Junnar to become 'tourism-tehsil' of Maharashtra

Junnar which has thousands of years of history, dense forests, forts and cave complexes  would be developed as a "tourism-tehsil" of Maharashtra.

"Junnar (under Pune district) in a sense is very complete….it has temples, caves, forts, dams, forests, wildlife and you also have a good view of the skies," Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal told Deccan Herald.

"It is near to Mumbai, Pune and Nashik and it is accessible from other places as well. We will develop it as a tourist destination. We are planning an overall transformation as a tourism-tehsil," Rawal said.

This project is "very high on agenda" of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and locals would be involved in the project.

The fort of Shivneri in Junnar is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - the legendary Maratha warrior and founder of the Maratha empire.

Nestled in the Sahyadri mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, Junnar, is also famous for its leopard population and wildlife. The teak forests give a unique view of this place. The dams like Manikdoh, Yedgaon on Kukadi river and the Chilewadi on Mandvi river give a unique look  to the rich nature. Several notable temples lie on the banks of Kukadi river including the Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar and Malanga Devi.

The Khodad village in this tehsil also houses the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), the largest telescope at metre wavelengths in the world, which attracts radio astronomers from different countries.

Junnar has been an important trading and political centre for the last two millennia. The town is on the trade route that links the ports of western India or more specifically of Konkan with Deccan interiors. The first mention of Junnar comes the Greco-Roman travellers from the first millennia.

There are more than 220 individual rock-cut caves located in four hills around Junnar. The most famous among them is the Lenyadri complex. It represents a series of about 30 rock-cut mostly Buddhist caves. One cave is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Several inscriptions related to donations by Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) have been found at the Junnar caves.