Lonavala

Lonavala लोणावळा
Hill station
View of Western Ghats near Lonavala
Lonavala
Coordinates: 18°44′53″N 73°24′26″E / 18.74806°N 73.40722°E / 18.74806; 73.40722Coordinates: 18°44′53″N 73°24′26″E / 18.74806°N 73.40722°E / 18.74806; 73.40722
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Pune
Area
• Total	38 km2 (15 sq mi)
Elevation	624 m (2,047 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	55,652
• Density	1,464/km2 (3,790/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	410401
Telephone code	02114
Vehicle registration	MH 12, MH 14

Lonavla  pronunciation  officially Lonavla is a town and a hill station Municipal Council in Pune district in the Indian State of Maharashtra. It is about 64 kilometres (40 mi) from the city of Pune and 96 kilometres (60 mi) from the city of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy chikki and is also a major stop on the railway line connecting Mumbai and Pune. From the Pune suburbs, local trains are available from Pune Junction. Both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Chennai highway pass through Lonavla..

Lonavla is also home to INS Shivaji (formerly HMIS Shivaji) which is the Indian Navy's Premier Technical Training Institute.

The name Lonavla derives from Len (Prakrit, A resting place carved from stone) and Avali (Prakrit, series). Lonavli in Prakrit is a place which has a series of such Len around it.

Present day Lonavla was a part of the Yadava dynasty. Later, the Mughals realized the strategic importance of the region and kept the region for an extended time. The forts in the region and the "Mavla" warriors played an important role in the history of the Maratha and Peshwa empires. In 1871, the Lonavla and Khandala hill stations were discovered by Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of Bombay Presidency at the time.