Ganapatipulé

400 years old Ganpati idol at Ganpatipule is said to have sprung up from the soil. This deity faces the West, so as to guard the western gates, unlike deities in other Indian temples who face the east. The temple is at the base of a hill, and pilgrims walk around(pradakshina) the hill as a mark of respect.

Reaching there

The town is easily accessible from the port city of Ratnagiri, which also has a railway station and an airport.

By Road: While moving towards Ratnagiri, on Mumbai Goa National Highway No. 17 (NH-17), after Sangameshwar a small village placed on this highway is Nivali. From Nivali one has to take right turn for Ganapatipule (32 km). Alternatively, one can continue on NH-17 till Hathkhamba (Nivali – Hathkhamba: 4km) and then take a right turn to go to Ganapatipule. Ample number of State Transport buses are available from Ratnagiri bus depot. Frequency is good for fast journeys. Ganapatipule is also connected with other cities by state transport buses.

By Rail: There is no railway station at Ganapatipule. One has to get down either at Ratnagiri station or at Karbude. All the express and local trains stops at Ratnagiri, being a city. Karbude is a small village and only passenger trains will stop. You may also Disembark at Sangameshwar and take a bus to Ganpatipule.

See

• The Ganpati Temple on the coast is the main attraction for Hindu devotees. And since the town itself isn’t easy to get to, the beache remains clean and the water clear. The Ganpati Temple is reconstructed in special Rajasthani style stones and look, and attracts thousands of Hindus from all over India.These god-fearing local devotees take a “Pradakshina” around the hill where the temple is located, not just around the temple.Pradakshina is a form of showing obeisance. The devotees walk in a circle around the idol of the Lord or around the temple, (the house of the Lord).

• Malgund: It is the birthplace of the famous Marathi poet Keshavsut and is just a kilometre away from Ganpatipule. Visitors like to take a look at the house of the poet, now a students hostel. They also visit a beautiful monument called the Keshavsut Smarak.

• Pawas: Naturally beautiful and serene the place is also prominent for the ashram of Swami Swaroopanand a spiritual leader who influenced an entire generation of Maharashtrians.

• Jaigad Fort: Standing high and proud on a cliff with a spectacular view of the sea the fort is at the entrance of the Sangameshwar river and is 35 kms away from Ganpatipule.

• Velneshwar: The beautiful village of Velneshwar situated north of the Shastri River, has its own peaceful, coconut-fringed beach. The village comes alive each year during the Maha Shivaratri far when pilgrims in large numbers visit the Old Shiva Temple.

Get In

Amboli is well connected by road to all the surrounding cities (Kolhapur 110 km, Belgaum 70 km, Panjim (Goa) 90 km) by road and the nearest airport is at Goa, about 2 hours drive away. All the roads are good and a new airport is expected to come up in north Goa shortly, reducing the travelling time to just over an hour.

There are 5 decent (and relatively cheap) hotels at Amboli although, sadly, none of them offer any guided tours into the forests, the main attraction of this hill station. However, an organization called Yoga Republic conducts Jungle Yoga camps and retreats from October to March.

The only local transport are motorised 3 wheeler rickshaws and a couple of private taxis. You’ll need them only for a day to check out the touristy places and can then depend upon your legs to take you the ones that interest you most.

Do

Plan your days accordingly if you really want to taste the flavor of Konkan. There is a lot a to see and to do here and that too in every season. Ideally it would take over a week if you want to get real close-up. In all probability the best idea to see this district is to follow the geography. You can start from the north of the district and proceed to south or vise versa.

At North, Devgad and Vijaydurg are the not-to-be missed places. Visit to Devgad will be well worth it if you are going in April or May- The prime time for mangoes. Devgad is well known for best quality mangoes’ production. Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg are forts. Though now withered by time, they do present a treat to savour the might of Shivaji’s time.

A number of pristine beaches like Tarkarli, Malvan, Shiroda, Vengurla, Aarawali, Redi, Bhogave mark the coastline of the disctrict. The virgin beaches with long stretches of white sands, are usually crowdless. Following the footsteps of Kerala, even backwater tours including houseboats have also been initiated in recent times near Malvan. Tarkarli has also seen a rising activities in scuba diving as well.

Sawantwadi is a centre of tourist attraction in the south of the district. Many places like some beaches or hill station, Amboli are within a short reach from Sawantwadi. Amboli, a pristine hill station – unspoilt by manmade vagaries is a must-visit place during monsoon. It also hosts adventure sports academy which intermittently organises adventure camps which include activities such as Jungle Trail, Rock Climbing in Waterfalls and possibly paragliding.

See

Well too many places to hang around.. Just to quote a few it would be better to go with the locations..

• Sindhudurg fort See Malvan
• Sawantwadi
• Shiroda See Vengurla
• Aaravali See Vengurla
• Redi See Vengurla
• Tarkarli See Malvan
• Malvan
• Devgad
• Light House See Vengurle

Get In

The caves are in a wooded and rugged horseshoe-shaped ravine about 3½ km from the village of Ajantha. It is situated in the Aurangābād district of Maharashtra State in India (106 kilometers away from the city of Aurangabad). The nearest towns are Jalgaon (60 kilometers away) and Bhusawal (70 kilometers away). Along the bottom of the ravine runs the river Waghur, a mountain stream. There are 29 caves (as officially numbered by the Archaeological Survey of India), excavated in the south side of the precipitous scarp made by the cutting of the ravine. They vary from 35 to 110 ft (34 m) in elevation above the bed of the stream.

History

The monastic complex of Ajanta consists of several viharas (monastic halls of residence) and chaitya-grihas (stupa monument halls) cut into the mountain scarp in two phases. The first phase is mistakenly called the Hinayana phase (referring to the Lesser Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, when the Buddha was revered symbolically). Actually, Hinayana – a derogative term for Sthaviravada – does not object to Buddha statues. At Ajanta, cave numbers 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15A (the last one was re-discovered in 1956, and is still not officially numbered) were excavated during this phase. These excavations have enshrined the Buddha in the form of the stupa, or mound.

By AD 480 the caves at Ajanta were abandoned. During the next 1300 years the jungle grew back and the caves were hidden, unvisited and undisturbed until the Spring of 1819 when a British officer in the Madras army entered the steep gorge on the trail of a tiger. Somehow, deep within the tangled undergrowth, he came across the almost hidden entrance to one of the caves. Exploring that first cave, long since a home to nothing more than birds and bats and a lair for other, larger, animals, Captain Smith wrote his name in pencil on one of the walls. Still faintly visible, it records his name and the date, April 1819.

Paintings

Paintings are all over the cave except for the floor. At various places the art work has become eroded due to decay and human interference. Therefore, many areas of the painted walls, ceilings, and pillars are fragmentary. The painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted only on the walls, which demanded the special attention of the devotee. The process of painting involved several stages. The first step was to chisel the rock surface, to make it rough enough to hold the plaster. The plaster was made of clay, hay, dung and lime. Differences are found in the ingredients and their proportions from cave to cave. While the plaster was still wet, the drawings were done and the colors applied. The wet plaster had the capacity to soak the color so that the color became a part of the surface and would not peel off or decay easily.

The colors were referred to as ‘earth colors’ or ‘vegetable colors.’ Various kinds of stones, minerals, and plants were used in combinations to prepare different colors. Sculptures were often covered with stucco to give them a fine finish and lustrous polish. The stucco had the ingredients of lime and powdered seashell or conch. The latter afforded exceptional shine and smoothness. In cave upper six, some of it is extant. The smoothness resembles the surface of glass. The paint brushes used to create the artwork were made from animal hair and twigs.

The fort, which rises 820 m (2700 ft) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1400–1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the top of the fort. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege.

Raigad Fort is worth visiting over the Weekend with your family, kids or even as part of project group. You may cover it over Saturday Sunday or can add it as one of your destination while visiting other places in coastal Konkan like Dapoli-Murud-Harnai or Shrivardhan-Harihareshwar-Dive Agar.

Getting There

Route 1 (via Tamhini Ghat): Chandani Chowk – Paud Road – Dawadi – Bhira Top – Adarwadi – Nizampur – Via Mangaon Road Mumbai-Goa Highway – Mahad – Pachad – Raigad (There is direct road that connect after you get down Tamhini Ghat to Pachad. but it is not that good.

Route 2 (Via Varandha Ghat): Pune Satara Road (NH4) via Katraj – Bhor – Varandha Ghat – Shivtharghal – Mumbai-Goa Highway NH17 – Mahad – Pachad – Raigad

There are signboard available on NH17 for diversion to Raigad and it is 23 Km off the highway. Distance from Pune to Raigad is approx 150 Km and it takes 3-4 hrs to reach the place. Both Tamhini and varandha ghat are not safe to cross during night time.
“Fort Raigad is much more than a mere tourist spot. It is a sacred place of pilgrimage, which has left an imprint of the grand vision of Hindavi Swarajya as cherished by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

Fort Raigad was the capital of the most illustrious Maratha sovereign, nurtured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a monument of his prophetic vision of Hindavi Swarajya.

This is a preamble prior to your electrifying excursion around Fort Raigad. It has been described by European historians as ‘The Gibralter of East’. Various landmarks have lent it the credo of ‘Shivtirth’. The holy shrine has become vibrant by the valour, courage and patriotism of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The sheer vertical rock face tearing into the sky above, appears defiant and insurmountable. It has stemmed many a foreign aggression and protected the Hindavi Swarajya during those historic times.

When he first saw the place, Shivaji Maharaj could not help exclaim:
“This Fort is formidable. All sides appear as if chiselled from a mountain of solid rock. Not even a blade of grass grows on the sheer vertical rock. This is a paragon to house the throne”.

This used to be the marketplace of the fort in ancient times.
Vendors would be allotted booths on either side of the road where they would sell the wares.

At the foothills near village Pachad, is Chit Darwaja, also known as Jit Darwaja. After gruelling foot-slogging, you reach Khoob Ladha Buruj. It is a strategically located turret, from where an aggressor attacking from either flank could be repelled. Nearly a mile ahead, after a difficult climb comes the Maha Darwaja. Built over 350 years ago, this main entrance to the Fort stands majestically. It is as imposing and stout today, as it was then! The design of this Maha Darwaja is an enigma. It defies detection of its location to the attacker. Blind curves enroute make it impossible for the attacker to use elephants to knock it down. In the battle of those historic times, elephants were used to demolish fort entrances.

A steep climb of nearly 1450 steps and three and a half hours of extreme demands on your physical stamina, leaves you too exhausted. The magic mantra – Raigad Ropeway – has opened a new chapter of sightseeing – the Fort Raigad. It whisks you to the top, through the clouds and whistling winds, in just 4 minutes. Gone is its exhausting inaccessibility. Now you have all the energy and time to enjoy the sightseeing! Well-trained and courteous guides are at hand to give you a conducted tour of the Fort.

The Ropeway lands you at the upper station near Mena Darwaja. This was the special entrance for the royal ladies and the queens. To the left of Mena Darwaja is the Rani Vasa or “Queens’ Chambers”. They are six in number and were being used by the mother of Shiv Chhatrapati – Jeeja Mata, Soyarabai, Putalabai and other royal ladies.

In front of the Rani Vasa is the Palkhi Darwaja. A special entrance for the convoy of Shivaji Maharaj. On the right side of Mena Darwaja, is the office complex of 8 principal secretaries of Shivaji Maharaj. To the right of Palkhi Darwaja, there is a row of three dark chambers. Historians believe that these were the granaries for the fort.

To the right of the granaries is the palace of Shivaji Maharaj. It is called the Raj Bhavan, where he dispensed justice in petty and routine matters. The palace rests on a double plinth and had wooden columns to support the palatial structure. The Raj Bhavan is a mute witness to the joys, sorrows, anger, victories and overwhelming generosity of Shiv Chhatrapati. The plinth adjoining Raj Bhavan, holds two large water tanks and by its side, is the location of the Royal Bath. Excellent toilet and drainage system highlights the structural design of that era. To the east of Raj Bhavan is in an open space, there is an underground cellar. It was used for secret dialogues, worshipping Bhavani Mata and for storing war booty after the raid on Surat.

The fort has many huge water reservoirs, one of which is the picturesque Ganga Sagar. Two main entrances from the Royal Palace open in to a sprawling lawn. This is the Raj Sabha. It has witnessed the splendour of the glorious coronation of Shiv Chhatrapati. The shackles of 300 years of slavery were broken and Shivaji Maharaj proclaimed establishment of Hindavi Swarajya! The magnificent throne, studded with diamonds and gold, rested on eight columns of pure gold weighing almost 1000 kilos. It also bears the royal emblem of Shivaji Maharaj. The umbrella over the throne was adorned with strings of precious stones and pearls.

Entry for common public to Raj Sabha was through the Nagarkhana. In those times, the royal band played here round the clock. It is an excellent example of architecture and miraculous acoustics. The distance between ‘Nagarkhana and the Royal Throne is more than 200 feet, yet even the slightest whisper can be heard from both ends very clearly.

Holi Cha Mal, is outside the Nagarkhana. It is a wide open ground, used for annual Holi festival. There is a temple of Shirkai Bhavani, a presiding deity of the Fort. In front of Holi Cha Mal, there is a spacious and well laid-out marketplace. It is built on a high plinth and is separated by a 40-foot wide road leading to the Jagadishwar Temple. Adjacent to this temple, is the most revered place on Fort Raigad, the Samadhi of Shiv Chhatrapati. The Samadhi is intact and well-maintained, even today, due to the personal initiative of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Other places of interest are ammunition depot, Bara Tanki i.e. more than a dozen huge water reservoirs, Rameshwar Mandir, Wagh Darwaja, Takmak Tok – an execution place for the proclaimed criminals, etc. These are testimony to the valour, courage and ultimate sacrifice of Maratha soldiers, who made Hindavi Swarajya a reality.

Adventurers can even take a small boat to the north side of the bay and explore a land where the Peshwas or prime ministers of the Maratha kingdom, originally resided. 18 Kms from shrivardhan is a small town Harihareshwar, which is known for its tranquil and picturesque beach and is also famous for the Shiva temple of Harihareshwar.

You can visit these places from Pune for 2 days (weekend) or for 3 days (recommended).

Getting There

Via Tamhini ghat (approx 200 km)

• Pune — Paud – Pirangut Road — Tamhini Ghat — Turn left at Vile
• Vile — Nijampur — Mangaon .You will reach NH – 17. Continue traveling left towards Mahad
• Turn right 500 mts after Mangaon ST Stand on SH 97 to Mhasala. Turn right again on SH98 after Mhasala – Arathi Road Junction – Shrivardhan

(Road map: Pune – Chandani Chauk – Paud – Mulshi – Dongarwadi – Tamhini Ghat – Vile – Nijampur – Mangaon – Lonere Phata – Goregaon – Mhasala – Arathi Road Junction – Shrivardhan. Road is smooth and good. It could be bad for portion of the ghat section. Avoid crossing Tamhini Ghat after 6:00 PM. It is not safe)

Via Mahabaleshwar (235 km)

• Pune — Pune – Bangalore Highway — Surur Village
• Turn right towards Wai — Panchgani — Mahabaleshwar — Ambenali Ghat — Poladpur.
• You will reach NH17 at Poladpur.
• Turn right towards Mahad – Lonere Phata – Goregaon
• Goregaon – Mhasala – Arathi Road Junction – Shrivardhan (SH 98)

(Road map via Mahabaleshwar: Pune – Shirval – surur – Wai – Panchgani – Mahabaleshwar – Poladpur – Mahad – Goregaon – Mhasala – Arathi Road Junction – Shrivardhan. Road is smooth and very good. It is 4 lane toll road (NH4) till surur village (first 80 KMs). Ghat section is also good and safe to cross even in the night as it is crowded with Mahabaleshwar bound traffic.)

Via Bhor (185 km)

• Pune — Pune – Bangalore Highway NH4 — Khed Shivapur
• Turn right just ahead of Khed Shivapur at Bhor Phata
• Bhor — Varandha Ghat — reach NH – 17 at “Hotel Sagar” just outside Mahad.
• Turn right towards Mangaon. Get off the highway at Lonere Phata to Goregaon – Mhasala – Shrivardhan. (SH 98)

(Road map via Bhor: Pune – Khed Shivapur – Bhor – Varandha Ghat – Mahad – Goregaon – Mhasala – Shrivardhan). Road is 4 lane toll road till Khed Shivapur. After that it is not in good shape. Do not cross Varandha Ghat during night as it is not very safe. This is shortest distance to reach Mahad from Pune but road is not that smooth. If you have good 4 wheeler like Scoirpio, Supo, Safari, you may even opt for this route.)

Diveagar

Diveagar Beach can easily rival any beach on the west coast of India for its clear waters, white sand & serenity. Diveagar is situated approximately 5 Kms from Shrivardhan. Reaching Diveagar is quite easy, take a right turn after Mangaon on the Mumbai-Goa highway, from here it’s a one-hour drive to Diveagar. Diveagar is just like any other village on the Konkan coast but it gained overnight fame upon the discovery of Ganesh idol made of pure gold in one of the Supari Baghs (Garden) in the village.

The beach is a real revelation, a six km long stretch with white sand & clear water. At one end of the beach is a fishing settlement while the other end offers a sanctuary to the migratory seagulls feasting in the creek waters. The beach has a lot of Suru trees, which are common to coastal Maharashtra. The access to the beach has a dense cover of Belu trees, which are very uncommon sight on this coast.

Diveagar has numerous households offering accommodation for as low as Rs.300-400 per day. The local cuisines are worth exploring & better enjoy eating it as no other options are available. Diveagar is an ideal weekend getaway away from City crowd. Don’t expect any luxury hotels & typical city eating joints here but be prepared to be surprised by the simplicity & calmness offered by this place.

Spots

• Suvarnaganesha (Golden Ganesh) Temple: History of Suvarnaganesha is quite fascinating. It was on the special day of November 17th, 1998 (Sankashti Chaturthi as per the Hindu calendar) that there was found a copper box beneath the earth. It was weighing 30 kilos in a coconut cultivation near the temple. The box was muddy as it was buried and looked ancient. It had some words written from the 10 century in Sanskrit. This incident attracted all the mob from the Diveagar village. This was the second incident that an ancient piece of history was found, as earlier there was found a “Tamraptra” at the same place. when the box was opened in presence of Govt Officials, there was a sculpture of Lord Ganesh made out of pure gold. Also the box contained ornaments belonging to Lord Ganesha. It was then that the god was named “Suvarnaganesh”.
Suvarnaganesh is a complete idol of Lord Ganesha,but a sculpture of pure 24 caret gold.Its weighted 1 kilo and 300grams,with height of 24 inches. It is said that this sculpture was created to mask some Lord Ganesh stone idol, which was earlier in the temple. However its still a puzzle as to who has buried it and for what reason. But people of Diveagar have tremendous faith in Suvarnagensh and that the god is blessing the place with prosperity.

• Sundernarayan Temple: Also know as Rupnarayan temple, was believed to be built in the thirteen century, under the rule of King Shilahar. The idol is the best example of sculpture. The four hands of the idol along with their accessories Shank(Shell),Chakra(Wheel), Gada(Weapon), Padma(Lotus) are carved in such a manner that when seen in clockwise direction ,it shows 24 different appearances of Lord Vishnu.

• Seashore: At the back of the Sundernarayn temple, there sea-shore of about 4-5 kilometers. The soothing sand beneath, the sea in semicircle appears to be calling. Beach is safe for swimming as against its neighour – Harihareshwar Beach which is not that safe.

• Shrivardhan Seashore: Kondivali beach (5 Kms from Shrivardhan) – clean and unmarked by footprints.

• Birthplace of Peshwa Bajirao I: 5 kms from Shrivardhan

Stay

Exotica Beach Resort – It has 10 AC Wooden log Cottages with direct access to beach. Each cottage is equipped with Inverter backup for power supply, Standard bed, Television & Air-conditioners.At Exotica, you are completely in harmony with nature. Untouched, unexplored & raw. The ambience here is very exclusive, comfortable & utmost refreshing. In keeping with its trend, this resort has an all Wooden Cottage accommodation. It consists of 10 well maintained Ac Log cottages with serene interiors. Self-contained & ideal for couples/family. The resort has a Multicuisine Wadi restaurant offering a delicious blend of continental, Indian, Chinese & Konkani cuisines.

Harihareshwar

Harihareshwar is one of the finest places in Konkan. It is famous for a temple on the seashore as well as the beach and the natural beauties here. Harihareshwar is only 18 Kms for Shrivardhan. If one wants to enjoy traveling by sea, the launches are also available between the two towns. The temple here is one of the major attractions. Harihareshwar is known as Kashi of Southern India. The hill on the seashore at Harihareshwar is also known as ‘Harihar’ or ‘Pushpadri’.

The temple is old and the construction period of this temple can not be easily said. The temple might be constructed in Shivaji’s Period as one can find such sculptures. But was re-constructed by First Bajirao Peshawa in 1723. The temple consists of idols of Brahma – Vishnu – Mahesh and Devi Parvati. The other temples in the premises are of Shri Kalbhairav and Shri Yogeshwari.

Truly, Harihareshwar is a place of temples and beautiful seashore. The atmosphere here is very auspicious and creates pleasure. The seashore, beach , the dark woods near the sea and the temple are worth to visit.

Caution : Beach is not very safe for swimming especially during low tide. It has lots of undercurrents.

Stay

• MTDC Resort Harihareshwar (Beach)
• Resort Harihareshwar (Hill Top)

Kashid is popular mainly because of its white sand, blue seas, green mountains, paddy fields, and rivulets. Kashid has a 3 km stretch of beach tucked in between two rocky hillocks with Casuarina groves all around the seashore.

This is by far the best beach in this part of the Konkan region and though absolutely deserted on weekdays, the town can attract its fair share of week-end holiday makers. There are a few of small hotels in Kashid as the rest of the area is privately owned.

The waves here are unusually high and can be paradise for surfing. The waves can reach a height 5-6 feet even during the non-monsoon months.

Getting There

For Mumbaikars – The route to Kashid is an extension of the drive from Alibag. Many might have crossed Kashid on way to Murud-Jinjira from Alibag. Take the Panvel-Pen route to Vadkal naka, bypass Alibag town and head straight towards Revadanda Bridge. At the Revadanda Police post, meet the State Highway#60 from Pune. However the crowd traveling to Murud-Jinjira directly from Mumbai might have missed Kashid if taken the alternate route on Goa Highway via Kolad, Roha and a left diversion just beyond Roha town through SH 92.

Alibag – Kashid : 37 Kms Kashid – Murud-Jinjira : 15 Kms Roha – Murud (SH92) : 48 Kms

For Punekars - If you wish, you can utilize the Express Highway to the maximum by take a longish route via Khopoli – Penn – Vadkal naka. Although, not only does the route turns out to be longer, what you miss is the beauty of Mulshi-Tamhini region True, the state highway does not offer the luxury of cruising speeds as the Express Highway, but the savings in time is more than offset by the longer route. After crossing the Tamhini Ghats on SH60 always keep an eye on the Kolad milestone and head towards the Goa Highway. Be careful not to take the Mangaon detour near Vile. Once you reach the Goa Highway T-section, turn right and head a KM to a left turn towards Roha at Kolad. This is the only break in stretch of SH60. From Roha, religiously follow SH60 again till you reach the Revadanda Bridge.

Milestones from Pune (Kothrud, Paud Road) :

Paud (25) – Junction near Vile (87) – Goa Highway,NH17 (108) – Left turn at Kolad (109) – Roha (122) – Vikram Ispat, Salav (156) – Police Post, Revadanda (157) – Kashid (170)

Best Season

There is no season-offseason as Kashid is protected by the hills. You would however do better to avoid peak summer, unless the govt. obliges you will excess power supply. Rather than non-AC, too much of candle light dinner might be boring.

Resources

Do not expect to walk into the roadside shop for your daily supplies. They still cater mostly to the villagers. Rather go with a fully loaded dickey (trunk) instead. One PCO/STD booth is however available. A couple of restaurants churn out popular delicacies, but you would most probably end up having food at your place of stay. Do not miss the tea and narielpani at the beach though.

Stay

Kashid Beach Resorts, Prakruti, Suman Resorts are the ones that give you urban comfort and simultaneously charge for that. Even if you have a fortune to blow away, consider staying in one of the many homely villas owned by the local people. You get enough homeliness, comfort and good food to make you stay memorable. With increasing discovery, Kashid is inviting weekenders and filmy crew with more rigor nowadays. It would make sense to make a prior booking.

Eat

While you are traveling in coastal Konkan, make it a point to sample culinary delights of the region – kurkuron bombeel (crispy fried Bombay duck), surmai / Pomfret fry, Kombadi-Wade with Chicken, sol-kadhi (a tangy smooth appetiser), kelyache panchamrut (a sweetish medley of bananas and vegetables), tisrya-che kavlan (clams in thick spicy masala), kelphoola-chi bhaji, (a Konkan favorite, made of banana flower), Jackfruit bhaji, Kaju Usal, Ambole (like Appam or thick sada Dosa). Especially ensure that you try Lord Ganesha’s favorite steamed delight, the Modak (made up of sugar / Jaggary and rice floor)!

Nearby Places to Visit

Murud-Janjira are situated near Kashid. Murud is an old fisherman town with a nice beach. Janjira is a famous fort in the middle of the sea near Murud. The tourists can also visit the Nawab’s palace, Ganapati Pule temple and the beautiful Birla temple nearby. About ten km from Kashid beach is the Phansad bird sanctuary.

There are a number of lookout points that provide spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Matheran is a plateau with a reasonably dense forest cover. Being a hill station it is pleasant almost throughout the year. In winter, the nights can get a bit chilly though. The best time to go to Matheran is post-monsoon. It is truly spectacular at this time of the year with lush greenery, waterfalls and the lake full with water.

Matheran is situated at a height of about 803 m above sea level. Since 1907, a narrow gauge railway line connects Matheran to Neral in the plains. Motor vehicles are completely banned in Matheran, making it quite peaceful.

Matheran was discovered by Hugh Malet in 1850. The British developed Matheran as a popular tourist resort.

Matheran literally means “jungle on top”. The only modes of transport are on Horseback, by man-pulled rickshaw, or on foot. This is a good change for people living in cities. Old British-style architecture has been preserved in Matheran and most structures are now heritage structures.

Matheran-Hill Railway

In the shady trees, and unpolluted air the journey to this hilltop could be through an exciting two hour ascent in a toy train, with food and drink vendors and monkeys jumping on and off, or through a tough 11 km road hike passing from dense forests. This 2-foot narrow gauge hill railway, connecting Neral was opened to traffic in 1907.

This hill railway was built by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy. The railway is 20 km. (12.6 miles) long and has a gauge of two feet with a ruling gradient of 1 in 20. The track zig zags up the side of the hill, bringing into view the full beauty of the Matheran Hill.

There are four pairs of train running between Neral and Matheran. However, during monsoon i.e. June to September, only one pair of train is run to open timings.

Best Time : After the Monsoon & Winter Season.

The toy train times (as of Feb ‘08) are:

Neral -> Matheran:
depart 0850, arrive 1110
depart 1015, arrive 1210
depart 1705, arrive 1900

Matheran -> Neral:
depart 0700, arrive 0840
depart 1340, arrive 1520
depart 1625, arrive 1810

Getting There

By train

You can catch a Karjat bound local train from CST (a.k.a. VT Mumbai, India) on the Central Railway to Neral Station. From Neral Station , there is a toy train which runs to Matheran about 4 times in a day. This toy train is not operational when railway route is under maintenance or when there is a perceived hazard e.g. the monsoons. The only way to know about it is at the Neral Station. The train is normally full, so turn up in good time to ensure you get a ticket. You can also book the ticket online through IRCTC.

By car

Cars are not allowed within Matheran. However you can drive up and park your car at Dasturi car point and take a 40 minute horseback or man-pulled rickshaw ride to Matheran along a mud track.

On Foot

There are several walking trails which ascend the Matheran Plateau. These are used by local people commuting to the hill station as well as the occasional intrepid holiday-maker.

From the Eastern side, trekkers start at Neral.

You can also approach from the Western side, which has the distinct advantage that you can be in the shade for most of the ascent if you start early in the morning. One route recommended during monsoon starts from the village of Dudhoni and brings you to Sunset Point in Matheran. It is suitable for beginners, and the ascent only takes 2 hours or so. There is apparently a side trip to a waterfall, but I have not done this. Dudhoni can be reached by autorickshaw from Panvel (accessible by bus or central line train). The trail is obvious in most places; when in doubt, ask a local.

Getting Around

As motor vehicles are banned, there are two ways of getting around in Matheran.

• Walking. All the trails have signboards marking the way and the locals are quite helpful.
• On horseback
• Man-pulled Rickshaw

Spots

Matheran has 38 points at which can get a glimpse of nature’s beauty. However to cover most of these points requires atleat one night stay in Matheran. Point seeing in Matheran is quiet easy due to the presence of sign boards and map. Maps are also easily availbale in Matheran and can be used to plan your point seeing. You may also take horseback ride for Rs. 200-300 which will show you few important points. Given below are few view points which shouldn’t miss -

• Echo point – Offers a panoramic view and allows you to enjoy the echo’s
• King George point – A must visit point in monsoon as it offers a beautiful view of the waterfall formed by the water overflowing from Charlotte Lake. One can even reach he mouth of the waterfall with care, strong wind prevents the water from falling down and throws it back.
• Charlotte Lake – It’s the only water source atop Matheran nad it provides water to entire Matheran. The famous Echo and Louisa Points are on the right side of the lake and Pisarnath Mandir lies to its left.
• Louisa Point – It offers a beautiful face on view of the waterfall seen from the King George point. The waterfalls can be seen in the month of September and October soon after the monsoons. One of the hillocks on this point is called Lion’s Head.
• Panorama Point – This is ’sun-rise’ point. The longest point in Matheran. Almost 6 kms from market. One can see ‘Neral’ on east and ‘Panvel’ on the west of the point. The other points in Matheran like Sunset Point , Monkey Point , Maldunga Point and Heart Point etc. are also to the west. If weather is good, you can see Khandala and Bhimashankar ranges as well. Truly, ‘the king of all points’ is Matheran.
• Sun-set/Porcupine Point – Famous for Sunset. Named after its shape like the quill of a Porcupine, the spot offers the finest views of the surrounding hills, forest and Mumbai, especially at sunset. The point is located around 4 kms. from the main market.. ‘Prabalgad Fort’ can also be seen from this point.
• Heart Point - The heart shaped point offers a spectacular view of Mumbai at night and a view of the Matheran bound toy train coming up the hill.
• One Tree Hill – One of the best points of Matheran.

Do

Due to the prohibition of cars, Matheran is a relatively peaceful place. So walking is an activity that will be richly rewarding. There are numerous points all over Matheran, some of which provide some fantastic views of the valley below. While the central area and marked vistas are crowded, it is quite easy to find yourself all alone if you step off the beaten track. South of Charlotte Lake, there are some wonderful trails.

Horse riding is also quite popular way of getting around in Matheran. Finding a horse is not very difficult, as there are many of them around. It is a great way to travel for people who prefer not to walk.

Shop

The main bazaar offers a variety of articles such as cane and leather articles, hats, chappals and the sweet specialty – Chikki & Choco-Walnut Fudge!

Eat

There are all kinds of restaurants in Matheran serving various cuisines. Try the Maharashtrian style Vada-Pav (Indian Burger)which is available at the various points. Also, try the chikki which is available in different flavors in the main market. Meat is available in some restaurants, notably in the popular and modern Khan’s, which does very good Kebabs.

Stay

There are many hotels and govt. owned MTDC Holiday Resort offers comfortable accommodation at Matheran. Recommended resorts are – Anand Ritz, Richie Rich, Hotel Regal, Byke, Usha Acorts for families. Most of the Matheran hotels do not have any valley or mountain view and serve pure vegeterian food except for Lords Central hotel which is owned by Parsi.