Wai has the epithetic name "Dakshin Kashi". In old times, it was known as Virat Nagari. Wai is known in Maharashtra for its ghats on the banks of the Krishna River and its temples, including especially the "Dholya Ganapati" temple on the "Ganapati Ghat".
Wai is also famous for film shootings (Hindi, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Tamil etc.). Films like Gangajal, Omkara, Dabbang, Swadesh, Ishqiya, Singham, Deool, Bol Bachchan,Zila Ghaziabad,Gulaab Gang and many others.
Due to the large number of temples and its architecture, Wai is also called as 'a town of temples'and also known as 'DAKSHIN KAASHI'. Temples built in the "Hemadpanti" style of architecture, including the following three, are located in and around Wai. Use of huge stone slabs is the major characteristic of Hemadpanti architecture.
There are four temples Chakreshwar, Chimneshwar,Kaunteshwar/Harihareshwar and Kaleshwar near Brahmanshahi ghat. At Govardhan Sanstha there is Krishna Mandir. Near Brhmanshahi there are Vitthal and Ganpati temples. Ramdoh ghat has Rameshwar temple, Ramkund and Chilavali Devi temple. On Gangapuri ghat there is Lord Shiva, Dwarka, Bahiroba, Dattatray Temple. On Ganpati Aali that there is Ganpati temple and Kashi Vishveshvar temple. In Dharma Puri there are Lord Vishnu temple and Mahalaxmi temple. Rokdoba temple (maruti) is built by Ramdas Swami. Dholya Ganpati temple is one of the prime temples in Maharashtra. The idol of Lord Ganesh is extremely big and is situated on the beautiful ghats of river Krishna. there is hanuman mandir situated near mahaganpati ghat.vhyahali village also famous in wai.
Wai is located at
17.94°N 73.88°E,[1] approximately 95 km south of the city of Pune (Devanagari: ????). It has an average elevation of 718 metres (2355 feet). It is surrounded by the mountainous region of the Sahyadris; ("Dhom Dam" has been constructed in the vicinity of Wai).The boundaries of the taluka (sub-district) called Wai are as follows- to the east of Wai are the talukas of Khandala and Koregaon, to the west lies the taluke of Mahabaleshwar, the northern border abuts the Pune district and the north-west border is shared with the district of Raigad. South of Wai are the taluka of Jawali Taluka and Satara. The headquarters of the taluke of Wai is the city by the same name, populated by about 25,000 people. Wai is 35 km. from Satara, 95 km. from Pune, 250 km. from Mumbai. Wai is situated on the Mahad-Pandharpur State Highway. Wai is a major city on the way to the hill stations like Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani.