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Maharashtra

Lonar Crater Lake

A meteorite crater lake in basalt, ringed by Hemadpanti temples

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Best time to visit Lonar Crater Lake

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to February
  • Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: April to June

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryNovemberDecember

Lonar Crater Lake season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec-Feb is 12-30 C, right for the rim walk and the early descent to the alkaline green lake at dawn.

Summer March to May Shoulder

Apr-Jun is 43 C and the crater bowl traps the heat; the descent path has no shade and no drinking water.

Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail

Jul-Sep greens the crater walls and lifts the lake; the rim path gets slippery but the temples stay empty.

Autumn October to November Prime time

Oct-Nov is the best of it, cool mornings, clean light in the crater bowl and almost nobody else around.

What Lonar Crater Lake is actually like

One MTDC resort and a couple of lodges; you walk the rim past langurs and half-ruined shrines alone

Things to do in Lonar Crater Lake

The local places worth your time in and around Lonar Crater Lake, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Daitya Sudan Temple

    Temple · 1 km out

    Hemadpanti Vishnu temple in the town square, basalt walls covered in carved panels; open dawn to dusk, no fee

  • Kamalja Devi Temple

    Temple · 2 km out

    Living shrine at the lake edge on the crater floor; 20 minutes down the stepped path and about 40 back up

  • Gomukh Temple

    Temple · 2 km out

    Rim temple where a perennial stream pours from a stone cow's mouth into a tank; the usual start of the walk down

  • Motha Maruti Temple

    Temple · 2 km out

    Reclining Hanuman cut from crater rock, said to pull a compass off north; on the path between the rim and the lake

  • Limbi Barav

    Heritage · 1 km out

    Old stepwell with carved arches near the rim path, usually empty apart from langurs; five minutes from Daitya Sudan

Getting to Lonar Crater Lake

Jalna railhead 90 km or Aurangabad 140 km, then a slow ST bus; the last bus back goes mid-afternoon

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
1 day
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
480 m
State
Maharashtra
Coordinates
19.9750, 76.5075

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Lonar Crater Lake?

November to February is peak season in Lonar Crater Lake. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Oct-Nov is the best of it, cool mornings, clean light in the crater bowl and almost nobody else around.

How many days do you need in Lonar Crater Lake?

1 day is the usual stay. One MTDC resort and a couple of lodges; you walk the rim past langurs and half-ruined shrines alone.

How do you get to Lonar Crater Lake?

Jalna railhead 90 km or Aurangabad 140 km, then a slow ST bus; the last bus back goes mid-afternoon. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Lonar Crater Lake expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

What are the best things to do in Lonar Crater Lake?

Daitya Sudan Temple, Kamalja Devi Temple, Gomukh Temple, Motha Maruti Temple and Limbi Barav. Hemadpanti Vishnu temple in the town square, basalt walls covered in carved panels; open dawn to dusk, no fee.

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