Thane

From World travel guide

Thane (also called Thana) is a city in Konkan, Maharashtra. It is the headquarters of Thane district Its biggest claim to fame is that the first railway line laid in India was from Bombay V T to Thane station.

Thane city, for all practical purposes is a suburb of Bombay. But it is worth mentioning for the 30 lakes located within and around the city, earning it the sobriquet of "Lake City". Apart from being a source of water supply for the city and its larger neighbour, the lakes are also tourist attractions. The areas surrounding the city are beautiful. The scenic locales, old forts, a boat rides and resorts make Thane a great getaway from Bombay.

Contents 1 Get in 1.1 By plane 1.2 By car 1.3 By bus 1.4 By auto-rickshaw 1.5 By train 2 Get around 2.1 By bus 2.2 By auto-rickshaw 2.3 By taxi 2.4 By car 3 See 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 9 Get out

Get in

By plane

Thane doesn't yet have an airport. The nearest airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport [1], Bombay. Once you get off, you will need to take a taxi or hire a car.

By car

The prepaid taxi service available at the airport is the recommended hassle-free way of getting to Thane. The fare you pay at the counter includes the toll you need to pay when you leave Bombay.

Two main roads enter the city from Bombay. The older one is the Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg (commonly abbreviated as LBS Marg) and Eastern Express highway. Both of them are toll roads - the toll gate (called naaka) for the former is called Teen Haat Naaka while that for the latter is called Check Naaka. The toll at both the naakas is 25 rupees one way which is somewhat unfair because there is a huge difference in the condition of the two roads.

LBS marg is invariably congested, encroached upon and potholed. It goes through the heart of Bombay's Bombay/Central Suburbs. The Eastern Express highway is wide, well-maintained and smooth. It goes through an uninhabited area where development is prohibited. Use this road to get in, even though the distance will be slightly more. The roads intersect at Marathon chowk ("Marathon square", because that's where the Thane Mayor's Marathon starts from.). LBS marg then goes right through the city, while the Eastern Express highway skirts it and turns into NH - 3 highway to Nashik and Agra.

By bus

There are very few BEST buses that go right up to Marathon Chowk - 30Ltd. and 496Ltd. Check the BEST site [2] for more. Once you get off, catch a TMT bus or auto-rickshaw.

Most private buses from various parts of the country will stop in Thane. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses will ply from various parts of Maharashtra to Thane.

By auto-rickshaw

Note that auto-rickshaws from Bombay cannot enter Thane city limits. You will have to change over to another one at the toll-gate.

By train

The best way to get to Thane from Bombay using public transport is to take the local train service. Take an auto-rickshaw to Andheri station which is served by the Western Railway [3] and buy a ticket to Thane. You need to take a southbound train towards Churchgate, get off at Dadar (which is the interchange point), get on the Central Railway Line and then take a northbound train to Thane. This method is recommended only if you are adventurous at heart and are not carrying any luggage.

Thane is also well served by Indian Railways [4]. Many long-distance trains stop at Thane Station en route Bombay.

Get around

The area around Masunda Lake, called Talao pali ("talao" meaning lake) is the heart of the city. Most of the important landmarks are located here. Ram Maruti Road, Gokhale Road and LBS Marg are the important roads to criss-cross this area. The other important road is Ghodbunder Road which connects the eastern and western halves of the city and joins the Eastern Express Highway.

By bus

Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) runs a bus service through the city. However, the buses are run down and service is irregular.

By auto-rickshaw

The most common way to get around in Thane is to hire an auto rickshaw. Payment is by meter. The amount to pay, however, is not the amount shown by the meter, but scaled up by a factor which changes whenever there is a rate adjustment. Check the tariff card for the right fare.

By taxi

Bombay's Taxis are also allowed to ply through Thane. So if you are on a day trip from Bombay, that is an option.

By car

Finally, there is the option of hiring a car.

See

• Masunda lake at the heart of the city
• St. John the Baptist Curch - over a hundred years old, right next to Masunda Lake.
• Upvan lake - near Yeoor hills.
• thane creek-along GHODBUNDER ROAD

Do

• Tikuji ni wadi, Tikuji-ni-wadi Road,NEAR HILL GARDEN COMPLEX, Manpada, Chitalsar, Thane. (Get to Ghodbunder Road towards Ghodbunder, turn left at Manpada village), +91 22 2494 1100 / +91 22 2494 1101 / +91 22 2494 1102, (fax: +91 22 2495 0544) [5]. A popular destination for picnicking families, known for its watersports, go-karting and other rides you'd find at amusement parks. The go-karting track isn't very good though. The lunch is fabulous, though fully vegetarian. Open 7 days a week, 11 am-7pm. (Water park open 10 am-6 pm Rs. 250 for entry and most rides, including in the water park (Rs. 275 on weekends. ). You will also need to buy lunch for Rs. 180 as you can't carry any edible stuff in from outside.
• Suraj water park, Once again, this is on Ghodbunder Road, further down towards Ghodbunder. As the name suggests, this is another place for watersports.
• Trek at Yehoor hills, surrounding the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
• Boating at Masunda lake. Paddle boats are available.

Buy

The old shopping areas are the ever busy Ram Maruti Road and the Naupada road towards Thane Station. There you will find shops on the roadside. New malls are coming up on Ghodbunder Road and the Eastern Express highway. Prominent among them are:

• 1> Eternity Mall - Teen haat naaka, Eastern Express highway
• 2> Lake city Mall - Kapurbawadi, Ghodbunder Road
• 3> Wonder mall - Manpada, Ghodbunder Road.
• 4> megapolis mall-nr-cadbury,eastern express highway
• 5> R-VALUE mall-manpada,ghodbundee road
• 6> CENTRE POINT mall'-majiwade flyover
• 7>SUN MAGNETIC mall-ghodbuner road
• 8> O ZONE mall-paanchpakhadi
• 9> MODELLA mall-lbs marg,thane

& BE RADY FOR MANY OTHER MALLS (5-6 )COMING UP BY REPUTED BUILDERS IN THANE-HIRANANDANI,KARNAVAT,LOKHANDWALA,SETH,EVEREST BLDRS.SO N-JOY THANETIES & SHOP TILL U DROP.

Eat

• Tip top restaurant - Teen haat naaka. Great Gujarati/Rajasthani thali for Rs. 150
• Royal Challenge - vegetarian restaurant and bar.
• Sheetal Grille Royal Inm, Old Agra Rd, Thane (W) +91 22 2538 4422
• The Grill Mohan Bldg., M.G. Road, Naupada, Thane (W) 400 602 +91 22 2537 9449
• Oriental Spice Shreeji Arcade, Almeda Road, Panchpakhadi, Thane-400602 +91 22 2539 4917 +91 22 2542 1111 Chinese restaurant.
• Tip top fast food joint - near the railway station. A great place to try chaats and stuff
• Kunjvihar: Located right next to the Thane Railway Station. A famous place for Jumbo (i.e. oversized) Vada-Paav, a typical Mumbaiya delicacy. You can have it either spicy or very spicy. Rs. 6.

Drink

Sleep

There are many lodges near the railway station, but there is a lack of decent hotels.

• Royal Inn Old Agra Road, Thane - 400 601. +91 22 2538 5050 (fax: +91 22 2538 4411)
• Hotel Sharanam Eastern Express Highway Service Road, Nr. new RTO, Opp. Ramkrishna Nagar, Thane(W)- 400601 +91 22 2582 5225 (fax: +91 22 2581 0305)
• Hotel Woodland Retreat Plot No. 2, LBS Marg, Thane (W). +91 22 2580 0088

Get out

WikiPedia:Thane

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!