5 Places to Visit in Navi Mumbai
A beautiful township on the west coast of Maharashtra which strikes a perfect balance with urbanization and preservation of nature is Navi Mumbai.
How to Get There
- By Air: One can take a flight to Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport which is about 28km away from Navi Mumbai.
- By Rail: There is the Kalamboli Railway station and trains regularly ply from other cities to Navi Mumbai.
- By Road: Buses ply regularly from major cities in the country to Navi Mumbai.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Navi Mumbai would be from October to March when the weather is perfect for going outdoors.
1. Pandavkada Falls
Just when one thinks that living in a city like Navi Mumbai can get hectic, the Pandavkada Falls come to the rescue! Located in Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, this waterfall is one beautiful line of pure, white gushing water between the rocky surfaces on both sides!
Not only is this sight breathtaking but it is a beautiful picnic spot for a weekend getaway with family. Visiting this place during monsoon (from June to September) is highly recommended and there is Buddhist caves nearby which are a good tourist destination too.
2. Parsik Hill
Located in Thane district, Parsik Hill has reserved forests crossing into Navi Mumbai and is a popular drive up destination among Mumbaikars. The Parsik Hills is a potential eco-tourism spot and also has other amenities which make it ideal for a one-day trip. Rock climbing, hiking, photography is some of the activities tourists usually undertake.
There is also a Radha Madan Mohanji temple on the hill which is frequently visited by tourists in this area.
3. Nerul Balaji temple
Photo by Chithiraiyan, Public Domain
Like the Tirumala Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh is the Nerul Balaji temple in Maharashtra! Located very close to the Swami Narayan Temple in Nerul, Navi Mumbai is this beautiful temple follows the concept of Ishta-Devata.
The main deity here is Balaji or Venkateshwara. As one enters, the ‘Bali Peetha’ and the ‘Dhwaja Sthambaha’ can be spotted and right behind the Ardha Mantapa is the sanctum sanctorum and here one can see the tranquil idol of Lord Balaji. The other deities are Krishna – Rukmini, Shri Rama, Sita, Anjaneya and Lakshmana.
4. Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Photo by Anilarorak, CC BY-SA 1.0
Who wouldn’t want to get away from vehicular disturbance and toxic fumes and for a day enjoy the sound of the chirping birds and fresh air down the lungs! The Karnala Bird Sanctuary which lies at a distance of about 60km from Mumbai has a beautiful, deciduous forest.
The wildlife mainly consists of rare avian such as three-toed kingfishers, Ashy minivet, and Malabar trogon, blue-headed rock-thrush; animals such as langurs, boars and rhesus monkeys are frequently spotted. Rock climbing and a trek to the Karnala Fort is also suggested.
5. Central Park
Fountain, Photo (cropped) by Dhavalbhatt16, CC BY-SA 3.0
At the end of a hectic day, it always feels good to cool off with a nice long stroll in a park, watching the fountain and breathing in the fresh air! The Central Park in Kharghar which is a small suburb in Navi Mumbai is one such place.
There are nice jogging tracks, sports grounds, large botanical gardens, amphitheatres and it now has the distinction of being the world’s second largest park. This beautiful garden is a nice place for kids to hangout and for adults to just sit back and relax.
All in all, one can say that Navi Mumbai is a perfect residential, urbanized place with an edge of preserved, biological cover and wonderful tourism facilities.