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Town in Maharashtra, India
Photo: Praxsans, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lonar is a small town in Buldhana district of Maharashtra close to Aurangabad. Its claim to fame is a lake in a crater that formed when a meteorite hit some 50,000 years ago.
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The prehistoric site of a meteor that crashed on earth some 50,000 years ago and formed a large crater (a few hundred meters in diameter) in the ground. Though there are other impact craters in the world but this one is the only in basalt rocks. The pH value of water in the lake which has formed in the crater is 10.7 which points to its alkaline nature. There are no living organisms in the lake and even trees whose roots get into the lake water die. This site is a must-visit for the scientifically-inclined and for others just for curiosity's sake. The lake is beautiful and its first look will surely take your breath away. It is best enjoyed before sunset. One could go down up to water level and experience the water which is harmful. There is also a temple of Kamalja Devi at the edge of lake.
A small ruin of Khajuraho like temple.
A perennial source of fresh water with some masonry work done by Peshwas to channelize the water.
A Hanuman temple built around a magnetic rock supposedly formed from meteor effect.
It's a 20-minute (rickshaw ₹30) from the bus stand. Manager: Dilip D. Rathod. Tourist complex owned by the Maharashtra State. Big restaurant, dormitories and several rooms in a big complex. There are two dormitories with 8 beds each, TV, no shower.
Aurangabad is the closest city, approximately 160 km away. The only way to come to Lonar is by road via Jalna.
Read in the guideBy car
A hired car is arguably the best option to move around the city, and there are many car hire companies in Lonar.
By bus
There is also a Lonar Darshan bus every day which shows you around the important tourist attractions in Lonar; otherwise, regional public transport service is also quite nice.
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Aurangabad · Regional · IXU
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