Mar: महाबळेश्वर mahābaḷēśvara
‘Lord Mahabali’ [Malcolmpeth] -Hill Station/Town, Maharashtra
Mahabaleshwar is a hill station (1,372m) in the Western Ghats. It was founded by Sir John Malcolm in the early 19thC who made it the summer capital of the Governors of Bombay.
It is named after Mahabali [Skt: maha, ‘great’; and Skt: bala, ‘power’, ‘strength’] a legendary god-king who appears in various Hindu and Jain myths. He is associated with various locations in India including Mahabaleshwar where he lived before he was sent to the underworld by Vamana, the dwarf avatar of Vishnu. There is a temple dedicated to him here.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Maharashtra place names.
The Crowd on Arthurs Seat – Mahabaleshwar Robert Mitchell