Tourist Attractions and Places near Pune and Mumbai

While 2010 new year weekend had a disastrous start with a miscalculated and unsuccessful trip to Raigad fort and the Pune zoo the following day, 2011 new year weekend was exactly the opposite. We went to Daman and Silvassa for a 3-day weekend and it was a great mix of lot of stuff – beaches, forts, water sports and even a lion safari!

Then, we went to Pataleshwar Cave Temple and Ayappan hill temple near Dehu Road. These two were on the radar for quite some time as we had passed these two temples en-route to many other places.

The first big trip of 2011 was a weekend trip to Murud. This set a nice precedent for 2 more trips to the Konkan region over the year. The murud trip had many beach visits including Murud beach, Kashid beach, Aakshi beach and the imposing Janjira sea fort (post pending!).

The next Konkan trip happened soon after, with a 3 day trip to Diveagar and Harihareshwar. The Diveagar beach is one of the best on the coast (among the one closer to Mumbai/Pune) and the coastal drive from Diveagar to Shrivardhan is too beautiful to be described!

In March, i went on a trek to Tikona fort along with colleagues. We started pretty early in the morning and it was a good decision as it got very hot by around 10. The trek to tikona fort is moderate, but offers wonderful views of the surrounding areas including Lohagad fort and Pavana Dam. Also, the final ascent on the stairs is wonderful.

Then, we had a get-together of friends at Splendour Country club. This was my second visit to the place (post pending!) and it is quite a mixed bag. The condition/cleanliness of the infinity pool depends on your luck, but the location is awesome.

There was a weekend when Vidhya and Akshara were out of town. So, i went on a local sightseeing trip to places which Vidhya might not come along. I went to Shinde Chhatri – architecturally good , bur was undergoing renovation, a butterfly park about which the lesser said the better and then to Chaturshringi Hill Temple, a gem of a place within the crowd of the city(posts due!).

Saturday was gone and i went for something more adventurous on the Sunday – a trek to Kalavantin Durg (post due!). This turned out to be most exhausting day of my life. But, not because of the nature of the trek. It is an awesome trek and the final climb on the rock-cut steps (some more than a metre high) is mind-blowing, particularly for the slightly-acrophobic ones like me!

The monsoon had arrived and it was time to go-green! Our first monsoon trip was to the ever-enchanting Neelkanteshwar temple. If you have never been there, make sure you do (not in the summer though). A place straight out of Amar Chitra Katha, you can not only admire the natural beauty of its location, but also learn a lot about indian mythology.

Though very scenic, i try to avoid lonavala and its surroundings during the monsoon as it gets very crowded and insane. A trip to Korigad fort where i had pass through Lonavala reaffirmed my faith in avoiding the place. Korigad fort though was a revelation. Relatively easy to climb and in midst of nature, it was a wonderful trip with friends.

No monsoon is complete without a visit to Tamhini Ghat and thoseghar waterfalls. I have been so many times to these places and yet, i am not tired of them. The visit to tamhini was, as always, combined with a visit to the broken roads of Chalkewadi windmill farms.

Then came a visit a beautiful temple in a beautiful place – hadshi temple. One photo of this temple on some forum convinced me to pay a visit and i wasn’t disappointed and neither have been all the people to whom i have recommended this temple. I have been there twice, once during the monsoon and another time just after – on a clear and sunny day.

We tried yet again on 15th August to go to Raigad fort, but our calculations proved wrong once again with a 3.5 hr wait for the cable car. So, we had to return (for the second time) with just a view of the cable car and the mighty fort beyond the horizon.

But, all was not bad with the trip. We came back through Varandha ghat and we got to see the best of what Varanda is famous for. Outstanding greenery as far as the eye can see and more waterfalls than we could keep count of!

Then finally, in October with some meticulous planning, we were able to see the king of all forts, Raigad fort (post due!). It was worth the wait, as this fort is an exemplary example of the might of the Marathas. The amount of history within the walls of his fort is amazing. We had combined a trip to Raigad with another new destination on the konkan, Karde beach.

End of 2011, beginning of 2012, lots to look forward too. Starting with a trip to Rajasthan, courtesy my company. So, what’s in plan – Malshej Ghat, Bhadandardara, Ganapatipule or Goa, some lesser known temples around Pune, Shivneri fort and more…

written by Rajaram S

Tamhini Ghat is the name which most people recollect if you were to ask for the best place to drive through for watching waterfalls during the monsoon. But this is mostly because of the famous mulshi dam in its vicinity. Not many are aware of Varandha ghat. A mention of this ghat usually is accompanied by comments like “not a place to go alone”, “lonely” etc. This is what makes Varandha ghat such a wonderful place to go to.

There are lot of waterfalls in tamhini, but most of them are hidden within the thick forests on the sides of the road. In Varandha, the volume of water flow in the waterfalls are much higher. The kids along with us kept referring to them as “Milk Shake waterfalls with the dirtier ones becoming the chocolate shake waterfalls! They are also easily accessible with dozens of big ones just on the road. It was difficult to keep an eye on the road while driving with every turn bringing another waterfall into view.

How to go to Varandha Ghat from Pune: Go to Nh4 and towards the kapurhol crossing. When going from Pune, you would see the left turn for the road to Narayanpur Balaji Temple. Just 10-20 metres ahead, a small road goes to the right. You can easily miss this, so watch out for the exit after you come to the Narayanpur road. This is the road to Bhor. This is a narrow road which goes through Bhor Ghat and then a long flat section and then climbs into Varandha Ghat. If you cross Varandha ghat and get down on the other side, you would touch NH17, the Goa highway. The third point marked in the map below is the main view point.

View Larger Map

Some points about the drive through Varandha Ghat

• Going from NH4, the last civilization is at Bhor. After that it is around 40-50 kms of wilderness. It is better to go in more than 1 vehicle as a puncture will leave you totally stranded.
• There is no network coverage for most of the distance on the ghat. We were travelling 4 cars. One of them had gone a bit ahead while we were at a waterfall. The next time we could establish contact was at Bhor after 30 kms.
• The road is narrow, though in a better condition as compared to Tamhini w.r.t potholes. But the sides of the road are jagged and you have to be careful if you go too close to the edge of the tarred section

Though there are dozens of points along the way to consume your entire time, the main view point is the Waghjai Mata mandir, where you will find many tea shops. The view (when there is no mist) is incomparable. You can see waterfalls as far as your eye can see. There is a huge valley and on the other side, there are steep cliffs. There are two huge waterfalls visible to the north east corner (as you see from the road). These are worthy enough to be named (i am sure that americans would have done so!). It was also extremely windy at this point because of the surrounding valleys. The swaying of the grass due to the wind was a sight to behold. Watch the video below. Nature at her best!

We spent a lot of time close to this view point, not exactly close to the tea shops, but just before the u-turn at the end. We came to Varandha from Nh17 and just as we turned, the whole vista spread out before us.

if you have the time and interest, you can do a round trip from Pune – go through either Tamhini or varandha ghat and come back the other way. We went through Tamhini and came back through Varandha. It takes a toll on your body and vehicle, but it is worth it

written by Rajaram S

Update(Aug 2012): The procedure for visiting Kas has changed and it is a BIG change. You have to pre-register yourself on a website. Only 2000 people per day would be allowed to visit the place. This is very good for the place, but not good for the visitors. There are many other ways this could have been done, but i am happy that at least something is being done. The website is www.kas.ind.in. You have to give your details along with the number of people with you. Then you have to pay 10 rupees per person, bank details are given. But, the assumption that everyone wanting to visit Kaas would have internet access and would be able to pay online is far-fetched. Natural attractions are the sole entertainment options for those who cannot afford the expense of the man-made ones!

UPDATE (03 July 2012): Today’s TOI front page has a photo of Kaas Plateau against the headline “39 sites in western ghats get World heritage status” – article by Dipannita Das. The caption with the photo says “Kaas plateau is in full bloom”. This is misleading. It should have been “Kaas Plateau in full bloom”. This is because it is not the season now for the flowers to bloom in Kaas. The flowering season starts just AFTER the monsoon. But then, Kaas during the monsoon is no less beautiful. So, you can still go for a wonderful drive to Kaas.

UPDATE (Oct 2011): They don’t allow you to park your vehicle on the road at the stretch where the flowers are usually blooming. Instead, you have the following options: 1) Park a few kms earlier and take a government bus to get dropped off in the main stretch 2) Drive a little ahead (saying that you are going to Bamnoli) and park at the junction where the main road becomes a one-way stretch from Bamnoli. The second option is a walk for only a km. 3. Drive to Bamnoli through a 7 km kuchcha stretch and then come back on the main road. This will allow the option of dropping off kids/elders on the main stretch and allow you/driver to continue on to the parking area. When i enquired about these regulations, the policeman said that these are enforced only on weekends. So, if you have the time on a weekday, you will have the place to yourself.

————–

I normally don’t return to any particular place before few months because i always feel that i can use that time to see some other new place. But, i have been to the Kaas/Kas Plateau three times in the past months. Such is the beauty of this area. The first two times, i went during the monsoon and the eerieness of this place was awesome. The third trip was more focussed, to catch the wildflowers in this area which bloom only for a short period of 2-3 weeks every year just after the monsoon. So, if you are reading this around the end of sep/start of Oct (the usual flowering season), GO THERE!

How to go to Kaas Plateau from Pune (Magarpatta): Go towards Katraj to catch the NH4 towards Satara. Cross the mahabaleshwar exit and go beyond for another 30-35 kms when you will see a junction with the exit to Satara on the right. Go inside Satara, cross the junction with the eiffel tower, keep going left. Then when you start seeing the mountains straight ahead, you will come to a fork , where you will see a tunnel on the left. The road on the left through the tunnel goes to Thoseghar waterfalls and Chalkewadi windmill farms. To go to Kaas, you have to take the road on the right. This road steadily climbs and reaches a plateau. After driving for around 15-20 kilometres, you will come to a wide plateau where you should endless patches of colour of either side of the road. This is the main area for the wild flowers. Though this road is not visible on Google Maps, it is a pretty good road and any car can go until the end of the road at Bamnoli Village.

We reached the plateau at around 1 pm, which was definitely not the right time for photographs. So, we finished our lunch and then went until Bamnoli, wandered around and returned a couple of hours later. On the way to Bamnoli, there were some huge patches of yellow flowers against the background of green hiils. On the more popular area, you just have a flatland of flowers.

Akshara had lot of fun roaming around the flower patches. It took a while to get her to sit next to a patch of flowers for a photograph. But, once that happened, she sat (more towards falling!) down next to each and every flower and waited for me to photograph her. The best patches were the purple ones. From a distance, they looked like huge carpets.

I had been there on the day of Visarjan (immersion of ganesh Statues). Many had advised me not to venture out on this day as one could easily get stuck in traffic, but the situation was exactly the opposite. The times in and out of Pune city were the best on that day. Probably every one else thought about the traffic and stayed indoors. But, there were quite a lot of people on the plateau incluing many armed with big lenses and tripods!

My earlier two trips to Kaas were in the midst of the monsoons and this place looked entirely different, a wet green colour and full of mist. It was extremely windy on both the occassions we went and it was difficult (for me and fun for Akshara) to get her to pose for a photo with her umbrella.

There were lot of cattle grazing in the area and Akshara wanted to get close to each one of them. With the slope on either side, it was difficult to catch up with her and the cows!

On our first trip, we were probably the only ones on the plateau as it was a rainy day and the whole plateau was covered in mist. We drove in the direction of Bamnoli, but after a while, the visibility was just too less for me to keep on driving. Akshara also got an opportunity to pose with a lamb, but she was all enthu’d until the moment the lamb also got enthu’d and got too close for her comfort.

On the trip during the monsoons, we took the route from Satara to Mahabaleshwar through Medha village and kanheri dam. This was one of the best routes i had driven on in terms of the number and the size of the waterfalls seen. The advantage of this route is that it goes through a valley and slowly climbs into Mahabaleshwar and because of this you get to see all the waterfalls on the both the cliffs to the side.

A very long post, but such a beautiful place deserves one

———————-

written by Rajaram S