West India Travel Guide

Aurangabad
The take off point, for visiting some of the subcontinents greatest art treasures at Ajanta and Ellora, is Aurangabad. A hot tourist destination in the 80's, it is named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Once a major centre of power, now recalled by several evocative Muslim monuments, it has gained in stature, as an industrial town in the last decade.

Goa
Situated on the south bank of the Mandovi estuary in north Goa is Panaji or Panjim the State Capital. Built around the Altinho hill, its Portuguese appeal can still be seen in its elegantly red roofed Portuguese villas, boats plying up and down the Mandovi river, gardens and avenues lined with Gulmohor and Acassia trees as well homes built using Latin architecture.

Madurai
Madurai or Madhurapuri grew and prospered, to become the capital of the Pandayan Kingdom. It is referred to in the Ramayana and Arthashastra of Kautilya.. Megashenes (302 BC), Pliny (77AD) and Ptolemy (140 AD) wrote of Madura, the kingdom of the Pandian. Macro Polo visited Madurai in 1293 AD and Ibn Batuta in 1333 AD. Madurai lies on the banks of the River Vaigai.

Mumbai
The heart of Indian economy is Mumbai or Bombay. It is the financial backbone of India, and one of the finest metropolitans in the world. It is famous for its commercial, technological and the advertisement world. The seaport and the international airport, are busiest in the country handling more than 50% of Indian foreign trade. The oldest Indian stock exchange, is located here, accompanied by the biggest amusement park of India- ESSEL WORLD and the largest theme water park of Asia, popularly known as WATERKINGDOM.

Sasan Gir
Gir forest is the only place in the world, outside Africa, where the lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The forest also harbours a variety of smaller animals and birds. Other predators are the powerful Panther and the ungainly striped Hyena. The largest Indian Deer, Sambar, Chital (spotted deer) Nilgai (blue bull), Chinkara and the unique Chowsingha (four horned antelope) are found here, along with the bear and the long tailed langur.