buried. But the onesthat can be seen now definitely make a statement. It is

famous because of the number of temples constructedof Lord Shiva. A hanging pillar in the village attractstourists. Also close to Jintur are seven caves of Jainreligion famous by the name Nemgiri.�� How to reach: To reach Jintur, the nearest railwaystation is Parbhani (41 km). There is a good bus serviceto the place from Parbhani. The nearest airport isAurangabad.

LATURKHAROSA CAVES

Kharosa village is famous for the 6th century cavesbuilt during the Gupta period and around 12 caves

one of which has the image of seated Jain Tirthankar.One of the caves has the image of seated Jain Tirthankar.The upper side of the hill has the Renuka Devi Templeand a mosque, representing the unity of religions.�� How to reach: The nearest airport to the KharosaCaves is the Latur Airport (3 km). The nearest andcomparatively more connected railway station LaturRailway station on the Latur Miraj rail route. Private andST-run buses are available to reach the caves from Latur.

UDGIR FORT, LATUR

Udgir Fort is named after the famous Saint UdaygiriRishi, whose Samadhi is located 60 ft. beneath

normal ground level. It has some rare inscriptionswritten in Arabic and Persian, which testify to thepromotion of knowledge and culture by the localMuslim rulers over the centuries. �� How to reach: The train journey to Latur fromPune is six hours. The nearest airport is Latur. Regularbuses from major cities ply to Latur.

OSMANABADSHRI TULJA BHAVANI

Tuljapur is one of the three and half Shakti Peeths(abodes of cosmic powers) located in Maharashtra.

It is the seat of Mother Goddess Tulja Bhavani, who is

3 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � JANUARY 2017 31

(

The Udgir Fort is famous for the battle won by Maratha leaderSadashivrao Bhau against Nizam, after which the treaty of Udgir was signed.

There are many old military observation points and rest houses scatteredover the surrounding hills, all built from a unique white clay

Parli is an ancientvillage locatednear three rivers,Brahma, Venu andSaraswati.Because of thepresence of oneof the 12jyotirlings ofShankara, it hasbecome famous.This village isalso known asKantipur,MadhyarekhaVaijayanti orJayanti. Themountains andjungles and therivers are rich inuseful medicinalherbs. This is thereason why thejyotirling at Parliis also known asVaidyanatha.

FACT FILE

!



also fondly revered as Aai (mother) Ambabai,Jagdamba, Tukai by her devotees who throng inmillions to seek her blessings. Tulja Bhavani is thefamily deity (Kuldaivat) of most Maharashtrianfamilies, including the great Bhonsle dynasty ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Legend has it that itwas Tuljabhavani who gifted the Bhavani sword tothe great Maratha leader to vanquish his opponents inthe battlefield.�� How to reach: There are no regular flights fromother major cities of the country to Tuljapur. Nearestairport is Chikkalthana Airport. Tuljapur does nothave a train station; the nearest option is Osmanabad.There are regular buses to Tuljapur from other majorcities of the country.

NALDURG FORT

Naldurg is the biggest land fort in Maharashtra. Ithas a 3-km-long fortification wall and 114

bastions. Pani Mahal is the most attractive monumenton this fort. It has an amazing view of the Bori riverwith water flowing down from the top, a view bestenjoyed after the monsoons. Another attraction is thebastion of Upalya or Upali Buruj or Tehlani Buruj builtto keep watch. It is about 15 feet in height and has twocannons. There is also a water reservoir near thebastion, as the one who has to fire the cannon shot hasto jump into the water immediately. �� How to reach: The nearest railway station isSolapur, 35 km from Tuljapur, 50 km from Osmana -bad, and 50 km from Solapur.

NANDEDKANDHAR FORT

One of the oldest and historic cities in the Marath -wada region of Maharashtra, Nanded is situated on

the north bank of the Godavari river. It is known forgurudwaras, Sufi shrines, beautiful waterfall ofSahastrakund and Kandhar Fort. Kandhar lies near thewestern shore of Manyad reservoir and was a famousJain centre in the era of Rashtrakutas. Its constructionis attributed to Rashtrakuta King, Krishna III ofMalkhed who styled himself as Kandharpuradhi Swar.Outside the Kandhar Fort at some distance is a hillock onwhich is situated an old Idgah held in reverence byMuslims. It is of Nizamshahi period with two domes incharacteristic Ahmednagar style.�� How to reach: Nanded is well connected to othermajor cities of the country via regular flights. You caneasily get regular trains to Nanded from other majorcities of the country. There are regular buses fromother major cities of the country to Nanded.

SHRI KSHETRA MAHURGAD

Apilgrim centre of great significance, the place isconsidered to be one of the shakti peeth of

Maharashtra. The temple of Goddess Renuka Devi issituated on a hillock abounding in natural beauty at adistance of about 2.4 km from the village of Mahur. It isbelieved that the temple was built by a Yadava king ofDevgiri about 800-900 years ago. On the day of Dussehraevery year, a big fair is held in honour of Renuka Devi.��How to reach: One can reach Nagpur and Nanded byair to go to Mahur. Nanded is well connected with trains.State transport buses from Nanded, Kinwat or Pusad goto Mahur regularly. The road from Nagpur to Mahur viaWardha, Yavatmal and Mahagaon is very scenic.

HAZUR SAHEB GURUDWARA

There rarely can be a place more significant, andholier, than where a great philosopher has lived

and breathed his last, spending years together in theservice of mankind. This is true of the Sachkhand ShriHazur Abchalnagar Sahib in Nanded where GuruGobind Singhji, the tenth of the 11 Sikh gurus, held hisfinal congregation. The gurudwara situated in Nanded

T

The Kandhar Fortpassed throughmany dynastiesand apart fromRashtrakutasculptures, onecan see Arabicand Persianinscriptions onthe fortification.The fort has 18watch towers andthe remains of aroyal palace.There was acommon marketarea outside thefort as well as thepresence of tentemples aroundit. Amongst thepalatial medievalstructures in thefort are the Lal Mahal andDarbar Mahal.

FACT FILE


The Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary, a harbour for thousands of beautiful and migratory birds, is now counted as one

of the important water-fowl habitat by the InternationalUnion of Conservation of Nature!

Town was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singhji, the greatruler of Punjab between 1830 and 1839 A.D. Inside thegurudwara, which has the mortal remains of the Guruthere are various kinds of weapons on display.��How to reach: Some airlines offer service from Delhito Nanded and Mumbai to Nanded. Currently Nandedrailway line is connected to Mumbai via Manmad andto Hyderabad via Secunderabad. Several passengerbus services operate out of Nanded providing easyovernight connectivity with almost every major city inMaharashtra.

NANDUR MADHMESHWAR BIRD SANCTUARY

Through ceaseless efforts of Bombay Natural HistorySociety, World Wildlife Fund and Forest Depart -

ment of the Government of Maharashtra, NandurMadh meshwar dam was built at the confluence ofGodavari and Kadwa rivers in Niphad Tehsil of Nashikdistrict in Western Maharashtra. The sanctuary housesmore than 220 species of birds, 400 species of vegetation,24 species of fish and several smaller mammals. Spreadover a protected area of 10,000 hectares, lies the corearea of 1,765 hectares, where the large variety of waterbirds, resident and migratory birds congregate inseason. It is now counted as one of the important water-fowl habitat by the International Union of Conservationof Nature.

Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is a harbourfor thousands of beautiful and migratory birds. Thereare more than 230 species of birds, out of which 80 areof migratory species, including White Stork, Glossy Ibis,Spoonbills, Flamigo, Goose Brahminy Duck, Pintails,Mallard, Wigeon, Gargenery Shoveller, Pochardds,Cranes Shanks, Curlews, Pratincole Wagtails, Godwits,Weavers, etc. ��How to reach: The nearest airport is in Aurangabad,180 km from the sanctuary. The nearest railway stationis Niphad, a small station 12 km away on Mumbai-Bhusaval railway line. The sanctuary can be approachedby road via Niphad, Nashik and Sinnar.

AHMEDNAGARSHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE

Shirdi, a town located in Rahata of Ahmednagar, isfamous for the pilgrimage place Sai Baba Temple.

The abode of famous saint Shri Saibaba, Shirdi is asmall town fragrant with the devotional strength thatropes in devotees from world over. Both Hindu andMuslim devotees visit Shirdi from far corners of India,besides drawing considerable number of foreigntourists. The key attractions of Shirdi are Sai BabaTemple and his samadhi (memorial), Dwarkamai(mosque), Gurusthan, Chavadi, Lendi Baug, MarutiMandir, Chawadi and Samadhi of Abdulbaba�� How to reach: The nearest airport to Shirdi is theAurangabad Airport which is 130 km away. Maha -rashtra State Transport buses are available from majorcities like Nashik, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar,Pune and Kopargaon to Shirdi. Kopergaon RailwayStation, 16 km away, is the nearest railway stationto Shirdi.

SHANI SHINGNAPUR

Shani Shingnapur or Sonai is a village in Ahmed -nagar. Situated in Nevasa taluka, the village is

known for the popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god ofplanet (graha) Saturn. The shrine compromises of a 5.5-feet-high black rock installed on an open-air platformsymbolising the Lord Shani. A trishul (trident) is placedalong the side of the image and a Nandi (bull) image ison the south side. In front are the small images of Shivaand Hanuman. Generally, the temple has 30-40,000visitors a day, which swells to around 3 lakh on the newmoon day, believed to be the most auspicious day toappease the deity.�� How to reach: Shani Shingnapur in Ahmed nagarDistrict is easily accessible by road. It is situated 6 kmaway from Godhegaon on the Aurangabad—Ahmednagar Road. A tar motorable road from thisplace leads directly to Shri Shanaiswar Temple. Thenearest railway stations to Shani Shingnapur are

(Clockwise fromabove) The NandurMadhmeshwar BirdSanctuary in Nashik;Shani Shignapur inAhmedabad; andKandhar Fort inNanded in theMarathwada region

MUSTVISITShri Kshetra Tuljapur,one among the threeand half ShaktiPeethas (abodes ofcosmic power)located inMaharashtra, issituated inOsmanabad.Goddess TuljaBhavani is known tocombat demons andevil forces andmaintain moral orderand righteousness inthe Universe. She isrevered andworshipped all overIndia as Ambabai,Jagadamba,Bhagwati, Durga andTulja Bhavani. She isworshipped as thefamily deity not onlyin Maharashtra,but by innumerablefamilies fromHimalayas toKanyakumari

T



Rahuri (32 km), Ahmednagar (35 km), and Shrirampur(54 km), Shirdi Railway Station (75 km). The nearestairport to Shani Shingnapur is Aurangabad airportlocated at a distance of 90 km.

NASHIKTRIMBAKESHWAR

The black stone temple at Trimbakeshwar enshrinesone of the 12 jyotirlings dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Located in the city built in 1730 by Peshwa Balaji BajiRao (Nanasaheb), the place has Kushavarta, a kund(sacred pond) in the temple premises and the source ofGodavari, the longest river in peninsular India. Theextraordinary feature of this jyotirling is the threefaces embodying Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. Due toexcessive use of water over the centuries, the jyotirlinghas started to erode. It is believed that the erosionsymbolises the eroding nature of human society. �� How to reach: Major cities like Mumbai and Puneare well connected with Nashik by road and rail. Thenearest airport is Nashik (39 km) and railhead isNashik Road (44 km). State Transport buses regularlyply between Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.

SHRI KSHETRA SAPTASHRUNGIDEVI TEMPLE

At Wani, about 60 km from Nashik, is the famoustemple of Goddess Saptashrungi. According to

Hindu beliefs, Goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwellswithin the seven mountain peaks (Sapta means sevenand shrung means peak). The temple is also known asone of the 3.5 shakti peeths of Maharashtra and amongthe 51 shakti peeths located on the Indian sub -

continent. It is where Goddess Sati’s (Shiva’s consort)right arm fell. The two-storied shrine has the idol of thegoddess carved in a cave at the base of a sheer scarprock face. The goddess is said to be swayambhu (self-manifested) on a rock on the sheer face of a mountain.Every April, the temple hosts a major fair, hostingmany devotees and travellers.�� How to reach: Nearest Airports are Mumbai andAurangabad and nearest railway station is Nashik 70km away. By Road Mumbai to Nashik is 180 km andNashik to Sapta Shrungi temple is 70 km.

JALGAONPAL

Pal, located in Yawal taluka, is famous for its cooltemperature, peace and dense forests. A small river

flowing by and forests make it an ideal picnic spot.There is a guesthouse also if you want to stayovernight. The sanctuary surrounded by river Suki, isthe abode for variety of wild animals and birds. �� How to reach: Pal is near to Jalgaon (80 km),Bhusaval (70 km) and Raver (20 km). Buses plying toKhi roda via Raver can drop one at Pal near the san -ctuary. There are direct buses to the place from Jalgaon.

GANDHI TEERTH

An international centre for Gandhian study,research and dialogue, Gandhi Teerth is a

magnificent 65,000 sq. ft. sustainable structure locatedat Jain Hills, Jalgaon. The core objective of the centreis to preserve and promote for posterity the Gandhianideology and legacy. The structure made entirely inpink Jodhpuri stone is beautifully landscaped withsprawling lawns and is adjoined by mango orchardswith mounded sit-outs and serene walkways. Theentire green complex nestles between 300 acres of lush,afforested hilly terrain, and is noise-free and pollution-

f

(Clockwise fromabove) The blackstone temple atTrimbakeshwar;

Toranmal atNandurbar; and

Gandhi Teerth at JainHills, Jalgaon

MUSTVISIT

The extraordinaryfeature of

Trimbakeswarjyotirling is the three

faces embodyingBrahma, Vishnu and

Rudra. The lings atTrimbakeshwar are

covered with ajewelled crown,

which is placed overthe gold mask ofTridev (Brahma,

Vishnu, Mahesh). Thecrown is said to be

from the age ofPandavs and consists

of diamonds,emeralds and many

precious stones.Situated at the

foothills ofBrahmagiri

mountain, the blackstone temple is

known for itsarchitecture

T


Tourist attractions of Toranmal are Yashvant Lake, Gorakhnath Temple,Lotus Lake, Sita Khai, Aawashabari View Point, Aawashabari View Point,

Machhindranath Caves, Khadki Point, Sat Payari (Seven Steps) Point, Torna DeviTemple, Sunset Point, Forest Park and Medicinal Plant Garden !

free. Residential facilities for researchers and guestsare housed within the complex. �� How to reach: Jalgaon is well-connected by roadand rail to the rest of India. The nearest domesticairport is Aurangabad (160 km). The distance betweenMumbai and Jalgaon is about 415 km.

DHULELALING FORT

Situated 9 km away from Dhule, Laling Fort is anold fort occupying the top of the hill. The fort was

built in 14th century in the era of first Faruki king. Alsolocated here are two temples in the Hemadpanthistyles. The fort offers a breathtaking panoramic viewof Dhule city.�� How to reach: The fort is only 9 km away fromDhule, which is well connected to other cities of Maha -rashtra by road and rail. The nearest airport from Dhuleis Chikkalthana Airport, located at Aurangabad.

SHRI SAMARTHA VAGDEVTA MANDIR

The temple is an invaluable and priceless treasurehouse of manuscripts, letters and chronicles of

historical importance. It is a glorious branch ofSatkaryottejak Sabha established in 1935. The founderof this institute, the Late Nana-Sheb Deo, then aleading legal practitioner of Dhule, began his work ofcollection, research and publication of the literature ofabout 300 saints. The collected, preserved and studiedmanuscripts led to the place being known as a place ofworship of God of Literature, Vagdevta. The manu -scripts are in different language scripts and on differentsubject. Many scholars have rightly remarked that astudy of Indian saints of any stream is incompletewithout reference to the source material preserved inSamartha Vagdevta Mandir Dhule.�� How to reach: The nearest railway station isChalisgaon Railway Junction (58 km from Dhule),which is well connected to many major cities. Thenearest airport is Chikkalthana Airport at Aurangabad.Regular bus service, taxis and auto rickshaws connectDhule to major cities of the State and country.

NANDURBARTORANMAL

Located on the Barwani hills of the Satpura range,Toranmal is a peaceful and unexplored hill station in

the Khandesh region. It is located at 1,150 m above sealevel on the borders of three Indian States–Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Landscapelakes with flowering lotus, seasonal waterfalls and lushgreen nature would make perfect holiday destinationwith peace and solitude. Toranmal is famous for the fairon Mahashivratri at Gorakhnath Temple where manydevotees come on Mahashivratri.

�� How to reach: The State Transport (ST) busesregularly ply to Toranmal from Dhule, Nandurbar andShahada. The nearest station is Nandurbar, at adistance of 62 km from Toranmal. Aurangabad air port,290 km away is the nearest airport.

UNAPDEV

Unapdev is a pleasant picnic point in Shahadatehsil. It has a permanent natural hot water

source, and it flows throughout the year from astructure in the shape of a cow's mouth. �� How to reach: Unapdev is about 25 km fromShahada city. The nearest railway station is Nandurbar(40 km) and Dondaicha (35 km from Shahada). Thenearest airport is Aurangabad (290 km). It is wellconnected to Shahada by road.

THANEYEOOR HILLS: SANJAY GANDHINATIONAL PARK

Yeoor is a hilly area in Thane city of Maharashtra. Itis situated in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park

(SGNP), home to 274 species of birds along with 42 kindsof mammals, of which the most renowned is the elusiveleopard. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park has alwaysbeen the ideal picnic or weekend getaway forMumbaikars in search of some respite from the chaosand pressures of this densely populated metropolis.

Constructed wayback in the 19thcentury, the Vihar(1860) and Tulsi(1868) Lakes arelocated within theforests of SanjayGandhi NationalPark. In fact, theneed for aprotected arealike Sanjay GandhiNational Parkarose due to thepertinent need of protecting thewatercatchments ofthese two lakesthat werecreated to supplydrinking water tothe city ofMumbai, whichthey continue todo so even today.

FACT FILE



Besides its location and bio diversity, the other salientfeatures of the park are lakes and Kanheri Caves. TheKanheri Caves is a 2000-year-old complex of some 160rock-cut caves. �� How to reach: The park’s main entrance is locatedin Borivali, less than a kilometre from Borivali railwaystation (40 km from Mumbai). From Borivali station,one can walk or hire an auto rickshaw to reach SanjayGandhi National Park.

SHIV MANDIR AMBERNATH

Also known as Ambreshwar Temple, the temple ofLord Shiva, located on the bank of Vadavan River, is

very near to Ambernath Railway Station. Situated in thehollow of a hill, the temple dates back to 1000 AD. Thistemple is a fine example of the Vesara style that isessentially a tasteful blend of two schools of architecture,the Dravidian style and the Nagara Style. The boldfeatures of the temples are prominent in the heavilydecorated exterior wall and the stepped pyramid that

forms the tower. The whole temple is executed in coarsebrownish stone that is typical of this region.�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Mumbai. Thetemple is located about 2 km from Ambernath RailwayStation. State transport buses ply to Ambernath fromalmost all important places in Maharashtra.

MALSHEJ GHAT

Located 700 m above sea level amidst the soaringranges of the Western Ghats equidistant from

Mumbai and Pune, Malshej Ghat is known for itsrugged landscapes thickly forested and laced by manyvenerated rivers. Rich with flora and fauna, the placeattracts those who wish to experience nature’s myriadwonders up close and personal. The place also hasnumerous historic forts, forest, houses and sanctuaries.�� How to reach: Malshej Ghat is well connectedto Ahmednagar, Kalyan and Pune by road, rail andair network.

CHAVDAR TALE

Located in Mahad is Chavdar Tale, which means“tasty water lake.” This is where, in December 1927

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar started a satyagraha inprotest against the tyranny of the upper castes towardsthe lower castes who were considered untouchables.During this historical event, which was a turning pointin India’s socio-political history, hundreds of peoplebelonging to the lower castes gathered at the ChavdarTale and drank water from it. A Kranti Stambh hasbeen erected here to commemorate this revolution.�� How to reach: Mahad is well connected to Mumbaiand Pune by State transport buses. The nearestrailway station is Veer, which is 16km from Mahadtowards Mumbai on NH17.

VASAI FORT

The coastal line of Maharashtra is divided into NorthKonkan and Konkan from a travelling perspective.

Mumbai is the main island in North Konkan and toprotect it, many forts were constructed. Out of these, the

f

On March 20, 1927,the people of lowercastes touchedthe water ofChavdar Tale withthe support ofDr BabasahebAmbedkar atMahad in Raigaddistrict ofMaharashtra. Inthis satyagraha,following thespeech ofDr BabasahebAmbedkar onMarch 19, 1927,thousands ofpeople from thelower castes forthe first timedrank water fromthe lake that forcenturies hadbeen set aside onlyfor upper casteHindus.

FACT FILE

(Clockwise from below)Malshej Ghat; Sanjay

Gandhi NationalPark; Dr Babasaheb

Ambedkar memorialat Ambavade;

Ganapatipule; andMatheran


Rich with flora and fauna, Malshej Ghat attracts those who wish to experiencenature’s myriad wonders up close and personal. The place also has numerous

historic forts, forest, houses and sanctuaries. Being equidistant from Mumbai andPune, it is a perfect weekend getaway for people living in these big cities!

fort of Vasai is very significant. The one who ruled thisfort could rule over the surrounding regions of Mumbai,Thane and Saashti. The fort witnessed the victory of theMarathas under the leadership of Chimaji appa, from1737 to 1739, against the Portuguese.�� How to reach: Buses ply regularly from New Vasaito Old Vasai. Buses from New Vasai that go directly tothe fort are also available.

RAIGADRAIGAD FORT

This is the very heart of Maratha country, Raigad,the capital of Shivaji's kingdom–strategically

perched atop a wedge-shaped block of hill, split off fromthe Western Ghats and inaccessible from three sides.Stories of incredible valour and heroic deeds are etchedon every pebble at Raigad. It was here that Shivajibuilt his capital city in the 14th century, and here thathe crowned himself Chhatrapati. For six years up to hisdeath, Raigad remained the capital of the Marathaswith its broad gates and magnificent monuments.There was only one pathway leading to the top, andprizes were offered to those who scaled the fort throughunconventional methods. Though parts of Raigad are inruins, yet they inspire an aura of grandeur.�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Lohegaon inPune. There are regular trains to Raigad from othermajor Indian cities. The nearest bus stand is at Murud.

MATHERAN

An undulating hilltop cloaked in shady trees thatsprawls languidly at an altitude of 800 m,

Matheran is a must-see place. Its cliffs, with incrediblysteep drops to the plains below, create stunning viewingpoints. These panoramic vistas, by day or by night,leave you feeling light headed. On a clear night, you caneven see the lights of Mumbai from Hart Point. In fact,all of Matheran is a series of such quixotically namedpoints that are popular if isolated sites for picnics andfireside revelry at night. Charlotte Lake, the Panthers'Caves and Paymaster Park are other attractions,especially for children.��How to reach: The nearest airports to Matheran arein Mumbai (100 km) and Pune (120 km). The closestrailhead to Matheran is in Neral (21 km). There aremany State Transport buses that go from Mumbai andPune to Matheran.

DR BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR MEMORIAL

Amemorial of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is built athis native village Ambavade, a beautiful and

peaceful location. There are plans to develop the village.�� How to reach: Ambavade is 20 km from Mandan gad,well connected by ST buses to Mumbai, Pune andKolhapur. The nearest airports are at Mumbai and Pune.

GANPATIPULE

Ganpatipule has a fine blend of religion andrecreation. This is the land of the 400-year old

swayambhu (a naturally formed idol) Ganpati anda glittering white sand beach. The place is ideal forfamily outings. The temple is at the foot of a hillock.Most pilgrims believe in taking a ‘pradakshina’ aroundthe hill instead of just the temple. Two grand festivalsare celebrated at the site every year–one is BhadrapadShuddha Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and another isMagh Shuddha Chaturthi (Vianayaki Chaturthi).�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Ratnagiriairport. The nearest railway station is at Ratnagiri,located about 50 km from Ganpatipule. Trains regularlyply from cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Bengaluru,etc., to Ratnagiri. Scenic roads and highways connectGanpatipule with major Indian cities.

PUNESHANIWAR WADA

Shaniwar Wada is one of the most popularmonuments in Pune. In 1729, Peshwa Baji Rao

commissioned the building that has great fountains,

MUSTVISITMatheran is a hillstation in the Raigaddistrict ofMaharashtra.Located in KarjatTown, it is also thesmallest hill stationof India. Lushgreenery, sereneenvironment andunpolluted ambiencemake it a fantastictourist destination.At a height of about2,516 ft. above sealevel, the hill stationwas developed by theBritish after it waslocated in 1850 byBritish Officer HughMallet, who was theCollector of Thane.Matheran has areasonably denseforest cover. It hasbeen declared anecosensitive regionby the Governmentof India.



courtyards, fruits, trees, offices audience hallsand substantial residential areas as its attractions.The architecture of Shaniwar Wada was influencedby Moghul style and is a hallmark of Marathacraftsmanship. The present feature of ShaniwarWada is not the actual one. Seven Peshwas laterrestructured the monument after the initial structurecaught fire in 1827.�� How to reach: Shaniwar Wada is 16 km from PuneAirport and 3 to 4 km from Pune Railway Station. Thebus stops nearby are Swarget and Shivaji Nagar.

SHIVNERI FORT

Located about 105 km from Pune, Shivneri Fort isfamous for being the birthplace of Chhatrapati

Shivaji Maharaj. A well-known historical militaryfortification, the fort is where the great Maratha leaderspent his childhood and took military lessons. It is alsoan ideal tourist dpot for trekkers. The attractions of thefort are a water pond called Badami Talav, a statue ofJijabai, the mother of Shivaji, with her son, a mosquewith two towers joined by a graceful arch and NaneGhat famous for its scenic view of the Konkan Regionand Jivdhan.�� How to reach: The nearest city to reach ShivneriFort is Junnar, which is an administrative centre andwell connected with major cities of Maharashtra byroad. Pune Railway Station is the nearest railwaystation. Closest airports are Pune Airport (88 km fromJunnar) and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport,Mumbai (156 km from Shivneri Fort).

AGA KHAN PALACE

Built in 1892 by Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga KhanIII, the Agha Khan Palace is one of the biggest

historical landmarks of India. The palace was an act of

charity by the Sultan who wanted to help the poor inthe neighbouring areas of Pune who were drasticallyhit by the famine.�� How to reach: Aga Khan Palace is at a distance of4 to 5 km both from Pune Airport and Pune RailwayStation. Regular buses ply to the place. The nearest busstand is Shivaji Nagar.

LONAVALA–KHANDALA

Those living in Mumbai or Pune consider it ablessing indeed that they have the twin hill

stations of Lonavala and Khandala almost a hop, skipand jump away. Perched high on the hill ranges thatseparate the two metro cities, both these places areknown for their salubrious climate and beautifulgreen cover during the monsoon. Like other hillstations in Maharashtra, here too you will find‘points’ that offer breathtaking sights of the valleyand the hills with tiny villages tucked in the folds.The driving distance between Lonavala and Khandalais 5 km. One of the best points, about 6.5 km fromLonavala, is Rajmachi Point which commands a view ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s famous fort, Rajmachi,and the surrounding valley.�� How to reach: Lonavala is about 64 km away fromPune and 96 km from Mumbai, both the cities wellconnected with flights and trains. The best way toreach the hill station is by road, as the drive isbeautiful with lush green trees dotting the way. If youare driving from Mumbai, take the Mumbai-PuneExpressway. The expressway is a smooth ride and thebest way to reach Khandala.

MUSTVISIT

Kaas Plateau is hometo around 850 known

species of plants ofwhich about 600 are

of the floweringvariety. Many

endemic species ofplants have alsoflourished here.

These plants cansurvive only in this

region, owing to thevolcanic rock soil of

the plateau. Theunique ecosystem

also allowsendangered species

of plants to thrive.With these species on

the brink ofextinction due to the

changes in climaticand geologicalconditions, the

plateau is visitedby many biologists

for study.


Located about 105 km from Pune, Shivneri Fort is famousfor being the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A well-known

historical military fortification, the fort is where the great Marathaleader spent his childhood and took military lessons!

SATARAKAAS PLATEAU

Aplateau situated 25 km west of Satara city, Kaasfalls became a UNESCO World Natural Heritage

Site in 2012. It is a biodiversity hotspot known forvarious types of seasonal wild flowers and numerousspecies of endemic butterflies, seen mainly in themonths of August and September. Kaas has more than850 different species of flowering plants of which 624are listed on the IUCN Red List.�� How to reach: If you are coming from Pune orMumbai, the best way to reach is to drive down. Localtrans portation is available. From Satara, you can hirean auto-rickshaw to come to Kaas.

KOLHAPURGODDESS MAHALAKSHMI TEMPLE

This exquisitely carved temple drawing millions ofpilgrims from all over India for many centuries is an

important spiritual centre of Maharashtra and the seat ofdeity affectionately called Ambabai. Over the years,members of the royal families of Shalivahan, Chalukya,Shilahar, Rashtrakoot, Kadamba and Yadava dynastieshave sought the blessings of the Goddess. In the 7thcentury, the Chalukya King started the construction of thetemple, and later in the 9th century, the Shilahar Yadavarulers beautified it in the Hemadpanti Style. Thousands ofpilgrims from distant places visit the temple.�� How to reach: Kolhapur is situated 383 km southof Mumbai and is well connected by air, rail androad with the other cities in Maharashtra and neigh -bouring States.

SHAHUJI CHHATRAPATI MUSEUM

The museum is located in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.British architect Charles Mant designed the New

Palace in 1881 in the Indo-Sarcenic style. Items belongingto Maharaja Shahuji Chhatrapati such as the weaponscollection including a gold-plated, double-bar reled shotgun,some swords and other guns are on display. There is alsoone of Aurangzeb’s swords.�� How to reach: Kolhapur is well connected by air,rail and road with major cities of India.

PANHALA FORT

A‘must see’ place, Fort Panhala is located just 18 kmnorthwest of Kolhapur. Commanding a truly

majestic view of the valleys, it was built by theShilahara kings of Kolhapur in the 11th century. Sincethen, it always remained a strategic location for manydynasties that controlled Kolhapur, including theYadavas, Bahamanis, Adilshahis and Marathas. Closeto Panhala is the famous Jyotiba shrine, which isvisited by many devotees from Maharashtra, Goa and

Karnataka. At the foothill of the shrine are Buddhistcaves believed to be of 3rd century.�� How to reach: The nearest railway station is atKolhapur (18 km). The fort is only 428 km from Mumbai.

DAJIPUR NATIONAL PARK

For nature lovers, the Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuaryshould be a priority on the travel list since it is known

for its bison. Located 46 km from Kolhapur, it is alsoknown as Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary. The greenpatch is spread over an area of 351.16 sq.km. It hasbison, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, giant squirrels,mouse deers, barking deers, and so on. The RadhanagariDam built by Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur is

A popularmonument ofPune, ShaniwarWada was thestately mansionoriginally built asthe residence ofthe Peshwas. Thefoundation of themansion was laidby Peshwa Bajirao 1 in 1730AD and itsconstruction wascompleted in 1732AD at a cost of `16,120. The maingate is called DilliDarwaja (DelhiGate); the othergates are calledMastani/Alibahadur Darwaja, KhidkiDarwaja, GaneshDarwaja andNarayan Darwaja.

FACT FILE

(Clockwise from thefacing page) ShaniwarWada; the picturesqueKaas Plateau; and astatue of Baji PrabhuDeshpande at PanhalaFort in Kolhapur



near the sanctuary.�� How to reach: The nearest railheads are Pune andKankavli (Konkan Railways). The sanctuary is wellconnected to Pune and Mumbai by roads. Radhanagariis 40 km away from Dajipur. The nearest airport isKolhapur (85 km). Karad (40 km) is the nearestrailhead. Karad (35 km) on Pune—Bengaluru highwayis the best route to visit the sanctuary.

SANGLICHANDOLI SANCTUARY

Chandoli Sanctuary, located about 65 km fromSangli, has been blessed with flora and fauna. The

sanctuary has monkeys, deer, wild goat, rabbits, tigers,peacocks and snakes. Travellers to the place can alsovisit the Chandoli dam. In the rainy season, you findthis place lush green with some small waterfalls.�� How to reach: The nearest airport and railwaystation are at Kolhapur. Karad (45 km) and Islampur(55 km) on Pune—Bengaluru Highway are the bestroad routes.

BAGETALA GANPATI

This temple of Bagetil Ganapati is on Sangli HaripurRoad, which is very beautiful and has a pleasant

atmosphere. The Ganesha idol at the temple wasinstalled in 1834 by Shri Chintaman Rao Patwardhanfrom the royal family of Sangli.�� How to reach: Sangli does not have an airport, butis well connected by trains and roads. There are regularbuses from other major cities of India to Sangli.

KHWAJA MIRASAHEB DARGAH

Miraj is a town 10 km from Sangli. A historicalplace with its own culture, it is famous for the

manufacture of musical instruments that haveattracted music lovers from all over India. It also has a

famous dargah, Khwaja Mirasaheb Dargah built about500 years ago. People of all faith and religions visit theshrine. A music festival is held here every year withrenowned musicians and singers performing. ��How to reach: The city of Sangli is well connected byMSRTC buses with different Indian cities. It has twomajor train stations, Miraj Junction and Sangli Jun -ction. The nearest airport is at Kolhapur (48 km).

SINDHUDURGSAWANTWADI

Acoastal strip of land, bound by the Sahyadri hillson the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, it is

Konkan, rich in mineral resources, and offers longstretches of clean, sandy beaches, overflowing lakes,dense forests, simple people, old temples, curvy roads,and bustling seaside towns. And amidst this all isSawantwadi. This is a small and picturesque townin Sindhudurg district in Maha rashtra, also knownfor its quintessential Konkani food. But there’ssomething more unique to the place and that’s in theform of the centuries-old traditional art of makingwooden toys, Ganjifas (name given to an ancient cardgame), and more. �� How to reach: Dabolim, Goa is the nearest airport(22.4 km) from Sawantwadi. Samantha Road railwaystation (28 km) is the main station that connects thecity to various cities. The city has good road transportfacilities.

SINDHUDURG FORT

Huge sea rocks of Malvan boast of two amazingforts, Sindhudurg and Padmagad. A symbol of

Maratha glory, Sindhudurg Fort, which to date amazespeople, was built with huge rocks on Kurte Island, byMaratha king Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In thosedays Malvan was the site for ship building and re -

The Dargah ofMiraj was builtabout 500 yearsago. CalledKhwaja MirsahebDargah, it isknown for itssecularism aspeople of allfaiths visit theplace. A musicfestival is held atthe shrine everyyear withrenownedmusicians andsingersperforming. Thefestival (Urus) isfamous all overIndia amongdevotees

FACT FILE

(Anti-clockwise frombelow) Chandoli

Sanctuary; Dargahof Miraj; and the holy

town of Pandharpur inSholapur


Over the years, not limiting itself merely to activities of worship,the Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan, the in-charge of the temple in Shegaon, Akola,

has also initiated several social service projects that have led to providingeducation, medical aid and empowerment facilities to those in need.!

pairing works. The city was later developed with amarket area, residential complexes and others. Thefort also has Shri Shivarajeshwar Temple, besidestemples of Hanuman, Jarimari and Goddess Bhavani. �� How to reach: One has to take small safety boats togo to this old fort from the Malvan through a narrownavigable channel between two smaller islands ofDhontara and Padmagad. It takes about 15 minutes toreach the Sindhudurg Fort jetty. ST and private busesply from Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Pune andPanaji. The nearest airports are at Dabolim (80 km)and Mumbai (344 km). The nearest railheads are Kudaland Sawantwadi.

AMBOLI

Amboli is a hill station near Sawantwadi. It is aquiet but pleasant hill resort. It is 690 m above sea

level. The area is surrounded with dense forest and seaview point offers you panoramic view of a good part ofKonkan coast. It is 26 km far from Sawantwadi. Thereis a marvelous waterfall (30 m high) 1.5 km away fromAmboli. Most of the young lot take bathe under thefalling water. In summer, weather condition is pleasantand cool.�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Dabolim, Goa(127 km). Sawantwadi railway station (30 km) is thenearest railhead to Amboli and connects with all themajor cities of the State. Regular buses ply on the route.

SOLAPURPANDHARPUR

Solapur is extremely popular for Pandharpur–theDakshin Kashi of India. Pandharpur is revered as

the city of Lord Vitthoba and a prime example of a finereligious centre in the entire country. The festivals ofKartiki and Ashadhi Ekadashi held in the temple townannually see pilgrims to the tune of four to five lakhs.�� How to reach: There are several trains that comeand go from the Solapur Railway station to differentparts of Maharashtra and India. Solapur Airportprovides for a comfortable journey by air. By road, thereare various shuttle services offered by the ST andprivate tour companies.

AKKALKOT

Akkalkot is a significant pilgrim centre close toSolapur. It is dedicated to Shri Swami Samarth

Maharaj, an incarnate of Lord Dattatreya. TheVatavrikhsa Temple found here is a must visit, and sois the Swami’s Math. Tuljapur is home to the temple ofGoddess Tulja Bhawani and is an added destination tothe list of pilgrim centres found here.�� How to reach: Solapur is well connected with Pune,Hyderabad and Bengaluru by rail and road network.The nearest airport is at Mumbai.

AKOLANARNALA FORT

Very few places would be able to surpass the majesticcombination of a hill fort with an amazing variety of

wildlife surrounding it as is the case with Narnala. Here,the fort is considered one of the most imposing andintricate hill forts in the Melghat region, protected by theArchaeological Survey of India. Further, the regionencompassing the hill has been declared a wildlifesanctuary and a protected forest, which is what makes itsuch a delightful tourist destination. Narnala is located60 km away from Akola. Situated at an altitude of 940 m above sea level, it experiences temperaturevarying from 35 to 43 degrees celsius and an annualrainfall that varies from 500 to 900 mm. �� How to reach: The nearest airport is Nagpur, whilethe nearest railway station is Akola. The fort canbe reached from Akot (18 km), Akola (66 km) andNagpur (270 km).

GADCHIROLISOMNOOR

Aunique place to visit in Maharashtra is Somnoor,where three rivers, Godavari, Pranhita and

Indravati meet. The place is also where the borders ofthree Indian States, Maharashtra, Chattis garh andAndhra Pradesh, lie.�� How to reach: Gadchiroli is well-connected by roadto adjoining districts of Chandrapur, Bhandara andNagpur. The nearest railway station is at Chandrapur(80 km). The nearest airport is at Nagpur 180 km.

ANANDWAN

Literally meaning, forest of happiness, Anandwan islocated around 5 km from Warora in Chandrapur

district of Maharashtra. It is an ashram spread over 465hectares and a community rehabilitation centre that wasmainly started for leprosy patients and the disabled fromdowntrodden sections of society. It was founded in 1952 bynoted social activist Baba Amte.

MUSTVISITPandharpur isconsidered to be thespriritual capital ofMaharashtra due toits atmosphere ofreverence created bythe presence ofthe VithobaTemple. PandharpurLord, also known bynames Pandurang,Vitthal or Pandhari, issupposed to be theSupreme God of theUniverse. Prettilyplaced on themajestic banks ofriver Chandrabhaga,Pundalik Templeportrays Lord Vitthalas its chief deity.Vitthal is one amongthe manymanifestations ofLord Vishnu. Themain temple is a five-storey building witha pyramidal gunspire. The statues ofJaya and Vijaya flankLord Vithal. The holytown is also knownas the DakshinKashi of India.



��How to reach: The nearest airport is at Nagpur (110km) and railhead is at Warora (2 km), but the mostconvenient one is at Wardha (90 km). Anandwan isabout 1.5 hours drive from Wardha and Nagpur. Allbuses running from Wardha or Nagpur to Chandrapurpass through Anandwan Square at Warora town.

BULDHANALONAR LAKE

Lonar ranks amongst the world’s five largestcraters. The lake created here by a meteor hitting

the Earth during the Pleistocene epoch is a saltwaterlake. The place is surrounded by forests with a largevariety of birds, particularly peacocks, owls, red-wattled Lapwings and ducks. Gomukh Temple islocated along the rim of the crater. A perennialstream emerges from here and pilgrims visiting thetemple bathe in the stream.��How to reach: The nearest airport from Lonar Lakeis Aurangabad Airport, located 157 km away. One canhire a cab from the airport to reach the lake. Thenearest railhead is Jalna, located about 90 km fromLonar. One can hire a cab for the further journey.

SHEGAON

About 45 km from the city of Akola lies Shegaon–animportant centre of commerce in the district of

Buldhana, but more prominently, the home of ShriSant Gajanan Maharaj. Gajanan Maharaj attainedsamadhi on September 8, 1910 leaving behind a richlegacy that attracts millions to Shegaon annually.�� How to reach: The nearest airports are atNag pur and Aurangabad about 5 hours distance fromShegaon. Bhusawal (120 km) is the nearest railhead.The place is very well connected to Bhusa wal, Auranga -bad and Nagpur.

YAVATMALTIPESHWAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a “green oasis”located in the southernmost part of Maharashtra and

has a great significance from the point of view of wildlifeand bio-diversity conservation. This sanctuary is locked inthe arms of the nature and is adorned with picturesquelandscape, luxuriant vegetation and serves as living out -door museum to explore and appreciate the nature. Thissanctuary embodies one of the best of our remainingforests, in the remote part of Yavatmal district.�� How to reach: The nearest airport is Sonegaon,Nagpur (172 km). Adilabad (Andhra Pradesh) andYavatmal (Maharashtra) are the railheads nearby. Thenearest bus station is Pandharkawada (22 km) onNational Highway 7.

NAGPURDRAGON PALACE BUDDHIST TEMPLE

ABuddhist revered site, the temple is located inKamptee village of Nagpur district. Dragon Palace

Temple is considered as a landmark of India-Japanfriendship, as Madam Noriko Ogawa of Japan contri -buted financially to build this international temple. Ahuge statue of Lord Buddha, carved out of a singleblock of sandalwood is installed on the first floor of themeditation hall.

DEEKSHABHOOMIAlso known as Dhamma Chakra Stupa, Deeksha -bhoomi is regarded as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre inIndia. Thousands of pilgrims visit Deekshabhoomievery year, especially on Ashok Vijaya Dashmi andOctober 14, as on this day in 1956 Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar converted to Buddhism along withthousands of his followers.

MUSTVISIT

Anandwan wasfounded in 1952 by

noted social activistBaba Amte, who

developed the placeas a self-contained

ashram. MuralidharDevidas Amte or

Baba Amte, as he ispopularly known, has

carved a new path asto how a single

individual can makea difference in the

world. Today, itsresidents are self-

sufficient in terms ofbasic subsistence

through agriculture.Land fertility in the

region has beenrevived by works of

leprosy patients andis maintained byorganic farming

techniquesand micro-watermanage ment. In

addition, the ashramhas various

home-based,small-scale industry

units run by theresidents.

WASHIMSHRI NRUSIMHA SARASWATI SWAMIMAHARAJ (GURU MANDIR)

Shri Nrusimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj is thesecond avatar (incarnation) of Lord Dattatreya. Born

in Karanja, He travelled far and wide in what are nowknown as the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, andAndhra Pradesh. He achieved sainthood and performedseveral miracles. He imparted spiritual knowledge to hisdisciples, many of whom themselves attained sainthood.�� How to reach: The nearest airport to Karanja isNagpur. After reaching Nagpur, one has to board aMumbai-bound train to reach Akola or Murtizapurstations. The journey takes approximately four hours.From there, an hour’s bus ride will take you to Karanja.There are also ST buses that directly operate betweenNagpur and Karanja.

SHRI BALAJI TEMPLE

The ancient temple of Balaji was built by Bhavani Kala,the Subhedar at the local Karanja Thana. He not only

built the main shrine, but also a large area for pilgrims tostay within the temple complex. A separate area wasconstructed for the Brahmins to take their meals. Roomswere also built for administrative offices. The main idol ofBalaji is made of black stone and decorated with orna -ments. Some years ago, a stunning gold-plated dome wasadded to the temple’s inner sanctum. On either side of themain temple are two other temples of Vyan kateshvarBalaji and Lord Ram. The festival of Ram Navami iscelebrated in a grand way here annually.�� How to reach: The temple is well connected by rail(from Khandwa or Purna). One can also travel by roadfrom Amravati, Hingoli, Murtizapur and Darwha.

–Contributed by Satish Lalit, Radhakrishna Muli,Mohan Rathod, Dr Ganesh Mulay, Yashwant

Bhandare, Dr Kiran Moghe and Smt. Sunanda Bhor


Deekshabhoomi also known as Dhamma ChakraStupa is famous for its architectural beauty and historical

importance. It has a stupa made out of Dhaulpur sandstone, marble andgranite. The attractive dome has a height of 120 feet.!

The DragonPalace BuddhistTemple is spreadover 10 acres andhas a strikingarchitecture. It issurrounded bylush greenlandscapedgardens dottedwith floweringplants. A hugestatue of LordBuddha, carvedout of a singleblock ofsandalwood, isinstalled on thefirst floor of themeditation hall.The temple is anideal place forthose who arelooking for somepeace and want to de-stress.

FACT FILE

(Facing pageand above) LonarCrater; andDeekshabhoomi

NAGPUR: ADVENTURE TOURISM

LIVE THE THRILL

For tourists who are not satisfied with tigers, there isstill some adventure to be experienced. Within 40-50

km distance of Nagpur is a Cherry Farm AdventureVillage. Based here is CAC Allrounder, a socialorganisation actively involved in education, adventureand environment-based social programmes throughwhich thousands of youth benefit. People who wouldlove to indulge in perilous acts to test how daring theyare, may visit this adventure village in Ramtek is aperfect destination for adventure enthusiasts. Situated inNagpur, the fun-filled destination, welcomes you to bepart of a different world. Everything from paragliding,quad bikes, zorbing and parasailing to other adventureactivities, the place has it all, making it one of the mostfrequented places in Maharashtra.

The adventure village is nestled among forested acres,next door to Pench National Park. Ramtek, a lively templetown with ancient, mythological and historicalimportance, is also famous for its Lord Rama Temple andKhindsi Lake. The options of ecotourism, wildlife tourism,adventure tourism and various outdoor activities at oneplace gives the travellers great pleasure.

From parasailing, para-motoring, paragliding to hotair balloon, there is much to be experienced here. Theactivities are safe with trained personnel managing theshow. The Maitraban Adventure Camp offers athoughtfully designed outdoor education camping site inthe proximity of nature, with top grade facilities, action-oriented adventure activities, conducted by a team ofwell trained and caring safety instructor, and last but notleast, a perfect feeling of commuting with the nature.

—Anil Gadekar, DIO, Nagpur

In terms of tourism in India, Maharashtra is anincredibly rich State. Forts, lakes, beaches andhistoric sites can be seen all across the State. The mostfamous among these are the vivid rock-cut caves built

by the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.While one observes that the entrance gate to the cavesfound in Sahyadri mountains and regions of Vidarbha,Marathwada, Khandesh and Konkan is in the shape of a“peepal” leaf, the said caves were not carved in one specificera. The caves were carved out of rock in the period fromthe second century B.C. to the tenth century A.D. bydifferent dynasties of India. Many such interestingobservations make cave tourism an interesting subject forone to experience. It is also the only way to connect with theyester generation that chose rocks for their tranquillity,beauty and spirituality.

Located in the Lonavala region of Pune are themagnificent Karla, Bhaja, Bedsa and Kondana cavecomplexes. Amba−Ambika, Ganesh, Tulja, Shivneriand Bhutlinga are groups of caves situated nearJunnar. Kondana and Bhaje are the earliest caves inthe Western Ghats carved in the second century B.C.;Karla and Bedsa belong to the first century A.D. All thecaves of Lonavala are Buddhist Hinayana caves. Themost prominent feature of Bhaja Caves is itschaityagriha with semicircular wooden rafters. Thesewooden rafters are approximately 2,000 years old. Aninscription in Brahmi script can be seen on one of thewooden ribs. Stone inscriptions, water tanks, viharasand stupas are other striking features of the caves.

Karla, Bhaja and all the other caves of Lonavala aresituated around the ancient trade route that connectedKonkan with the plateau region. In eras gone by,material used to come to the market from ports likeChaul, Sopara and Chinchani via trade routes. The most

u


ABODES OF DEVOTION Carved by meticulous craftsmen and artistsover centuries, the rock-cut caves of Maharashtraare where religious harmony meets peace, history and architecture, says Dr Sachin Joshi

!CCaavvee TToouurriissmm

unique elements at Karla are the homogenous pillar andhighly decorated chaityagriha. The height of the pillar isabout 45 feet. It has the four lion-capital sculpture carvedon top. A scenic place, the Ulhas river originates in themountains of Lonavala−Khandala and flow towards theArabian Sea. Kondane caves were carved at the base ofthese mountains in second century B.C. Traces ofcolourful paintings can still be seen on the walls andpillars of the caves.

There are more than 150 caves around Junnar, afamous market in the early historic period. Ancientports of Chaul and Sopara were connected to Junnarthrough a narrow pass called Naneghat, located 30 kmaway. The pass has a single cave carved on the top. Thecave was built in the early historic period by theSatavahana dynasty. Brahmi inscriptions and imagescan be seen inside the cave. Traces of colourfulpaintings can be seen in the Tulaja and Ganesh caves.These paintings were washed out because of theseeping of rainwater in the cave.

Kanheri and Gharapuri are the two prominent cavecomplexes located near Mumbai. Gharapuri is the onlycave site situated on an island in Maharashtra, nearGateway of India, Mumbai. The ancient Gharapuri isnow commonly known as Elephanta. The impressivecaves were excavated between the fifth and seventhcentury A.D. The trimurti sculpture at the complex showsthree out of the five faces of Shiva. This homogenouslycarved 20-feet-high sculpture is an excellent example ofIndian architecture. In the early 16th century, thePortuguese built a small fort on the top of Elephanta.

Another marvellous cave complex near Mumbai isKanheri. The caves situated at Sanjay Gandhi NationalPark, Borivali is a Buddhist cave complex built betweenfirst century B.C. and ninth century A.D. The remains ofthe ancient water management system still exist at thesite. Large-sized chaityagriha was carved during the timeof the Satavahana king Vasishthiputra Satakarni. Oneither side of the forecourt are pillars, not freestandingbut attached to the pilaster of the wall. The capital of thenorthern pilaster has four dwarf figures supporting around object above. The capital of the southern pilasterhas four seated lions like those from the Karla caves.There are more than 150 caves in the Kanheri complex.

Pandavleni is a group of 24 caves located 7 km fromNashik city. Most of the caves were used as viharas.These are Buddhist caves carved between secondcentury B.C. and fifth century A.D. The inscriptionsgive information of different dynasties that ruledNashik, namely Kshatrap, Satvahana and Abhira.

Ajanta, Ellora, Pitalkhora and Ankai−Tankai cavesare located around Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Verulor Ellora is 30 km from Aurangabad city. All the caveswere generally carved horizontally. The Kailash templein Ellora is an exception, as it was excavated from the

top of the rock going down to the base. The rock-cut cavetemple is an amazing piece of architecture.

A perfect mix of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cavescan be seen at Ellora. Located here are about 20 Hinduor Brahmanical caves with images of Lord Shiva,Bhairav, Vishnu and Saptmatruka, among others. Themost popular cave complex in Maharashtra is Ajanta,located 100 km from Aurangabad in the Satamalmountain range. Caves of both Hinayan and Mahayansects are seen at Ajanta. The most spectacular featureof the cave complex is the colourful and black and whitepainting on pillars, ceilings and walls. A large numberof tourists visit Ajanta annually.


(Clockwise from facingpage from above) Analleyway at BhajaCaves; an inside viewof Bhaja Caves;Kanheri Caves;Pandavleni Caves;Ellora Caves; andKarla Caves inMaharashtra

In modern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaityagriha is often usedto denote an assembly or prayer hall that houses a stupa. A vihara is a

Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery and referred to dwellingsor refuges used by wandering monks during the rainy season

� Ajanta, Ellora,Pitalkhora andAnkai-Tankaicaves are locatedaroundAurangabad inMaharashtra.� Kanheri andGharapuri are thetwo prominentcave complexeslocated nearMumbai.�Gharapuri is theonly cave sitesituated on anisland inMaharashtra,near Gateway ofIndia, Mumbai.�The ancientGharapuri is nowcommonly knownas Elephanta.� Located in theLonavala region ofPune are themagnificentKarla, Bhaja,Bedsa andKondana cavecomplexes.

FACT FILE

!

Adding another feather to its cap, Maharashtrahas embarked on a journey to develop lighthousetourism. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis andUnion Minister for Shipping, Road Transport

and Highways Nitin Gadkari have laid the foundationstone of a passenger jetty at Kanhoji Angre Island, located12 nautical miles south of Mumbai. The island and tourismdevelopment work is part of Union Ministry of Shipping’slighthouse tourism project.

The lighthouse at Kanhoji Angre Island is one of thetwo lighthouses near Mumbai to be developed under theconcept. The Centre plans to develop 78 lighthousesacross India as tourist spots. Nine lighthouses fromMaharashtra and Goa–at Sunk Rock, Kanhoji Island,Uttan Point, Korlai Fort, Jaigadh, Ratnagiri, Devgadh,Vengurla Rocks, Tolkeshwar Point, Fort Aguada andSao George–are part of the project.

The Ministry of Shipping is working with theMinistry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment, StateGovernments and other relevant agencies for thedevelopment of various coastal and marine basedtourism projects such as lighthouses, cruise shippingand inland waterway.

“It is significant that the lighthouse on KanhojiAngre Island is being developed for tourism. KanhojiAngre was the first admiral of the Maratha Navy. Hisnaval prowess helped him to be the undisputed king ofthe seas. The British, the Portuguese and the Dutch

could not defeat him. When we celebrate VisitMaharashtra Year in 2017, such places will prove to bea definite tourist attraction,” said Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis.

“It is a moment of pride for the Angre family. I havetold the Government that I will be glad to shareartefacts and information about Kanhoji Angre,” saidRaghoji Angre, the direct descendant of Kanhoji Angre.

Mumbai Port Trust Vice-Chairperson YashodhanWanage shared that the lighthouse project is the firstsuch project in Maharashtra. Promoted by MaharashtraTourism Development Corporation, the project hasreceived all necessary sanctions for the construction of apassenger jetty at a cost of ̀ 16 crore. The small island isdescribed as “high potential site” by the DirectorateGeneral of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

In the first phase, the Ministry of Shipping throughthe DGLL has drawn up a programme for developingtourism in the land adjacent to 78 lighthouses throughprivate partnership. The key objective is to develop theexisting lighthouses and areas around them as uniquemaritime tourism landmarks. The project offersinvestment opportunities for the development of hotels,resorts, viewing galleries, adventure sports, thematicrestaurants and allied tourism facilities at the locations.“While developing lighthouses as tourist destinations,every effort would be made to preserve the history andheritage associated with them,” said Nitin Gadkari.


The Governmentof India approvedthe CruiseShipping Policy inJune 2008. Thesalient features ofthe policy aredevelopment ofcruise facilities atports, providingnecessarytransportconnectivitythrough rail,road, air, IWT andmetro, quickcompletion ofimmigrationformalities andhassle-freecustomclearance, andproper wastedisposal systemto ensure cleaneroceans.

FACT FILE

LLiigghhtthhoouussee TToouurriissmm

LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE

(From left) Jaigarhlighthouse on the

Konkan coast inRatnagiri; and KanhojiAgre Island lighthouse

near Mumbai

Maharashtra with its panoramic views, majestic fortsand serene beaches aims to attract tourists by way oflighthouse, cruise shipping and inland waterwaystourism projects, says Pallavi Singh

L

In the aftermath of the cancellation of the legal tendercharacter of old `500 and `1000 notes, there has been asurge in the digital transactions through use of credit/debitcards and mobile phone applications, e-wallets and others.

To accelerate the process further, the Union Government hasdecided on a package of incentives and measures for promotion ofdigital and cashless economy in the country.

THE INCENTIVES � The Government of India’s petroleum public sectorundertakings shall give incentive by offering a discount at the rateof 0.75 per cent of the sale price to consumers on purchase of

petrol/diesel if payment is made through digital means. � To expand digital payment infrastructure in rural areas, theUnion Government through NABARD will extend financialsupport to eligible banks for deployment of two points of sale (PoS)devices each in 1 lakh villages with population of less than 10,000. � Union Government through NABARD will also support RuralRegional Banks and Cooperative Banks to issue Rupay Kisancards to 4.32 crore Kisan credit card holders to enable them tomake digital transactions at PoS machines/Micro ATMs/ATMs. � Railway through its suburban railway network shall provideincentive by way of discount up to 0.5 per cent to customers formonthly or seasonal tickets from January 1, 2017, if payment ismade through digital means. � All railway passengers buying online ticket shall be given freeaccidental insurance cover of up to `10 lakh. Nearly 14 lakhrailway passengers are buying tickets everyday out of which 58per cent tickets are bought online through digital means. �For paid services such as catering, accommodation and retiringrooms being offered by railways through its affiliated entities/corporations to the passengers, it will provide a discount of 5 percent for payment of these services through digital means. � Public sector insurance companies will provide incentive, byway of discount or credit, up to 10 per cent of the premium ingeneral insurance policies and 8 per cent in new life policies of LifeInsurance Corporation sold through the customer portals, in casethe payment is made through digital means. � The Central Government Departments and Central PublicSector Undertakings will ensure that transactions fee/merchantdiscount rate (MDR) charges associated with payment throughdigital means shall not be passed on to the consumers and all suchexpenses shall be borne by them. � Public sector banks are advised that merchant should not berequired to pay more than `100 per month as monthly rental forPoS terminals/Micro ATMs/mobile PoS from the merchants tobring small merchant on board the digital payment ecosystem. � No service tax will be charged on digital transaction charges/MDR for transactions up to ̀ 2000. � For the payment of toll on National Highways using RFIDcard/Fast Tags, a discount of 10 per cent will be available to usersin the year 2016-17.

BUILDING AN ERA OF

E-CASH


BHARAT INTERFACE FOR MONEY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a mobile app to makedigital payments and transactions easier for citizens. The new mobile

payment app, BHIM, short for Bharat Interface for Money, named in thehonour of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, was launched at the DigiDhanMela organised at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi recently.

The Centre is organising DigiDhan Mela in 100 cities of India over100 days to promote digital payments and announce the winners ofLucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana. Conceptualised bythe Niti Aayog, the DigiDhan Melas will run till March. Under the LuckyGrahak Yojana programme, 15,000 citizens making digital paymentsbetween `50 and `3000 can win `1000 daily.

Centre ReformsCASHLESS INITIATIVES

A representative image to depict cashless transaction by a couple

The Union Finance Ministry announcespackage for promotion of digitaland cashless economy

The 50 days of demonetisation have paved the way forgoing cashless in India. The days saw people opening todigital transactions and trying newer and smarter waysto deal financially. One of these ways has been the

digital wallet. Inspired by the concept, the Government ofMaharashtra is now working on its own digital wallet toencourage digital transactions in the State. Postdemonetisation, Paytm is processing over 7 milliontransactions a day, worth over ̀ 120 crore. The RBItemporarily relaxed the limits of mobile walletsfrom `10,000 to `20,000, and allowedmerchants to transfer `50,000 per monthfrom wallets to their banks. The Indianmobile wallet market is on track to reach`30,000 crore by 2022.

The planned digital walletapplication, called Maha Wallet, willbe designed to cater to the needs ofevery class of public, from richtraders to poor farmers. The State-sponsored wallet application willsurely be a welcome leap towards

achieving the less-cash transaction systems and implementingthem. The aim is to keep the transactions secure from any kind offrauds and risks. The wallet will have a very simple and usableinterface, which can even be used by non-tech savvy people. Thisimplementation will also be a big fight with social evils such ascorruption and black money.

The governing authority of the Maha Wallet app in Maha -rashtra will be the Finance Ministry of the State. The Ministerfor Finance, Sudhir Mungantiwar has informed that thebackground work on the digital wallet has already begun. TheMinistry of IT will soon be submitting a technical report to theMinistry of Finance on the development and implementation ofthe Maha Wallet after which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnaviswill share his views on the proposal and launch the app. The ITdepartment proposal will consider various facets like the needsof people who are well versed in net banking and those who arenot, smartphone or feature phone users, and those without amobile, besides the technologically challenged. DevendraFadnavis, who is a member of the committee appointed by theCentre on promotion of cashless society, had pointed out in arecent meeting with the panel members that needs of farmers,labourers from unorganised sector and small vendors should beconsidered first while planning the Maha Wallet.

OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGESThe State Government, in its recent announcement, has clearlymentioned that the Maha Wallet can be used by anyone. Themotto is to keep the app simple and efficient. The people, mainlysmall scale vendors and farmers who depend on cashtransactions, will be encouraged to use the wallet.

The Government wants clear data of State’s population withoperational bank accounts. In addition to this, with the digitalwallet, it will also be clear what percentage of State’s populationuses internet banking or credit or debit cards.

The use of Maha Wallet application will lead to hassle-freecashless transactions. Safety aspect is one of the top priorities,

as the Government does not want to go wrong while dealingwith the money of about 11.9 crore population of the State.

One can easily store money in the wallet and use it inmaking all types of transactions such as shopping,

paying electricity and telephone bills, bookingrailway and air tickets, paying Government

revenues, buying fuel from petrol pumps andcooking gas, and others.

The Maha Wallet application of theGovernment of Maharashtra is expected to be

launched soon. Maharashtra will be thesecond State in India after AndhraPradesh to have its own digitalwallet for its people. The MahaWallet is expected to be availablefor all mobile phones and have a

desktop version.


The Government of Maharashtraplans to launch its own digital wallet, tomake digital transactions convenientfor every State citizen

YOUR OWN DIGITALWALLET

State ReformsCASHLESS INITIATIVES

E

Amongst places that hardly receive mobile reception,Harisal has become India’s first Smart Digital Villagewith Wifi facility available to people. A village located inthe interiors of Melghat with a population of around

4,000, this little known tribal village has taken technologicalleaps to declare its preference to pay digitally. Today, itsmultipurpose stores sell necessary items under one roof, andpeople–331 so far–have smart digital ration cards to receive foodgrains through biometric.

The Harisal branch of Bank of Maharashtra has started this

digital revolution with a provision of Maha E-Seva. It has beenencouraged by the district administration by point of sale (PoS)machines. Through these machines, customers can deposit moneyusing their Aadhar card or ATM.

The Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Swadheen Kshatriyarecently paid a visit to the village to witness these developments.He also visited a primary health centre and looked at the supplyof food and medicine. He advised the centre to provide sufficientcare to kids, especially the underweight. A visit to the self-employment training centre was also part of the visit. At suchcentres, computer training is given to school children.

The Chief Secretary interacted with residents of Harisal. Ayoung man shared the problem of not getting enough Wifi range inthe area. This came as a surprise to the visiting Stateadministration staff, but also made them proud. Besides issues likeelectricity supply and employment, the people of Harisal now wantto know about their internet connection and enjoy its benefits.

A LEAP OF CHANGEAnother Maharashtra village that has drawn a lot of attention inrecent times is Dhasai. Though with no rail connectivity, thisvillage of Thane district has become the first one to go “cashless” inIndia. Dhasai, from the first day of December, has been making allof its payments through plastic money. Traders, vegetable andfruit vendors and others providing goods and services have begunusing swipe machines. Gone are the days when the villagers wereafraid of bank transactions using cards. Today, they use the cardsin about 40 swipe machines at the many establishments in thevillage to serve their daily needs.

Dhasai, in Murbad taluka, around 70 km from Mumbai, hasa population of around 5,000 and nearly 700 households. Around60 nearby small villages depend on the village for trade and dailyneeds, and, it is believed, this new arrangement of cashlesstransaction is sure to benefit a population of around 10,000. Theinitiative to make Dhasai cashless was taken by Bank of Barodain collaboration with NGO Veer Savarkar Pratishthan.

– Ajay Jadhav, Senior Assistant Director, DGIPR


Two villages of Maharashtra embraceinformation technology and movetowards cashless transactions

THE FIRST OF MANY SMART VILLAGES

(From left) A villager uses a laptop; and Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya interactes with people in Harisal

Minister for Finance Sudhir Mungantiwar swipes a card at an event in Dhasai

Success StoryCASHLESS INITIATIVES


Amega announcement made by the Honourable PrimeMinister of India on November 8, 2016 changed the lifeof every individual in India. The three prime objectivesof the mega initiative, as explained by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in his address to the Nation on November 8, wereto curb counterfeit notes, hit at the black money accumulated inthe country and take the country towards cashless digitaltransactions. The move was prompted by about 87 per centpopulation of India that evades taxation. The rapid growth of out-of-circulation `500 and `1000 currency notes since 2000-2001was also suspicious. The said money came from several waysthat hurt the internal and external security of the country. It wasalso important to check fake currency and curtail the supply offunds to anti-national activities suchas terrorism and Naxalism.

India being a cash-based eco -nomy, this fall of cash in circulationhurt growth for years. A cash reformwas, thus, the need of the hour. Itwas also required to boost tax moraleof citizens. This tax morale refers tothe overall attitude for tax pay ments.A low tax morale leads to growth inblack economy. To help citizensachieve high tax morale, tax systemand tax rates need to be fair andreasonable.

Today, black money is estimatedto be 20-25 per cent of Indian GrossDomestic Product (GDP), i.e. `3 to 4trillion of unaccounted cash. It is assumed that 20 per cent of thisunaccounted grey money will return to the banking system postdemonetisation. It will be the requirement of the real estatesector to restructure its business model and ensure greatertransparency in the interest of home buyers. Major decline invaluation, especially for non-commercial properties, is an instantimpact of demonetisation. It looks lucrative, but more than 260industries depend on this sector. It has the largest share of low-skilled workers in the country. Majority of these workers are ondaily wages. Therefore, any reverse impact on real estate sectormay create social problems. The costs of homes in major cities

could be impacted by 20 to 30 per cent. The resale of residentialproperties will get impacted more than the primary sale frombuilders and developers.

Replacing cash with noncash payment instru ments bringsmore transactions into the official economy of the country. Ascash economy shrinks, the culture of transacting in black moneyis likely to be replaced by the habit of electronic or card pay -ments. Once the payment culture changes to improve tax morale,it will, in turn, increase tax compliances. I believe, instead ofmoving towards cash-less society, moving to less-cash society isthe real motive of demonetisation. Benami Act, Real EstateRegulations Act and GST Act are directions the Government willgo after next. The short-term impact of demonetisation variesacross sectors, but in long term, in equity, it could be positive. Incase of debt and mutual funds, it could be moderately positive.Demoneti sation–certainly a kind of economic reform–stands todeliver fruits in the long term. Another major step would be itsexecution in case of election process.

We should keep faith in demonetisation and move towardsless-cash economy and, eventually, towards cash-less economy.

–The writer is an investment counsellor

Indians should keep faith in the reform ofdemonetisation and move towards less-cash economy and eventually towardscashless economy, says VViinnaayyaakk KKuullkkaarrnnii

Today,black money isestimated to be

20-25 per cent ofIndia’s Gross

Domestic Product,i.e. `3-4 trillion of

unaccountedcash. It is

assumed that 20per cent of this

unaccounted greymoney will return

to the bankingsystem post

demonetisation

(From top) A card swipe machine used to make payments; and a Paytmmachine in use by a vendor selling street food

DEMONETISATION, ABOOST TO ECONOMY

Expert ViewCASHLESS INITIATIVES

E

Printed at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD., Plot No. W-17 & W-18, MIDC, Taloja Industrial Area, Taloja-410 208, Navi Mumbai.Published by Directorate General of Infromation & Public Relations Mantralaya Mumbai 400 032 on behalf of Government of Maharashtra.Managing Editor BBRRIIJJEESSHH SSIINNGGHH,, Director General of Information and Public Relations.

O.I.G.S. Presented byThe Government of India

PPrraavviinn TTaakkeeyySenior Assistant Director

Directorate General of Information and Public RelationsMaharashtra Government

Barrack No. 19, Free Press Journal MargMumbai 400 021.

SHIVSMARAK CASHLESS INITIATIVES TOURISM … Chaturthi is celebrated across ... Directorate General...

Documents

Transcript of SHIVSMARAK CASHLESS INITIATIVES TOURISM … Chaturthi is celebrated across ... Directorate General...