Sightseeing Highlights
The two
major tourist attractions in the area are the Junnar caves and the
Shivneri Fort. The Junnar caves in the Aurangabad
district, are an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in India. These caves belong to the
2nd Century BC to 3rd Century AD and can be divided into three distinct groups:
Tulija Lena group, Manmodi Hill group, and Ganesh Lena group. Here you can see
several Chaityas or prayer halls, living quarter for the monks, and viharas.
Shivneri
Fort is the birthplace of the famous Maratha warrior Shivaji. Shivaji spent his
childhood in the fort and took lessons in military training here. The
architecture of the fort is worth mentioning. One has to cross seven huge gates
to gain access to the fort which makes it almost impregnable. In the middle of
the fort is a small water pond, known as Badami Talav. Near the pond is a
statue of Jijabai (mother of Shivaji) with son Shivaji. There is also a temple
situated near the Shivneri fort, dedicated to goddess Shivani. This fort is an
excellent spot for trekkers as well.
Junnar is
just 10 km from Ozar, famous for the Ozar Vigneshwara
Temple, one of the
Ashta Vinayaka shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesh.
Other Activities
Junnar is
famous for its exquisite Ganesh decorations during the Ganesh festival, being
sometimes compared with the decorations in Pune and Mumbai. Visit Junnar during
the Ganesh festival to get an experience of the true festive spirit.
Junnar is a town located 110 km north of Pune.
Located at the base of the Sahyandri Hills, it holds significance as the birth
place of the great Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji. The land surrounding
Junnar is very fertile and the main crops harvested here are rice, wheat, and
sugarcane. The entire area is famous for its wells and irrigation dams. The
main small-scale industry of the people in this region is hand-made paper and
woolen blankets. The other major industries in the region are oil refinery and
sugar production. One can also get to see beautiful flower gardens in this
area. Junnar taluka has the largest density of leopard population within a 500
km area. Junnar can be approached from Mumbai (177 km) on the Mumbai-Aurangabad
route
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