The word Mumbai is driven from 'Mumba Devi' or Maha Amba Ali, the patron Goddess of the 'kolis' or fisher folk, who have been it's original inhabitants. Today, Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra,and also referred to as the Gateway of India, is the fastest moving, most affluent and industrialised city in India. Situated on India's beautiful west coast; the city has a natural harbour, which was developed by the British. It is also one of the most busy ports.

The terraced hills and fertile valleys of Maharashtra's most popular hill station (1372m) are a welcome escape from the noise and fumes of Mumbai and Pune. Mahabaleshwar has pleasant walks and panoramic lookouts(the sea is visible on a clear day), and the area has strong historical connections with Shivaji. The station was founded in 1828 by Sir John 'Boy' Malcolm, and it was the summer capital of the Bombay presidency during the days of the Raj.

Like most hill station, Mahabaleshwar closes up for the monsoon season (mid-June to mid-September). Local building are clad with kulum grass to prevent damage form the torrential rain - an unbelievalble six metres of rain falls during the monsoon. Local tourists, especially students from Pune and Mumbai, now come to Mahabaleshwar simply to 'get wet'.

Situated 106km south-east of Mumbai in the hills on the main railway line to Pune, Lonavla and nerarby Khandala are twin hill resorts catering for weekenders and conference groups from Mumbai. The area has changed dramatically in recent years from a sleepy backwater into a major development area.

There is little of interest in the towns themselves, though Khandala does overlook a picturesque ravine with a fine wet-season waterfall. For most travellers Lonavla is simply the most convenient base from which to visit the Karla and Bhaja caves.

Visit the Bibi-ka-Maqbara, built by Aurangazeb as a Tomb for his wife, an imitation of the Taj Mahal. A Himroo factory where beautiful cotton and silk fabrics are produced, Panchakki - a water-mill with in which there is a tomb of a Muslim Saint. Of special value to art and culture buffs are the Buddhist caves.

The caves are 106 kms from Aurangabad and date back to the 2^nd century BC. The 30 rock hewn caves are adorned with Buddhist sculpture and the frescoes portray in epic form the religious and secular life through eight centuries.

The caves encompasses 34 rock cut shrines representing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain art.

Maharashtra's Konkan Coast - the narrow strip between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea - is a region of deserted beaches, abandoned forts and isolated fishing communities, and is probably best known for its fresh produce, especially pomfret (a fish), avocados, and delicious Alphonso mangoes.

Although the region is relatively undeveloped, a few travellers are already finding their way to the excellent beaches which fringe the coast. And the number of tourists is certain to increase rapidly in the foreseeable future following the opening in 1997 of the Konkan Railway, which connects Mumbai with Goa and Mangalore along the Konkan corridor.

Dating from around the 2^nd century BC, the superb rock-cut caves in the hills near Lonavla are among the oldest and finest examples of Hinayana Buddhist rock temple art in India.

At weekends and on holidays Karla is invaded by picnic mobs from Munbai and pune and devotees visiting the ugly modern Hindu temple at the entrance to the cave.

Jalgaon is on the main rallway line from Mumbai to the country's north-east. It can make a convenient overnight stop enroute to the Ajanta caves, 60km to the south.

At the small village of Lonar, three hours by bus north-east of Jalna or 41/2 hours south-east of Ajanta, is a huge meteorite crater. Believed to be about 40,000 years old, the crater is two km in diameter and several hundred metres deep, with a shallow lake at the bottom. A plaque found at the rim near the town states that it is 'the only natural hypervelocity impact crater in basaltic rock in the world'.

There are several Hindu temples on the crater floor, and langur monkeys, peacocks and gazelles inhabit the bushes by the lake. The crater is only about five minutes walk from the bus stand - ask for directions to Lonar Tank.

It's possible to visit Lonar in a day enroute between Fardapur and Aurangabad, but this would be rushing things.

Matheran ('jungle topped') is the nearest hill station to Mumbai and a refreshing break from the heat and noise of the capital. It's an undulating hillop cloaked in shady trees and ringed by walking tracks which lead to lookouts that drop sheer to the plains. On a clear day the views are fantastic and it's possible to see (and supposedly even hear) Mumbai from Hart Paint. Getting to Matheran

is half the fun; from Neral Junction you take a narrow-gauge toy train up the 21km route to the heart of the hill station. High season in Matheran runs from November to January and from mid-April to mid-June.

About 40km north-east of Nagpur, Ramtek has a number of picturesque 600 year old temples surmounting the Hill of Rama. The old British contonment, the Hill of Rama. The old British contonment of Kemtee is nearby, and a memorial to the Sanskrit dramatist Kalidasa is just along the road from the MTDC holiday resort which has a spectacular view of the town.