UNESCO sites in Maharashtra that you should visit atleast once

India has many heritage sites throughout the country. Some of them are in the state of Maharastra and hold the status of being a UNESCO site. Offering a range of places to visit like Shirdi, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur and more, people are often curious to travel in order to see these sites. Here is a list of a few UNESCO sites that must be visited when you are on a tour of Maharashtra:

Must visit UNESCO sites in Maharashtra

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Flaunting its Victorian-era structure, this is a railway station set in the heart of Mumbai. The entire area has a variety of structures from the British era and is a must-visit if you are an architecture enthusiast. It was previously known as Victoria Terminus and was later renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. It is advised to take a heritage walk when visiting this site. 

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Ajanta caves

Built over hundreds of years, the 2nd century BC caves are next to the river Waghora in a horse-shoe shape. These caves are home to some of the best known and preserved works of Buddhist cave paintings. The location is serene and is set a little farther inside which allowed the Buddhist monks to have a perfect and quiet place for meditation. Ever since its discovery, it has been a protected monument. 

Ellora caves

Locally popular as the Verul Leni, these caves are a collection of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves cut from the volcanic basaltic formation of Maharasthra, known as Deccan Trap. There are about 100 caves set in the area and out of those only 34 can be visited by tourists. Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist; Caves 13 to 29 are Brahmanical and Caves 30 to 34 are Jain. 

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Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta caves are located off the Mumbai coast on the island of Elephanta. The present caves belong to 5-6th century AD though there are a few remains from 2nd Century BC as well. Keep in mind that the caves are not accessible during monsoons, plan your visit accordingly. 

Kaas Plateau

Though the entire Western ghat is a UNESCO heritage site, one of the most popular places in the ghats is the Kaas Plateau. Other famous spots include the Koyna wildlife sanctuary, the Chandoli national park, and the Radhanagari Wildlife sanctuary. With a unique micro-climate, the plateau becomes home to a variety of floral species towards the end of monsoon. The place offers a scenic view that is mesmerising to look at. 

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