Lonavala, Hill station in Pune district, India.
Lonavala is a hill station in Pune district, India, sitting at 624 meters (2,047 feet) elevation in the Sahyadri range between Mumbai and Pune. The town covers 38 square kilometers (15 square miles) and offers views of forested valleys, lakes and hills that turn especially green during monsoon season.
Development as a hill station began in 1871 during the British Raj under Lord Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay Presidency. The opening of the railway line between Mumbai and Pune made the area accessible to British officials and later Indian families as a summer retreat.
The town draws weekend visitors from Mumbai and Pune who stay in small guesthouses and walk through forested slopes. Local vendors along the main road sell chikki, a traditional sweet made from peanuts and jaggery that travelers have bought as a souvenir for decades.
The monsoon season from June to September brings frequent rain and slippery paths, while the cooler months from October to February offer more comfortable walking conditions. The railway station with three platforms sits centrally and connects Mumbai and Pune through regular trains and suburban routes.
During the monsoon months, Bhushi Dam fills up and sends water flowing over flat rock steps where visitors sit in shallow pools and enjoy the cascading water. The region also holds the ancient Buddhist caves of Karla and Bhaja, carved into the surrounding hills and dating back to the 2nd century BC.
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