Maharashtra has a long tradition of tolerance and symbiotic interaction with different religious faiths. Maharashtra imbibes the cultural and religious the cultural and religious influences of the northern Aryans and southern Dravidians. Thus both Vaishnavism and Shaivism flourished in the region.

Sai Baba of Shirdi ... a revered saint who lived in the village of Shirdi near Nashik (Maharashtra). The Saibaba of Shirdi has attracted many followers from different sects and religions across the country. Shirdi is about 285 kms and 6 hours' drive from Mumbai (Bombay). Known to be an incarnation of Guru Pattareya he attained samadhi on Dussehra day in 1918. The town is considered holy by people belonging to all faiths and pilgrims are seen in large numbers here. It is 200 Kms from Pune. Sai Baba's fame has spread far and wide. His devotees are scattered all over the world. They regularly visit Shirdi to pay their homage to this great Saint of Shirdi. Sai Baba's shrine has been incorporated as one of the holy places in the world's map of pilgrimage. Sai Baba preached no particular religion. In fact, he believed in and respected all religions. The nearest railway station is Kopargaon 15 kilometers on Manmad-Daund section of Central Railways. 

"Ashta " means eight & "Vinayaka" is another name of Lord Ganesh, the God loved and worshiped by every Hindu. Lord Ganesh is the protector of his devotees. Eight effigies found among the nature, sculptured by nature have been housed in the temples created ages ago at the places where the effigies were first identified. These 'Swayambhu' effigies include the Ganesh idols at Morgaon, Ranjangaon, Lenyadri, Ojhar, Theur, Mahad, Pali, Saddhatek. The sacred idols, make up the  famous "Ashta Vinayak". All the eight places are located within the range of 20 to 110 kms.

The association of the incredible Saint Dnyaneshwar halos Alandi, a township on the bank of Indrayani river, also called as "Devachi Alandi". Teen-ager Dnyaneshwar the author of Dnyaneshwari lived and attained samadhi in Alandi at a tender age of twenty-one. In Alandi two melas are held annually; on Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, Eleventh days of Ashadh and Kartik, Hindu Months.

A pilgrim centre of great significance, it houses one of the 5 Jyotirlinga's. Bhimashankar is located in the village of Bhavagiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune. The Bhimashankara temple is a composite of  old and the new structures and is built in the Nagara style of architecture. During the months of Feb-March the annual "Mahashivratri" attracts huge number of pilgrims from all over the country.

Situated on the bank of the Godavari, Nanded is a sacred place for the Sikhs. Of the many gurudwaras (holy buildings of Sikh worship), the shrine of Guru Govindsingh, known as Sachkhand Gurudwara, is particularly famous. The Sikh festival of Hola Mohalla is celebrated in Nanded with the procession of Panch Pyare starting from Sachkhand Gurudwara.

It is located at a distance of about 30 km from Nasik, revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is the source of the river Godavari. This is an ancient shrine, however the current structure is a result of the reconstruction efforts undertaken by the Peshwa Balaji Bajirao in mid 18th century.  The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Bhimashankar and Grishneshwar.

The Elephanta Caves are a  great tourist attraction in the vicinity of the large Mumbai meteropolis. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century CE. The entire temple is akin to a huge sculpture, through whose corridors and chambers one can walk. The Sadasiva manifestation of Shiva is carved in relief at the end of the north south axis.  This collossal 20 feet high  image of the three headed Shiva, Trimurthy is a magnificent one, considered to be a masterpiece of Indian art. 

Ranjangaon in Maharashtra enshrines Mahaganapati depicting the legend of Shiva invoking Ganesha during his battle with the demons. Ranjangaoncha Mahaganapati  is considered to be one of the Ashta Vinayak shrines of Maharashtra, celebrating eight instances of legends related to Ganesha.

This is an ancient Shiva temple located in New - Picholim. The Shivalingam enshrined in the sanctum is known as the Dharalinga. The temple is a fairly large one, and is over 700 years old. The sanctum is enclosed in a vast courtyard and is crowned with a lofty shikhara. There are several other shrines enclosed in the courtyard.

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