What to Wear in Lonavala

Monsoon: plan to get wet

Between June and September the rain does not pass; it settles in. An umbrella is little use in the wind at Tiger's Leap, so a hooded rain jacket or poncho works better. Wear quick-dry trousers or leggings rather than jeans, which stay heavy and cold for hours. Leave white clothes at home if you plan to climb anything muddy. Keep a full change of clothes and a towel in the car or your bag.

Shoes are the real decision

The stone steps at Bhushi Dam are covered in green slime, and the climb to Karla Caves is several hundred wet steps. Wear trail shoes or sandals with deep rubber soles and a back strap. Flip-flops and smooth-soled trainers cause most of the falls here. For the Rajmachi trek, closed trail shoes are better, and leech socks help in the forest.

Winter and summer

From November to February, days are warm and dry, and evenings on the ridge are cool enough for a sweatshirt or light jacket. From March to May the afternoons are hot, so switch to cotton, a cap and sunscreen, and keep the jacket for night.

Dressing for the Ekvira temple

Since July 2025 the Ekvira Aai temple on the Karla hill has enforced a dress code. Shorts, mini skirts, ripped jeans and revealing clothes are refused. Trousers and a T-shirt or shirt are fine for men; a salwar kurta, saree or long skirt and covered top work for women. Since the temple shares the hill with the caves, dress for the temple if you plan to see both.

Traditional dress

Maharashtrian festive dress is the nauvari, a nine-yard saree draped between the legs like a dhoti, and for men a dhoti or kurta with a pheta, the tied turban. You will see both at weddings, at Ganesh Chaturthi and among pilgrims at Ekvira in the spring. Pune's markets have more choice than Lonavala's for buying or renting either.

Colours for photos

The monsoon background is solid green and grey, so yellow, red and white stand out best. In the dry months, against brown rock, deeper colours like teal, navy and maroon work better.