History of Lonavala & Khandala

The history of Khandala states that the origin of the hill station is obscure. Khandala had once been a part of Chattrapati Shivaji's empire. After the Marathas, the territory of Khandala passed under the Peshwas. When the British came, the territory was taken over by them in 1811. Lonavla got its name from "Lonavli", which means 'city surrounded by caves' and the town is surrounded by many caves, with the Kurla Caves being the most well known.