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Photo: Kevin Standage (kevinstandage1@googlemail.com) INDIAN TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Karla, near Lonavla, is a complex of cave shrines built by Buddhist monks around 3rd to 2nd century BC.
The Karla Caves, Karli Caves, Karle Caves or Karla Cells, are a complex of ancient Buddhist Indian rock-cut caves at Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra. It is just 10.9 Kilometers away from Lonavala. Other caves in the area are Bhaja Caves, Patan Buddhist Cave, Bedse Caves and Nasik Caves. The shrines were developed over the period from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BCE, having arisen near a major ancient trade route, running eastward from the Arabian Sea into the Deccan.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Valvan Dam has a garden at its foot, and is a popular evening spot 2 km from the town. The dam supplies water to the Khopoli power station at the foothills of the Sahyadris for generating electricity. The Kundali River feeds into the dam's reservoir.
Tungarli Lake makes a very popular picnic spot for the residents of Lonavla, Khandala and the neighbouring cities. Apart from being a splendid creation of nature, this lake is also a very important source of water for the people of the hill station. This lake and dam come to life during the Monsoon season, where youth climb the mountain top to the dam. This dam was built during the British era and features a serene surrounding.
Another point in the town of Lonavla is the wax museum founded by Sunil Kandaloor, a 37-year-old wax artist from Kerala. Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hariharan, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Mother Teresa, Sai Baba, AR Rahman, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Charlie Chaplin, Kapil Dev, Mahatma Gandhi, Balaji Tambe and Yesudas are among some of the famous personalities in the wax museum in Lonavla.
Adding to the lush green surroundings of Lonavala are Ryewood Park and Shivaji Udyan. The stunning gardens are amongst the favourite picnic spots of the children, owing to the soaring trees and spacious open spaces provided by them. The swings set up at the parks further add to their appeal. An ancient Shiva Temple, situated inside one of the parks, is visited by a large number of people every day.
Lonavla Lake is surrounded by natural scenery, about 1.6 km from the town. The lake dries up during the winter months.
A three-tiered waterfall with a total height of 200 m.