39-550: Lonavala-Khandala is a hill station and a Municipal Council in the Pune district , Maharashtra , India. It is about 64 km (40 miles) west of Pune and 96 km (60 miles) to the east of Mumbai . It is known for its production of the hard candy chikki and is also a major stop on the railway line connecting Mumbai and Pune. From the Pune suburbs, local trains are available from Pune Junction . The Mumbai-Pune Expressway and
78-609: A disease-ridden land by [escaping] to the Himalayas in the north". Other factors included anxieties about the dangers of life in India, among them "fear of degeneration brought on by too long residence in a debilitating land". The hill stations were meant to reproduce the home country, illustrated in Lord Lytton 's statement about Ootacamund in the 1870s as having "such beautiful English rain, such delicious English mud." Shimla
117-466: A cliff-top with a sheer drop of over 650 m, giving an extensive view. Buses are available up to INS Shivaji and the remaining distance of about 1.6 km has to be covered on foot. Legend has it that while being chased by a tiger once, the Maratha Empire king Shivaji jumped into a ditch on the hill and the tiger leaped off it into the valley giving it the name of tiger's leap. Just around
156-703: A marble structure. This lake and Dam comes to life during the Monsoon season, where some people climb the mountain top to the Dam. This dam was built during the British era and features a serene surrounding of trees and hillocks. Another viewpoint in the town of Khandala (Bazaar peth), provides views of the Rajmachi Fort and the valley. Also the home for the St. Mary's villa. Kataldhar is a waterfall neer Rajmachi Fort off
195-519: Is Smt. Surekha Nandkumar Jadhav and the Vice president is Shri. Sanjay Mohan Ghone. As of 2011 India census , Lonavala had a population of 57,698. Males constituted 53.47% of the population and females 46.53%. The sex ratio in Lonavala is 870, lower than the state average of 929. Lonavala has a literacy rate of 89.33%, which is higher than the state average of 82.34%. The Male literacy rate is 93.4%, and
234-463: Is a historic fort close to Lonavala and attracts a lot of trekkers during the monsoon season. The fort also comprises two other forts - Shrivardhan Fort and Manaranjan Fort. Besides, the fort is known for the fireflies that lit up the surroundings in night This is an extensive garden situated in Lonavla. The garden has a number of tall trees - some of which are very old. There is an old Shiva temple in
273-632: Is a viewpoint midway between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley which overlooks a deep valley and mountains known for its roasted corn and onion fritters. This point does not have any lions but is named so because it is associated with the Lions Club of Lonavala. Narayani Dham is a temple constructed in 2002 in honor of the Hindu Goddess Narayani . It is at a distance of 2 km from the Lonavla railway station. The temple has idols of Durga Mata, Salasar Balaji (Hanuman) and Ganapati housed in
312-505: Is also available between Juhu and Pawana Dam, which is 14 km away from Lonavala. Rajmachi Point is located about 6.5 km from Lonavala. This point commands a view of Shivaji Maharaj's fort, Rajmachi (Royal terrakouioce), and the surrounding valley. Regular State Transport buses ply between Rajmachi Point and Lonavala from the State Transport Bus Stand. The Vaghjai Dari is also located here. Rajmachi Fort
351-515: Is borderline with a humid subtropical climate (CWa) due to the January mean temperature being shy of 18.9°C. It has an extreme wet and dry climate because it's quite dry during the dry months (mid October to may) while it's extremely wet from June to September. July and August rainfall values are higher than most well known cities annual rainfall. Lonavala and the adjacent Khandala are twin hill stations 622 metres (2,041 ft) above sea level, in
390-466: Is spread over an area of 36 acres. It is located at about 3,000 feet height above MSL . Della Adventure Park offers close to 52 adventure activities. Lonavala Lake is surrounded by natural scenery, about 1.6 km from the town. The lake dries up during the winter and summer months offering an expanse of green grass that is used by walkers and joggers. This place attracts tourists for its street food, including convenience food items like smoked corn on
429-440: Is well-connected by train. Local trains run from Pune at 2-hour intervals. Those originating from Mumbai along the central line have Khopoli as their last station. Buses are available at regular intervals to complete the remaining 15 km of the journey to Lonavla from Khopoli bus station. It takes 2.5 hours by train from Mumbai and 1 to 1.5 hour from Pune. All trains, travelling between Mumbai and Pune, halt at Lonavala. Before
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#1732790974839468-602: The Mughals realised the strategic importance of the region and kept the region for an extended time. The forts in the region and the " Mavala " warriors played an important role in the history of the Maratha Empire and that of the Peshwas . In 1871, the Lonavala and Khandala hill stations were established by Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of Bombay Presidency at the time. The President of Lonavala Municipal Council
507-910: The Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. It consists of 24 stations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus ( formerly Victoria Terminus ) to Kalyan Junction . The entire line is at grade. It has section of quadruple track starting from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and ends at Kasara , Roha , Uran and Khopoli in Maharashtra. The Central line in Mumbai consists of three major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban satellite towns. Two corridors (one local and other through) on Central Railway run from CSMT to Kalyan Junction (55 km), from where it bifurcates into two lines – one running up to Kasara (67 km) in
546-728: The Mumbai-Bengaluru highway both pass through Lonavala. Lonavala is also home to INS Shivaji (formerly HMIS Shivaji ), the Indian Navy 's premier technical training institute. On 16 February 1945, the Establishment was commissioned as HMIS Shivaji and since then, the premier Technical Training Establishment of the Indian Navy trains officers. Present day Lonavala was a part of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty . Later,
585-604: The Harbour line station of Panvel . It intersects the main line of the Central line at Diva Junction . MEMUs operate between Dahanu Road and Roha via a branch line from Diva. The first passenger train in India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai to Thane ran on 16 April 1853 on the track laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway . The GIPR line was extended to Kalyan in 1854 and then on
624-461: The Indian context, "the hill station (...) was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". The term is still used in present day, particularly in India, which has the largest number of hill stations, most are situated at an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 metres (3,300 to 8,200 ft). Nandi Hills is a 11th-century hill station that
663-468: The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh , are two example of that misuse of Hill Station or more accurately deviation of its meaning. These two historical settlements existed prior to the British, and haven't been specially frequented by them or even extensively modified or shaped by them. However, the rise of internal domestic tourism in India from the eighties and the subsequent reproduction of Hill Station practice by urban middle-class Indians contributed to
702-533: The Rajmachi Trekking route. Some major educational institutes in Lonavala are: Hill station A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges from the summer heat and, as Dale Kennedy observes about
741-741: 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). Tourism peaks during the monsoon season. The name Lonavala is derived from the words ' leni ' which means caves and ' avali ' which means series. i.e. 'a series of Caves' which is a reference to the many caves like Karla Caves , Bhaja Caves and Bedsa that are close to Lonavala. A trip to Lonavala and Khandala can be combined with sight-seeing visits of Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa caves and also
780-508: The cob, shaved ice (gola), vada pav, chaat, and hot ginger tea. Duke's Nose stands 12 km from Lonavla, clearly visible from the highway while driving towards Mumbai. This landmark in Khandala is visited by hikers. Also known locally as Naagphani (Cobra's Hood), the cliff owes its name to the Duke of Wellington, whose ample nose it resembles. Tiger's Leap also known as Tiger's Point is
819-495: The evolution of hill stations in India: high refuge, high refuge to hill station, and hill station to town. The first settlements started in the 1820s, primarily as sanitoria. In the 1840s and 1850s, there was a wave of new hill stations, with the main impetus being "places to rest and recuperate from the arduous life on the plains". In the second half of the 19th century, there was a period of consolidation with few new hill stations. In
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#1732790974839858-489: The female literacy rate is 84.57%. 10.37% of the total population in Lonavala is of children under 6 years of age. At the time of the 2011 Census of India , 75.18% of the population of Lonavala followed Hinduism , 10.13% Islam , 8.75% Buddhism , 2.67% Jainism , 2.32% Christianity and the remaining 0.96% of the population followed other religions or stated no religion. Religion in Lonavala (2011) Lonavala has an extreme version of tropical wet and dry climate which barely
897-531: The final phase, "hill stations reached their zenith in the late nineteenth century. The political importance of the official stations was underscored by the inauguration of large and costly public-building projects." The concept of Hill Station has been used loosely in India (and more broadly South Asia) since the mid-20th century to qualify any town or settlement in mountainous areas, which attempt to expand its local economy toward tourism, or have been invested by recent mass tourism practices. Kullu and Manali in
936-553: The following routes: Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop as well as important terminal. † A footbridge links Parel to Prabhadevi on the Western line. The main line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway runs from CSMT to Kalyan. It then splits into two corridors one going to Khopoli and other to Kasara. The Vasai Road–Diva–Panvel line connects the Western line station of Vasai Road with
975-538: The imperial hill station reflected and reinforced a framework of meaning that influenced European views of the non-western world in general." The historian of Himalayan cultures Shekhar Pathak speaking about the development of Hill Stations like Mussoorie noted that "the needs of this (European) elite created colonies in Dehradun of Indians to cater to them." This "exclusive, clean, and secure social space – known as an enclave – for white Europeans ... evolved to become
1014-626: The labelling of these two localities as Hill Stations . Munnar , a settlement in the state of Kerala whose economy is primarily based on tea cultivation and processing , as well as plantation agriculture, is another example of a hill town transformed by contemporaneous tourism practices as a hill station. Most hill stations, listed by region: Hundreds of hill stations are located in India. The most popular hill stations in India include: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Balochistan Gilgit Baltistan Central line (Mumbai Suburban Railway) The Central line of
1053-712: The north-east and the other running up to Khopoli (61 km) in the south-east. These two corridors constitute the 'Main' Line. The Central main line shares one station with the Western line at Dadar . They consist of a fleet of Siemens as well as Bombardier EMUs. The major car sheds on this line are at Kurla and Kalva. There are fast and slow locals here for suburban service. Slow locals halt at every station, while fast locals halts vary between Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Diva, Dombivli and Kalyan Junction. All services plying beyond this junction run slow. Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations. The Central line consists of
1092-521: The north-east side to Igatpuri and the south-east side to Khopoli via Palasdari railway station at the foot of the Western Ghats in 1856. Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) on 3 February 1925, on 1.5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930. The previously used 1.5 kV DC
1131-541: The park. Valvan Dam is a Britisher-built garden and is more than a century old. This dam has a garden at the foot of its wall and is 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. Della Adventure Park is India's largest adventure park situated in Lonavala hill station. The park
1170-520: The push-pull technology, trains from Mumbai used to halt at Karjat in Raigad District to attach banker locomotives before the train started the journey up the western ghats to reach Lonavala. The city of Aamby Valley, which lies near to Lonavala, has its own private airport. The nearest commercial airports are Pune International Airport at 64 km and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 104 km. A seaplane service
1209-403: The seats of government and foci of elite social activity", and created racial distinctions which perpetuated British colonial power and oppression as Nandini Bhattacharya notes. Dale Kennedy observed that "the hill station, then, was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". Kennedy, following Monika Bührlein, identifies three stages in
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1248-521: The surrounding hills and hamlets. Adjacent to the Lohagad fort lies the visapur fort which is part of the Lohagad-Visapur fortification. Visapur Fort is larger and at a higher elevation than its twin- Lohagad. It was built during 1713-1720 CE by Balaji Vishwanath. A waterfall near the dam is located between Lonavala and I.N.S. Shivaji. Buses running on the I.N.S. Shivaji Road stop here. This
1287-468: The tiger's leap, there is a small waterfall active only during the monsoon. It serves the purpose of relaxing in the water better than Bushi 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
1326-642: 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. The Andharban trek begins from village Pimpri, passes through dense forests, valleys and waterfalls and ends in Bhira . Lonavala is on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and is well-connected to several towns of Khopoli , Karjat , Talegaon Dabhade , etc. Lonavala
1365-408: The water current is too strong and the fall is steep. Karla Caves , located near Lonavala, is a complex of cave shrines built by Buddhist monks around 3rd to 2nd century B.C. A temple of Goddess Ekvira Devi is also present here. 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
1404-616: Was converted to 25 kV AC on 5 May 2013 from Kalyan to Khopoli and Kalyan to Kasara. Conversion from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Thane-Kalyan section was completed on 12 January 2014. The CSMT to LTT section was converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on 8 June 2015. Since November 2011, all services on the Central line have been running on 12 cars. In preparation for introducing 15 car services, CR extended platforms at Byculla, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Mulund and Dombivli stations, from
1443-559: Was developed by the Ganga dynasty in present-day Karnataka , India. Tipu Sultan (1751–1799) notably used it as a summer retreat. Hill stations in British India were established for a variety of reasons. One of the first reasons in the early 1800s, was for the place to act as a sanitorium for the ailing family members of British officials. After the rebellion of 1857 , the British "sought further distance from what they saw as
1482-466: Was officially made the "summer capital of India" in the 1860s and hill stations "served as vital centres of political and military power, especially after the 1857 revolt." As noted by Indian historian Vinay Lal , hill stations in India also served "as spaces for the colonial structuring of a segregational and ontological divide between Indians and Europeans, and as institutional sites of imperial power." William Dalrymple wrote that "The viceroy
1521-468: Was the spider at the heart of Simla's web: From his chambers in Viceregal Lodge, he pulled the strings of an empire that stretched from Rangoon in the east to Aden in the west." Meanwhile Judith T Kenny observed that "the hill station as a landscape type tied to nineteenth-century discourses of imperialism and climate. Both discourses serve as evidence of a belief in racial difference and, thereby,
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