Determined to promote the Marathwada region as a destination beyond just the Ajanta and Ellora caves, Sarang Takalkar who owns Abhishri Travels has for the last three-four years prepared special itineraries for visits to Paithan, the 2,000-year-old city that was once a royal capital and part of an international trade route; the Lonar craters; and the three Jyotirlings in the region at Parli-Vaijnath, Aundha-Nagnath and Grushneshwar.
In Paithan, visitors can watch the weaving of traditional silk sarees and the Himru shawls, and closer to Ajanta they can buy the unique stone jewellery made by locals.
“Six - seven years back, when the state government planned to pitch the Marathwada freedom struggle as another aspect of the Indian freedom story, I got the opportunity to research, plan, curate, write the content and design the Hyderabad Muktisangram - Marathwadyachi Asmita museum in Aurangabad,” said Takalkar, a former journalist who has run Abhishri for over a decade.
The Marathwada region received independence from the rule of the Nizam nearly 13 months after India’s independence in August 1947. The Muktisangram museum offers a rich account of the history of the region through audio-visual panels, paintings and research.
In addition, as a variety of rulers from the Mughals to Rajputs to Marathas to the Nizam all played a role in the formation of the region, its cuisine is also varied and rich, and Takalkar makes it a point to promote different cuisines to travellers.
“Not all our work is purely for the business,” said Takalkar. “We are also keen to promote this region, bring livelihoods to the locals, and so we have a social element to our work.”
