Covering a large part of the Deccan Plateau the state of Maharashtra is partially hilly. The Western Ghats are beautiful and verdant, as they receive showers during the summer as well as the winter. Centuries ago these hills and crags provided excellent ground for the highly perfected guerilla warfare techniques of the Marathas like Shivaji against the Mughals. Influences of various schools and different ages can be seen in the monuments and sculptures of Maharashtra. The caves of Aurangabad Ajanta and Ellora contain some beautiful rock hewn sculptures columns and frescoes hard to find anywhere else. These belong to the age when Buddhism flourished and dominated the land. Maharashtra also has numerous holy places of various religious communities.
Mumbai is the nerve center of Maharashtra. It is the gateway port the business and commercial center and a major metropolis in the western region of India. The present city of Pune was the childhood home of Shivaji and about 11km from the city is Khadakvasla the home of the National Defense Academy Fine cotton for the textile mills of Mumbai, Baroda, and Ahmedabad.