Pune, was once the capital of the Marathas and is strongly linked with the warrior-king Shivaji. Today Pune has become a commercial hub and is recognised as one of the leading metros in India.

Besides a prestigious university, the Film and Television Institute of India and the National Defence Academy are based here along with this there are a number of prestigeous educational institutes. One of the major attractions of the city would be the Osho Commune International, better known as the ashram of Bhagwan Rajneesh.

The highest hill station in the Western Ghats, Mahabaleshwar is situated at 1372 meters around Lake Venna, covering 10 sq km. There are 30 valley viewpoints with panoramic vistas scattered around the hill station and their access roads make for shady, pleasant walks and treks. The area has strong historical connections with Shivaji, the heroic Maratha warrior king.

Nasik combines all the classical modes of India. Nasik is considered as the holiest of pilgrimages of the Hindu religion, where the Kumbh is held once in every 12 years. People visit this place in thousands for a dip in the holy Godavari river (the Ganges of the western lands) to cean there sins and for final salvation. This is the holy land where Lord Rama and Goddess Sita and Laxman, spent their years in exile. Akbar, the great Mughal rular lived here for a long time and he cherished the memories of this beautiful place. Nasik is also mentioned as the land of the great Maratha, Shivaji. Another feature of this place is the variety of agricultural products that are grown here. A burgeoning industrial centre of modern India with over thousands of large and small industrial units. In a way, Nasik is the heart of India.

Aurangabad has traces of settlements dating to the stone age and the remains of the cities of several dynasties. A distinct feature of the city is its facinating mix of cultures and the distinct Muslim aura which it still carries. In 1610, Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nigam Shah II, founded the city at the site of a village, Khirki. The city was re-named Fatehpur when Fateh Khan, son of Malik Ambar, succeeded to the throne in 1626. It was renamed Aurangabad in 1653 when Aurangzeb of the Mughal dynasty, became Viceroy of the Deccan. The viharas (monasteries) and chaityas (chapels) that were excavated at Aurangabad, Ajanta and Ellora are the reminders of Buddhism that bloomed during the Chalukya period.

The caves of Ajanta and Ellora presents the stories, from the period between 200 B.C and 650 A.D, of Buddhism. The faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are represented by them.
Ajanta: Located at a distance of 166 kms north-east of Aurangabad, the Buddhist caves of Ajanta dates back to the period between 200 B.C to 650 A.D. These 30 caves are located into the face of a horseshoe-shaped rock gorge on the Waghore River.There walls are covered with beautiful paintings, whose colours still glow, depicting various religions. The caves were discovered by some British officers who were there on a hunting expedition. Various phases from the life of Lord Buddha, along with his previous incarnations are depicted on the walls of these caves.
Ellora: The difference between the Ajanta caves and those in Ellora are of the scluptures carved out of massive pieces of rock dating back to the period between 350 A.D to 700 A.D. The Kailasa temple, a huge intricately carved temple virtually cut out of the mountain, is also there. In all there are 34 caves; 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain; caves 6 and 10 have images from the Buddhist and Hindu faith under the same roof. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Dumar Lena cave resembles the famous cave temple of Elephanta near Mumbai. The exceptionally beautiful scluptures of Ellora capture, in stone, the nobility, grace and serenity inherent in the Buddha.

Nagpur is characterised as an industrial and business city as it has a number of coal mines, thermal power plants and is the cotton-producing belt of India. It is India's geographical centre. Situated on the river Nag, is India's orange-growing capital. Most factories are located on the outskirts so the town is free of pollution. Multi-national companies like Nippon Denro Ispat Ltd., Morarjee Mills Brembhara, Hyndai Corporation, L&T Cement and many textile and industry-related companies have established themselves here. Nagpur is easily accessible by air, bus and train.

Once the capital of an important Maratha state, Kolhapur is an interesting little town worth exploring for a day or two. The various places worth viewing are the maharaja's palace housing the Shahaji Chhatrapati museum and the Mahalakshmi temple.