Lonavla
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| Lonavala | |
|---|---|
| Hill station | |
 | |
 
Lonavala
| |
| Coordinates: 18.74806°N 73.40722°ECoordinates: 18.74806°N 73.40722°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District | Pune |
| Area | |
| • Total | 38 km2 (15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 624 m (2,047 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 55,652 |
| • Density | 1,464/km2 (3,790/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Marathi |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 410401 |
| Telephone code | 02114 |
| Vehicle registration | MH 12, MH 14 |
Lonavla 
pronunciation (help·info) or Lonavale is a town and a hill station Municipal Council in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.[1] It is about 64 km away from the city of Pune, 96 km away from the city Mumbai. It is famous throughout India for the hard candy sweet known as chikki[2] and is also a major stop on the rail line connecting Mumbai and Pune.For Mumbai suburbs local trains are available fromKarjat It is also an important town on the Mumbai-Pune road link. Both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Chennai highway pass through Lonavla. Lonavla comes to life during the monsoon season as the countryside turns lush green with waterfalls and ponds.
pronunciation (help·info) or Lonavale is a town and a hill station Municipal Council in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.[1] It is about 64 km away from the city of Pune, 96 km away from the city Mumbai. It is famous throughout India for the hard candy sweet known as chikki[2] and is also a major stop on the rail line connecting Mumbai and Pune.For Mumbai suburbs local trains are available fromKarjat It is also an important town on the Mumbai-Pune road link. Both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Chennai highway pass through Lonavla. Lonavla comes to life during the monsoon season as the countryside turns lush green with waterfalls and ponds.
Lonavla is also home to INS Shivaji (formerly HMIS Shivaji) which is the Indian Navy'sPremier Technical Training Institute.
Contents
[hide]Toponymy[edit]
The name Lonavla derives from Len (Prakrit, A resting place carved from stone) andAvali (Prakrit, series). Lonavli in Prakrit is a place which has a series of such Lenaround it.[3]
History[edit]
Present day Lonavla was a part of the Yadava dynasty. Later, the Mughals realized the strategic importance of the region and kept the region for an extended time. The forts in the region and the "Mavla" warriors played an important role in the history of the Maratha andPeshwa empires.[4] In 1871, the Lonavla and Khandala hill stations were discovered by Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of Bombay Presidency during those times.[5]
Demographics[edit]
As of 2001 India census,[6] Lonavla had a population of 55,652. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Lonavla has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Lonavla, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Climate[edit]
| [hide]Climate data for Lonavla | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 33 (91) | 35 (95) | 35 (95) | 33 (91) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 31 (88) | 32 (89.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11 (52) | 12 (54) | 16 (61) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 19 (66) | 15 (59) | 11 (52) | 17.9 (64.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 4 (0.16) | 2 (0.08) | 3 (0.12) | 18 (0.71) | 25 (0.98) | 666 (26.22) | 1,733 (68.23) | 1,147 (45.16) | 495 (19.49) | 111 (4.37) | 16 (0.63) | 3 (0.12) | 4,223 (166.27) |
| Source: weather2stay | |||||||||||||
Tourism[edit]
Lonavla and the adjacent Khandala are twin hill stations 622 metres (2,041 ft) above sea level, in the Sahyadri ranges that demarcate the Deccan Plateau and the Konkan coast. The hill stations sprawl over an approximate area of 38 square kilometres (15 sq mi) and are popular holiday destinations during the monsoons. People prefer visiting Lonavla and Khandala in the rainy season. Lonavla and Khandala were discovered in 1871 by Sir Elphinstone, the Governor of the Bombay Presidency. The name Lonavla is derived from theSanskrit lonavli(already definition says it is derived from pakrit), which refers to the many caves like Karla Caves, Bhaja Caves and Bedsa that are close to Lonavla. A trip to Lonavla and Khandala can be combined with sight-seeing visits of Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa caves and also the two fortresses, Lohagad and Visapur. Another place of interest is the Tungi fort, one of the forts captured by Malik Ahmad near the village of Karjat and was known for its natural strength.[7]
A lot of people have started buying homes which are primarily second homes or vacation homes. Since Lonavla is close to Mumbai and also is a beautiful place where anyone from Mumbai can go on a weekend and relax away from the traffic primarily led to many developers building properties in Lonavla. A lot of developers have built luxurious properties in Lonavla like Tata Housing Development Company which is building its luxury property drive.
Transport[edit]
By road[edit]
Lonavla is on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and is well-connected to several other towns ofKhopoli, Karjat, Talegaon Dabhade, etc.
By train[edit]
Further information: Lonavla Railway Station
Lonavla is well-connected by train. Local trains run from Pune at 2 hour intervals. It takes 2.5 hours by train from Mumbai and 1.5 hour from Pune. All trains, whether travelling from Mumbai to Pune or Pune to Mumbai, will stop at Lonavla. The trains coming from Mumbai will stop at Karjat since an extra set of locomotives need to be added to each train before it starts its journey up the western ghats to reach Lonavala.
By Air[edit]
Lonavla does not have an airport, though the Indian Air Force station, Troppo is situated on the way to Aamby Valley City. The city of Aamby Valley has its own private airport. The nearest commercial airports are Pune International Airport at 64 km and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 104 km[8]
[edit]
- Rajmachi Point
Rajmachi Point is located about 6.5 km from Lonavla. This point commands a view of Shivaji's famous fort, Rajmachi (Royal terrakouioce) and the surrounding valley. Regular State Transport buses ply between Rajmachi Point and Lonavla from the State Transport Bus Stand. The famous Vaghjai Dari is also located here.
- Ryewood Park & Shivaji Udyan
This is an extensive garden situated in Lonavla. The garden covers a lot of ground and it is full of tall trees. There is an old Shiva temple in the park. The garden has plenty of place for children to play.
- Valvan Dam
Valvan Dam has a garden at its foot, and is a popular evening spot 2 km from the town. The dam supplies water to the Khopoli power station at the foothills of the Sahyadris for generating electricity. The Kundali River feeds into the dam's reservoir.
- Lonavla Lake
Lonavla Lake is surrounded by natural scenery, about 1.6 km from the town. The lake dries up during the winter months.
- Duke's Nose
Duke's Nose stands 12 km from Lonavla, clearly visible from the highway while driving towards Mumbai. This landmark in Khandala is popular with hikers. The cliff owes its name to the Duke of Wellington, whose ample nose it resembles.
- Tiger's Leap
Tiger's Leap also known as Tiger's Point is a cliff-top with a sheer drop of over 650 m, giving an extensive view. Buses are available up to I.N.S. Shivaji and the remaining distance of about 1.6 km has to be covered on foot.
Just around tiger's leap, there is a small waterfall active only during the monsoon. It serves the purpose of relaxing in the water better than Bushy dam, as the force of the fall is higher. Also, after the brief steep descent, the fall becomes a stream with a fair amount of force to go all the way down to the base of the Tiger's Leap. Adventurers can trek down the stream whilst intermittently stepping back on land where the water current is too strong and the fall is steep.
- Karla Caves
Karla caves, located near Lonavla, is a complex of cave shrines built by Buddhist monks around 3rd to 2nd century B.C. A famous temple of Goddess Ekvira Devi is also present here.[9]
- Lohagad Fort
A robust climb of about 11.2 km from Malavali Railway Station takes you to the 'Iron Fort', once a formidable battle-station of Shivaji. The fort commands a view of the surrounding hills and hamlets.
- Bhushi Dam
A waterfall near the dam is a popular spot between Lonavla and I.N.S. Shivaji. Buses running on the I.N.S. Shivaji Road stop here.[10]
- Lion's Point
Scenic point midway between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley .
- Tungarli Lake and Dam
This lake and Dam come to life during the Monsoon season, where youth climb the mountain top to the Dam. This dam was built during the British era and features a serene surrounding.
- Shooting Point
Another scenic point in the town of Khandala (Bazaar peth), which provides magnificent view of the Rajmachi Fort and the valley. Also the home for the St. Mary's villa.
- Wax Museum
The 'Celebrity Wax Museum', modelled on the famous Madame Tussauds in London, is located only 3 km away from the railway station at Varsoli, near Toll Plaza is a new attraction for the tourists.[11]
Education[edit]
Some major educational institutes in Lonavla are:
- Institute For Future Education Entrepreneurship And Leadership
- The Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavla
- Nirvana Paragliding School
- Gurukul High School (boarding school)
- Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS)
- Kohinoor Business School-Kohinoor Global Campus
- Sinhgad Technical Education Societycampus KG TO PG
- DC High School and Jr. College
- Auxilium Convent School
- Don Bosco School and Junior college, Lonavla
- Dr. B.N. Purandare Vidyalay High School
- V.P.S. HighSchool & D.P. Mehata Jr College
- Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute for Research, Training and Therapy.
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, INS Shivaji, Lonavla
- Sadhana Institute, Old Khandala Road, Lonavla
- Kaivalya Vidya Niketan, Kaivalyadhama Lonavla. CBSE Board
- Ryewood international School,Lonavla
- The Great Eastern Institute Of Maritime Studies, Lonavla[1]
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