Pali to

15.04.09 7.50am start

24. PALI Ashta Vinayaka Temple

Ganesha is believed to have saved his boy-devotee, Ballala, who was beaten by local villagers and his father (Kalyani-seth) for his single-minded devotion to him.

The original wooden temple was reconstructed in to a stone temple by Nana Phadanavis in 1760. There are two small lakes constructed on two sides of the temple. One of them is reserved for the puja (worship) of the Deity.

25. MATHERAN Hill Station

Matheran has been declared an eco sensitive region by the Union Environment Ministry and can be called a Health Sanatorium in itself. The only form of automobile allowed in Matheran is an ambulance operated by the Municipality. No private automobiles are allowed. Within Matheran, transport facilities available are horses and hand-pulled rickshaws.

There are a lot of Parsi bungalows. Beautiful old British-style architecture is preserved in Matheran. The roads are not metalled and are made of red laterite earth. There are altogether 28 points, 2 lakes, 2 parks, 4 major worship places and a racecourse to visit inside Matheran. If you want to see all of them then you may need 2-3 days on your feet. One can move around on foot or horseback, but it is recommended moving on feet to take the best glimpse of nature. If you are on Horse back you may not be able to spend your desired time on the points.

6.00pm 28352km halt at Mumbai 185 kms

26. MUMBAI

16.04.09 Mumbai sight seeing including ELEPHANTA Caves
17.04.09 Mumbai sight seeing including PAGODA Buddha Mandir
18.04.09 Mumbai sight seeing including Shopping

The Elephanta Caves are a great tourist attraction in the vicinity of the large Mumbai metropolis. The Elephanta Island is located 10 km away from the Gateway of India at Mumbai. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century BC. These rock cut temples dedicated to Shiva Mahadeva are rich in sculptural content.

Carving out rock, and creating the columns, the internal spaces and the images created this rock cut temples. The entire temple is akin to a huge sculpture, through whose corridors and chambers one can walk. The entire complex was created through a process of rock removal. Some of the rock surfaces are highly finished while some are untreated bare rock.

The PAGODA or the Buddha Mandir is a new landmark coming up near Mumbai. It is adjacent to Essel World. We were not interested in seeing Essel world as such amusement parks are there in almost every city. However the PAGODA is a pagoda and there is no comparision to it. It is still under construction, but don’t miss it when you visit Mumbai. More information on this can be had from Internet.

Mumbai is situated on an island - Salcette Island. Mumbai originally was a cluster of seven separate islands, and the southernmost island was called Old Woman’s Island. It took 60 years to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one landmass between 1784 and 1845. The name Bombay was derived from Bom Bahia (The Good Bay), a name given by Portuguese sailor Francis Almeida, in 1508.

The wooden pole in the centre of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai signifies the centre of the earth. Legend has it that Lord Ram created the tank by piercing the earth with his arrow.

The Lumiere brothers introduced Motion Pictures to India with six soundless short films at Bombay’s Watson’s Hotel in 1896. Mahatma Gandhi began his political career in Mumbai in 1915 after returning from South Africa.

In 1995, Nariman Point had the highest land price in the world. Mumbai has 3 lakes - Tulsi, Powai, Vihar, 3 rivers - Mithi (Mahim), Dahisar, Oshiwara and 4 forts - Sewree, Bandra, and Mahim & Worli. Tallest building in India, The Shreepati Arcade (45 floors) is in Bombay.

Mahalaxmi Temple: The Mahalaxmi Temple in Mumbai is a popular holy site as Mahalaxmi is the goddess of wealth. It is situated at one end of Breach Candy. Named for Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and her consort Lord Vishnu, this shrine is the focus of Navratri celebrations (when devoted Hindus offer gifts to gods and goddesses).

Siddhi Vinayak Temple: Located in the Prabha Devi area of Mumbai, this popular temple dedicated to Ganesh was rebuilt on the site of a 200-year old temple. Built of black stone, the idol of Ganesh is two and a half feet in height and two feet in width. An unusual feature of the statue is that the trunk turns to the right, not often found on Ganesh idols.

19.04.09 7.30am start from Mumbai

27. NASHIK Temple

Mythology has it that Rama, the king of Ayodhya, made Nashik his temporary abode during the 14 years of his exile. The poets Rishi Valmiki, Mahakavi Kalidas and Bhavabhooti have paid rich tributes to Nashik in many of their works. In addition, Nashik has always been the epicentre of commerce and trade. Ptolemy, the famous philosopher made a mention of Nashik in 150 BC, leading researchers to believe that it was probably the country's largest market place.


Today, Nashik is a bustling township with a blend of the ancient and the modern. Scattered across the city are numerous forts and majestic temples. But it is also the home to many industries. The Security Printing Press of the government, which prints the nation's currency, is located here.

28. TRIAMBAKESHWAR Jyotirlinga

The village of Trimbak, 36 kms from Nashik, is famous for the Trimbakeshwar Temple and as the source of the Godavari River.

Legend has it that Guatam Rishi performed a rigorous ritual of prayer and penance or tapasya to Shiva on Brahmagiri Hill, which rises above the present-day temple. Pleased with this devotion, Shiva is said to have blessed him and brought down to earth from heaven the sacred rivers of Ganga, Gautami and Godavari. To this day, Hindus offer shraad prayers (prayers for the souls of the departed) here. It is also believed that bathing in the waters of the Godavari will bring moksha or salvation.

29. SINNAR Temple

A small bustling town, Sinnar lies on the NH 50, around 30 km from Nasik and 60 km from Shirdi. Shri Swami Samarth Temple, Gondeshwar Temple and Aieshwar Temple are famous places of worship in Sinnar. Anther major attraction is a 12-13 ft tall Ganesha idol, located close to the Bhairavnath temple. Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is within a short distance from here.

This is not a famous tourist spot, and can easily be skipped. We visited this as it was on the way to our next destination, i.e. Shirdi.

30. SHIRDI Temple

Shirdi is the abode of one of Maharashtra's most revered saint - Sai Baba. Popularly known as the 'Child of God', Sai Baba preached tolerance towards all religions and the message of universal brotherhood.

Every activity at Shirdi revolves around the vast temple complex dedicated to Sai Baba. Devotees start queuing up in the early hours of dawn to catch a glimpse and seek the blessings of the life-size statue of Sai Baba. Thursday is marked by special pujas and darshan of the Sai Baba statue.

6.20pm 28669km halt at Shirdi 317 kms.

20.04.09 6.45am start

31. SHANI SHINGANAPUR Temple

The presiding deity of Shinganapur, Sri Shaneshwara or Shanidev – the personification of the planet Saturn is worshipped with utmost reverence and devotion by multitudes of people from all over the world. The spectacle of the deity in black stone is overwhelming. A unique aspect of this place is, that no temple structure houses the Shanidev. There is only a simple platform on which stands the swayambhu idol, in black stone.


Unlike other pilgrimage centres, devotees here can perform puja and other religious rituals themselves.

One of the unique aspects of the village Shiganapur is that houses here have no doorframes or locks on them for safety. (Querulously I checked up the toilets also, even ladies toilets don’t have doors!). They are in fact not needed. The people here believe that it is the benediction of the god that no crime ever occurs in this village.

32. AURANGABAD Bibi-Ka-Makbara

Aurangabad is named after Aurangzeb. Bibi Ka Maqbara is a maqbara built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam.

The monument's name translates literally to 'Tomb of the Lady', but has earned the nickname 'poor man’s Taj' because it was made to rival the Taj Mahal. The tomb in itself represents the transition from the ostentatious architecture of Akbar and Shah Jahan to the simple architecture of the later Mughals. The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument.

33. DAULATABAD (DEVAGIRI) Fort

Devagiri is famous for its formidable hill fort. The fort is situated on an isolated cone-shaped hill rising abruptly from the plain to the height of about 190 metres. The fortification constitutes of three concentric lines of defensive walls with large number of bastions. The noteworthy features of the fort are the moat, the scarp and the sub-terrain passage, all hewn of solid rock. The upper outlet of the passage was filled with an iron grating, on which a large fire could be used to prevent the enemy.

The Chand Minar, the Chini Mahal and the Baradari are the important structures within the fort. Alauddin Bahman Shah erected the Chand Minar, about 63 metres in height, in conquest of Daulatabad. Opposite the Minar is the Jumma masjid, whose pillars originally belonged to a temple. Close to it, there is a large masonry tank.

Nearby is a round bastion topped with a huge canon with ram’s head, called Kila Shikan or Fort-Breaker. The Baradari, octagonal in shape, stands near the summit of the fort. The principal bastion at the summit also carries a large canon.

34. ELLORA Caves

Ellora was built by the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. Famous for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.

Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock cut architecture. The 34 "caves" – actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills – comprised of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples and monasteries, were built between the 5th and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12), 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34), built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history.

Jejuri onwards

11. JEJURI Khandoba Temple

Jejuri is one of the famous temples in MH. Popularly known as 'Khandobachi Jejuri'.

The God of Jejuri - Mhalsakant or Malhari Martand - is popular amongst the Dhangars. Dhangar is one of the oldest tribes in MH. Khandoba is known to be their god. The temple of Khandoba is situated on a small hill.

The maintenance of this temple is extreemly bad, and needs lot of improvement.

12. MORGAON Ashta Vinayaka Temple

There is a Nandi sitting in front of this temple entrance, which is unique, as Nandi is normally in front of only Shiva temples. However, the story says that this statue was being carried to some Shivamandir during which the vehicle carrying it broke down and the Nandi statue could not be removed from its current place.

The murti of Lord Ganesha, riding a peacock, in the form of Mayureshwara is believed to have slain the demon Sindhu at this spot. The idol, with its trunk turned to the left, has a cobra (Nagaraja) poised over it protecting it.

8.00pm halt at Pune, 205kms.

12.04.09 Pune sight seeing in Auto MH12R5939 of Girish and Bharat Pawar 9850707709

13. PUNE:

At Pune, we went for sight seeing in an Auto. More details on this are described at the end of this article.

The places we saw at Pune include Phule Museum, Jangli Maharaj Mandir, Pataleshwar Caves, Shaniwar Wada, Lal Mahal, Ganesh mandir, Rajneesh Ashram, Tribal museum, War cemetery, Shindhe cemetery, Agakhan palace, Mahalaksmi temple, Bagul garden, Saras bag, Parvati temple, Kelkar museum.

Pune, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of MH, after Mumbai. Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities. It also boasts a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune.

From two-wheelers and autorickshaws ( Bajaj Auto, Kinetic Motor) to cars (Volkswagen, GM, Tata, Benz, Fiat, Peugeot) to Tractors (John Deere) to tempos and trucks (Force Motors). Automotive components (TATA Autocomp Systems Limited TACO, Visteon, Continental Corporation, ITW, SKF, Magna) are also manufactured here.

India's largest engineering conglomerate, the Kirloskar Group is based in Pune. Electronic goods are manufactured by companies such as the Whirlpool, LG Group. Food giants like Frito Lay and Coca Cola have food processing plants. Many small and medium-sized companies are also active.

Osho (known earlier as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) lived and taught in Pune for much of the 1970s and 1980s. The Osho International Meditation Resort, one of the world's largest spiritual centers, is located in the Koregaon Park area.

13.04.09 6.15am start from Pune.

14. SINGHGAD Fort
Sinhagarh was the scene of one of the most daring exploits in Maratha history when, in 1670, it was recaptured by Shivjaji’s forces under Tanaji Malusare, who laid down his life in the battle. On his death, a saddened Shivaji said, “The fort is won, but the lion is gone!” Whereupon the fort got is new name: Sinha (lion) gadha (fort). Finally the British seized the fort from the Peshwas in 1818, destroying its almost all ancient monuments. Only the traditional gates and broken walls remain now.

Near the gorge is a monument (Samadhi) commemorating the bravery of Tanaji. There is also a tiny tomb of Rajaram, Shivaji’s son, who died here in 1700. Also there are few bungalows, including that of Lokamanya Tilak.

RAJGARH FORT (Could not visit due to lack of time)

Rajgarh enjoys a unique position among the hill forts of Maharashtra. It possesses all the salient features of fort architecture, which are peculiar to the Deccan region. There are four gates called Gunjavane, Pali, Alu and Kaleshwari or Dindi gate. All the four of the fort have remains of buildings which included residential quarters, sadar or state offices, bazaar or business quarter, granary, armoury, temples, etc. The fort had ample supply of water through tanks, cisterns and wells. The water supply being better on the Padmavati machi, it was major centre of activity on the fort.

The Nizamshahi and Adilshahi rulers earlier held Rajgarh, formerly known as Murumdeo. By 1648, it was under the firm control of Shivaji, who gave it the new name Rajgarh, the king’s fort. Shivaji’s construction activities here continued till 1670. For nearly twenty-five years Rajgarh was the pre-coronation capital of Shivaji. Out of Shivaji’s short life of fifty years (18,306 days) his stay of 2827 days at Rajgarh was the longest. The fort witnessed a number of major political events of the Maratha period.

15. THEUR Ashta Vinayaka Temple

Ganesha is believed to have got back the precious Chinatamani jewel from the greedy Guna for sage Kapila at this spot. However, after bringing back the jewel, sage Kapila put it in Vinayaka's neck. Thus the name Chintamani Vinayak. This happened under the Kadamb tree, therefore Theur is known as Kadambanagar in old times. The main temple is supposed to have been built by Dharanidhar Maharaj Dev from the family-lineage of Shri Moraya Gosavi.

16. RANJANGAON Ashta Vinayaka Temple

Shiva is believed to have worshipped Ganesha before fighting the demon Tripurasura here. The temple was built by Shiva where he worshipped Ganesha, and the town he set up was called Manipur which is now known as Ranjangaon.

The temple bears a distinct resemblance to the architecture reminiscent of the 9th and 10th Centuries and faces the east.

17. OZHAR Ashta Vinayaka Temple
The history encompassing this idol states that Vighnasur, a demon was created by Indra to destroy the prayer organized by King Abhinandan. However, the demon went a step further and destroyed all vedic, religious acts. Then to answer the people's prayers for protection, Ganesha defeated him.

Then the demon begged and pleaded with Ganesha to show mercy. Ganesha then granted in his plea, but on the condition that demon should not go to the place where Ganesha worshipping is going on. In return the demon asked a favour that his name should be taken before Ganesha's name, thus the name of Ganesha became Vighnahar or Vighneshwar. The Ganesha here is called Shri Vighneshwar Vinayak.

18. LENYADRI Ashta Vinayaka Temple

This temple stands amidst a cave complex of 18 caves of Buddhist origin. These are called Ganesh-leni as well. The temple is carved out of a single stone hill, which has 307 steps. The temple features a wide hall with no supporting pillars. The temple hall is 53feet long, 51feet wide and 7feet in height.

This idol seems to be little different from the rest of the Ashtavinayak idols in a sense that it appears to be not very well designed or carved like the other idols. This idol can be worshipped by anyone.

SHIVANERI FORT – GHODEGAON
On the way from Lenyadri to Bhimashankar, on right side, we can see Shivaneri Fort. This is the place where Shivaji was born, and spent his childhood days. We saw it from the base, and din’t go to the top. It requires trekking. We were not prepared for it, there was no time, and also, it was not in our itenary.

19. SHRI BHIMASHANKAR Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankar is the temple containing one of the five jyotirlingas found in MH. Nana Fadnis, an eminent statesman of the Peshwa days, constructed the beautiful Shiva Temple at Bhimashankar. The wooden entrance of the temple is beautifully carved. Bhimashankar is endowed with beautiful scenery and an all-around vibrant atmosphere.


Besides the Shiva Temple and the dense forest surrounding it, you can also visit Gupta Bhimashankar (the origin of Bhima River), among others. However, to see this, one must be really adventuress, as there are no signboards to go to this place in the dense forest. No guides are available here.

7.50pm 27906km halt at Bhimashankar 327 kms.

14.04.09 10.00am start

20. KARLA Caves
Nestling in the hills of Lonavala, these rock-cut caves rank amongst the oldest & finest examples of Early Buddhist temple art in India. The Karla Cave, imitates the look of more familiar wooden architecture. Completed in 80 BC, the impressive structure includes a representation of the Buddha, and an aisle made up of 37 pillars and carved elephant heads, which once had real ivory tusks. Just outside Karla Caves, Ekvira Temple is visited by lot of devotees, mainly fisher folk.

21. LONAVALA (and KHANDALA) Hill Station

The twin hill resorts of Khandala and Lonavala have a special attraction for the Mumbai crowd seeking a convenient weekend holiday in the hills. A mere 3 hours by road from Mumbai, beautifully landscaped Lonavala and Khandala are famous for their seemingly innumerable varieties of chikki…. (This information is from the Internet).

There is hardly anything to see at Lonavala. The so-called viewpoints are nothing compared to Mahabaleshwar. However it is worth buying variety of Chikkis, as they are unique to this place. We also went upto Sahara Amby Valley Resorts, but could not go inside, as it is not open to visitors.

22. KHANDALA

“Aatee hai Khandaalaa ?!” goes the famous Hindi song. During April, I would say “Naheen”.

But it is a pleasure to see the NH4 and Mumbai-Pune Express Way criss-crossing each other along with Railway track at Khandala ghat. To see the view of along-side photo, we have to go in NH4, enter the Park near the Ghat section road. It is really a worth man-made viewpoint compared to natural viewpoints at Khandala & Lonavala.

23. MAHAD Ashta Vinayaka Temple
Out of eight Ashta-vinayakas, this is the only temple where devotees are allowed to personally pay their homage and respects to the idol. They are allowed in the immediate vicinity of this idol to perform their prayers.

7.50pm 28167km halt at Pali 261 kms.

07.04.09 6.20am Start from Bangalore, halted at Belagam at 5.15pm – 518 kms.

08.04.09 7.30am Start 7.50am 26574km KA-MH border

1. SINDHUDURG (Malvan) Sea Fort
This is a fort in the sea, i.e it is an island fort. This is one of the few forts, which Shivaji had built. It has been well maintained.

Snorkeling, coral viewing and such other facilities are available near this fort.

(In Karnataka, we have one such fort near Honnavar. It is known as Basavaraj Raya Durga. It is totally under ruins. Our Tourism Dept has not done anything to improve/maintain it)

2. KOLLAPUR Mahalakshmi Temple
This exquisitely carved temple draws millions of pilgrims from all over India and is an important spiritual centre.

Over the years, members of several royal families have sought the blessings of the goddess Mahalaxmi or Amba Bai.

The temple complex has artistically sculpted structures and houses the temples of other deities such as Kashi Vishweshwar, Kartikaswami, Sheshashayi, Siddhivinayak, Mahaswaraswati, Mahakali, Shree Dutta and Shree Ram.

Kolhapuri Chappals are famous and we bought the same. It costs extremely less here, like 100 rupees or so, for ladies chappals.

3. PANHALA Fort & Hill Station
Panhala is possibly the largest and most important fort of the Deccan. There are a number of monuments in the fort. Most impressive among them are the three huge granaries. The largest among them, the Ganga Kothi, cover nearly 950 sq m. In the northeast corner of the fort, there is a double story building, called Sajja Kothi, where Shivaji had imprisoned his errant son, Sambhaji. It was from here that Shivaji, when encircled by the forces of Siddi Johar, escaped one rainy night to Vishalgarh. Today, Panhala is a sort of hill station and provides all the necessary facilities for tourists.

8.00pm halt at Panhala– 325 kms.

09.04.09 9.30am start

4. GANAPATIPULE Temple

A quaint little town along the Konkan Coast, Ganapatipule is a popular beach haven. Legend has it that Lord Ganapati, on being offended by a native lady, changed his dwelling from Gule to Pule, and thus the town was named Ganapatipule. It houses the famous Swayambhu Ganapati temple. The drive to Ganapatipule is quite spectacular, lined with beaches, an expanse of palm trees and casuarinas plantations, and small fishing villages.

5. ARAVALLI Hot Water

This is a hot water pond. The water flows from the pond and is hot enough to take a bath. But as there is no body to maintain it, it is in a very bad state. We saw it because it was just off the NH17, along our next destination.

7.50pm halt at Mahad – 342 kms

10.04.09 7.00am start

6. RAIGARH Fort

Raigarh was Shivaji’s capital, the hill fort where he was crowned (1674) and where he died (1680). There is only one pathway to Raigarh, probably in keeping with Shiviaji’s strategy “the fort’s approach should be easy for friends and impossible for foes”. On a low mound in the centre is the site of Shivaji’s throne. Further north is the two-row market place, the Jagadishwar temple in an enclosure and the Samadhi of shivaji, and also that of his favourite dog, Waghya.
MTDC has constructed a ropeway to go to the top of this fort. (I think this is the only fort, which has this facility). We can go to the top by trekking also.

Local guides are also available at the top of the fort. It is better to have the food in the bottom of the fort.

MURUD JANJIRA FORT (Sea fort): (Could not visit due to lack of time)

Situated on a rock of oval shape near the port town of Murud, 165kms south of Mumbai, Janjira is one of the strongest marine forts of India (the word ‘Janjira’ is a corruption of the Arabic word Jazira for island). The fort is approached by sailboats from Rajapuri jetty. The main gate of the fort faces Rajapuri on the shore and can be seen only when one is quite close to it. It has a small postern gate towards the open sea for escape. The fort has 19 rounded bastions, still intact.

7. PRATAPGHAD Fort
The Maratha king Shivaji commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle, his prime minister, to undertake the construction of this fort in order to defend the banks of the Nira and the Koyna rivers, and to defend the Par pass. The Battle of Pratapgarh between Shivaji and Afzal Khan was fought below the rampants of this fort on 10-11-1659. This was the first major test of the fledgling kingdom's army, and set the stage of the establishment of the Maratha empire.

8. MAHABALESHWAR Temple & Hill Station

This is a temple town. It is also the number one hill station of MH. An evergreen vast plateau with long beautiful roads, horse rides & foot paths along forest. Honey & chikki, channas, waling sticks, fruits like strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries & mulberries, vegetables like red potatoes, french beans, beets, salad, carrots, and radishes are famous here.

There are many sightseeing viewpoints in Mahabaleshwar. I have seen many view points in many places of many states. Among all these, I rate these viewpoints as must-see viewpoints. If you visit Mahabaleshwar without seeing these view points, then your trip is a waste.

Arthurs Seat: It is fascinating to see the barren deep valley Savitri on the left & shallow green valley on the right. It is more fascinating to know that Arthur's seat is the only place showing geographical distinction of Konkan & Deccan, two territories of Mahabaleshwar, so clear & so near.
And the other one is another queen of all points. Some compare the stratification of rocks on southern side to the world famous stratification of rocks of the Grand Canyon of Colorado. USA.

Kates Point: Offers breathtaking view of Krishna valley & deep waters of the Dhom dam. From southern side, it looks like an elephants head. There is also an echo point.

Panchaganga Mandir: As per the Hindu mythology, five holy rivers Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savitri & Gayatri, show their token appearance here, in five springs flowing closely. They are seen flowing in five stone conduits & joining in one horizontal half channel, leading to the Goumukhi cow face.

Shri Shankar Mandir: The Mahalinga of the lord Shiva is of Rudraksha shape & believed to be swayambhoo. It is called Trigunatmaka meaning Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh is on it forever. On the head of the mahalinga you see the marks of the five holy rivers (Panchaganga) & their waters never loose their level. This is considered to be superior to the twelve jyotirlingas.

7.30pm halt at Mahabaleshwar – 118 kms.

11.04.09 7.30am start

9. PANCHGANI Hill Station
The five hills surrounding Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau, which is the second highest in Asia after the Tibetan plateau. These plateaus, alternatively known as "table land", are a part of the Deccan Plateau and they were raised by pressure between the earth plates. The area has high seismic activity, with an epicenter near Koynanagar where the Koynanagar Dam and a hydroelectric power plant have been built.
10. WAI Temple
Considering the number and architecture, Wai could be called as 'a town of temple'. Temples built in the Hemadpanti style of architecture, are located in and around Wai. (Use of huge stone slabs is the major characteristic of Hemādpanti architecture).

Dholya Ganapati temple is one of the prime temples in MH. The idol of Lord Ganesh is very big (as its' name suggests) and is situated on the beautiful ghats of river Krishna.