BHANDARDARA

Description:

At a distance of 70 km from Nashik, 104 km from Shirdi, 157 km from Pune and 172 km from Mumbai, Bhandardara is a small hill station and a holiday resort located in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The place is known for its natural beauty and its soothing environment. it is one of the less known hill stations in Maharashtra and also one of the beautiful hill stations near Mumbai city. This is also one of the Maharashtra popular tourist place to visit in rainy seasons………………………………………………………… 

Bhandardara is situated at an altitude of 750 m on the banks of river Pravara. According to a legend, sage Agastya meditated here for a year. Pleased with his penance, Gods blessed him with a stream of river Ganga, now known as river Pravara. This tiny hill station is a blend of natural beauty, waterfalls, mountains, tranquility, greenery, refreshing air and pristine ambiance. It is an excellent place for trekkers and a popular stopover for tourists travelling to Nashik and Shirdi. It attracts a lot of tourists every year because of its eco-tourism opportunities. Important places to visit in Bhandardara are Arthur Lake, Randha Waterfalls, Umbrella Falls, Bhandardara Dam or Wilson Dam and Amruteshwar Temple.

Bhandardara provides plenty of opportunity for small treks and hikes for adventure lovers. The most interesting and exciting trek is the small trek to Ratangad Fort. It commands an excellent view all around and is said to be the favourite fort of the Maratha king, Shivaji. The Harishchandragad Fort was built during the 6th century, when the Kalchuri dynasty ruled. The famous Mount Kalsubai (1646 m), the highest peak in Maharashtra, is a favorite trekking place………………………………………………………………….. 

Mumbai International Airport is the nearest airport, which is about 163 km from Bhandardara. Igatpuri Railway Station is the nearest railhead, which is 40 km away from Bhandardara. It has regular trains from Mumbai, Shirdi, Howrah, Dharbhanga, Kolkata, Amritsar, Patna, Gorakhpur, Faizabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Firozpur, Puri, Pune, Delhi, Kochi, Ranchi, Goa, Lucknow, Nizamabad, Kazipet, Guwahati, Agra, Bangalore, Chennai and Manmad. Regular buses are available from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Shirdi and Igatpuri to reach Bhandardara………………………………………………...

There are many accommodation options in the form of resorts and budget hotels. All good hotels and resorts are situated around the lake. The MTDC Holiday Resort, Anandvaan Resort and Yash Resort are the popular accommodation options in Bhandardara…………………………………………………………………………………..

The best time to visit Bhandardara is from September to February when the weather is convenient to explore the outdoors post monsoon. It is very hot and dry during the summer season from March to May.

Eleven ping-points to visit in Bhandardara

• Sandhan Valley
• Amriteshwar Temple
• Agasti Rishi Ashram
•  Wilson Dam
•  Arthur Lake
•  Randha Falls
• Ghaghar
•  Mount Kalsubai
•  Ratnagad Fort
•  Sandhan Valley
•  Angling

Umbrella Fall.