Bhimbetka, 45km south-east of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, is the best known rock art region in the Indian sub-continent. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003, the area extends over 1,892 hectares covering five hills within the Vindhyan Range; Vinayka, Bhonrawali, Bhimbetka, Lakhajuar east and Lakhajuar west.
Malhargad Fort is a hill fort located not far from Saswad, about 30km (19 miles) from Pune. It is also known as Sonori Fort due to the village of Sonori being situated at its base. This was the last fort built by the Marathas in around 1760, and was named after the God Malhari.
Believed to have been built sometime between the 10th and 13th century, Sangameshwar temple stands guard over the confluence of the Chamli and Karha rivers, just south of Saswad. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is about 35km south-east of Pune, and takes just over an hour to reach there from Pune.
Sinhagad (also known as Sinhgad) is the nearest hill fort to Pune, located around 25 km southwest of the city. The fort stands on a high point of the Sayhadris, 1,315m above sea level and rising more than 700m from the plain below.
Although I would consider Pune a relatively green city compared to many urbanised areas of the country, I still find myself occasionally longing for a little more greenery, but somewhere close so it’s only an Auto ride away. About five years ago I got to hear of Pashan […]
India has the largest number of tribes and tribal population anywhere in the world. According to a recent anthropological survey of India, there are in total over 750 distinct tribes in the country, the population of which (84 million in 2001) accounts for 8% of the total population of the country.
Maharashtra ranks as the second largest tribal state, with 45 tribes recorded in total such as Warlis, Bhils, Mavchis, Korkus, Madias, Gonds, Thakars, Kokanas and Pawaras. All of these tribes have developed their own art and craft forms.
Established in Pune in 1965, the Tribal Cultural Museum is within the campus of the Tribal Research and Training Institute. With over 1,350 exhibits on display, their on-going quest is to collect exhibits and update the museum depicting tribal life and culture within the state of Maharashtra.
Kevin Standage 
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