Satara district is famous for its scenic beauty and natural freshness. It also has a rich history which saw the rise of the Maratha empire. This rich history gives it interesting places to visit, if you plan a vacation here.
Mahabaleshwar :- A tourist paradise. An idyllic and picturesque hill station at the height of 1372 meters. Also a religious place.An ancient Shiva Mandir named Mahabaleshwar was built by Singhandev of the Yadav dynasty. The golden kalash here was donated by Shivaji Maharaj. The holiness of the place is enhanced as the the five rivers : Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savitri and Gayatri originate on this hill. At the mouth of this river is the ancient temple of Panchganga. Here you see a cactus garden at the Mapro Farm in Mahabaleshwar.
Kuraneshwar :- If one takes the uphill road from the Rajwada in the city, the road leads to the bogda (tunnel) which by itself is a sight to be seen. But on continuing further across the bogda on the other side of the hill, on the downhill road to the left, we reach the Kurneshwar Ganapati Mandir which is also locally called as the Khinditla Ganapati. Yet another view of the main domes of the temple. On continuing further down the steps at this location, one reaches the Shiv Mandir. This place is roughly 200 meters down the main temple.
Ajinkya tara :- Ajinkyatara is the first thing to be noticed as one approaches Satara city. This massive mountain with its strong appearance is visible from most parts of the city.These days , it houses the TV tower which has now become a part of its appearance. Aurangzeb had named it Azimtara when the Mughals were here during their conquest. It has a very well preserved main entrance door and the beauty of the scene from the top gets a lot of people up its winding roads.
Pratapgadh :-This is a strong and formidable fort facing Mahabaleshwar and overlooking strategically into the Konkan region. A very xciting and thrilling event took place on this fort on the 10th of November 1659 when Afzalkhan, the brave and formidable sardar of Bijapur during an arranged meeting with ShivajiMaharaj, tried to kill him trechearously but with great alertness, Shivaji killed him instead.And in the ensuing guerilla war, he massacred Afzalkhans mighty army. There is a temple of the godess Bhawani in the fort premises. Bhawani was the Kuldevta of Shivaji Maharaj. Due to his busy schedule, Shivaji Maharaj could not visit the Tulja Bhawani Mandir. That is why he got a temple built here in Pratapgad itself. The story of the origin of the idol is interesting. It is said that it was brought from Nepal where it was made from Shaligram found in the Gandaki river
Yavteshwar:- it is 12 Kms from Satara City and is located on the uphill road from the Rajwada. A ride through this road is a pleasant experience with the entire cityscape visible like an eagles-eye-view. On the Yavteshwar mountain, there is a Shiv temple. On top of the mountain 3670 feet above sea level, there is a village called Sambharwadi. There is a very famous ’’Bhairoba’’ temple which is also known as ’’Pedachya Bhairoba’’. This is the idol at the Yavteshwar temple. It is decorated on festive occasions when a major offering is made to the god.
Sajjan Gad :- In 1673 Shivaji Maharaj tookover the fort located at Parli. He requested his guru Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami to stay on the fort. As Shri Ramdas Swami stayed here, renowned and learned people visited this fort to meet him and hold discussions.Hence the name Sajjangad ( Sajjan = Good Person). This fort was built by the Shilahar family in the 10th or 11th Centurey AD. It is 1025 feet in height and has an area of 1824 square yards. It was earlier named as Aashwalayangad, later named as Aaswalgad. It is 12 Kms from Satara city.
Vai :- A holy place situated on the banks of the river Krishna.It is called as Dakshin Kashi meaning the Kashi of the South.There are many temples and seven well built ghats on the banks of the river.Each of the ghats differ in size and style. A huge idol of Ganesha is famous here. It is called as Dholya Ganapati and is carved in a single stone by Sarda Raste in 1762 AD.