Lonaval, Khandala - Karla
Lonaval
and Khandala are two charming little hill stations on the western slopes of
the Sahyadris, 5 kms. apart, that straddle the Mumbai-Pune highway at an altitude
of 625 m.
Quite popular as health resort, there are a number of sanatoria dotting the
hills in the towns.
Khandala is smaller and calmer of the two, though browsing through Lonavala's
bazaar could yield some wonderfull surprises. Both towns offer scenic views
of the surrounding hD:\madhu-sites\mtdcindia\Maharashtra_Hill_Resorts\Matheran.htmills
and in the monsoon, with a myriad waterfalls, it can be enchanting.
Karla about 12 kms. from Lonavala, is the site of the largest Chaitya caves
in India, built in 89 B.C. Amongst the best-preserved Buddhist temples in India,
they represent the zenith, in terms of design purity, of this style of temple
architecture.
