Mahabaleshwar—Verdant Pearl of India
Mahabaleshwar is a lush green hill station in Satara district,Maharashtra,
Western India. Perched at an altitude of 1372 m above the seal level, this
destination was once the summer capital of Bombay province during the British
Raj. Besides this, if you will go by the literal meaning of this destination’s
name, Mahabaleshwar’s name too like
other travel treks in India carry some sensible meaning and an impressive
history behind its origination. ‘Mahabaleshwar’ means ‘God of Great Power’ in
Sanskrit and the geographical magnificence of this lush green halt tunes very
well to its literal meaning in ‘English’ and ‘Hindi’.
Tour to Mahabaleshwar: The Traveler’s Paradise
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| Dolphin Nose |
Yes, Mahabaleshwar is surely the
paradise for leisure travelers, honeymooners and pilgrims. Wrapped in the lush
green foliage of forests, deep rivulets, azure skies and turquoise rivers, this
place will give you the liberty to assimilate yourself in the tranquil
ambience. There is in fact so much to
experience at this verdant haven that spending one or two days won’t be enough
for you to explore intriguing pockets of the region. Mahabaleshwar's history and rich heritage are other sections which can be explored by the travelers during their tour.
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Temperature:
Winters (December
to February) are cool and the temperature varies minimum 10°C to maximum
32°C
32°C
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Toy Train |
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Monsoons (June to September) offer average
annual rainfall. Engulfed in the wet foliage of rain drops, a trip to this destination
during this season will prove worth value the money. But still it is
recommended that if you want to make your holidaying experience a great memoir
to cherish then October to March will always remain the best months for
planning a visit to Mahabaleshwar.
Mahabaleshwar Tour Itinerary
Three Days
Besides this, followed by the day one of the
journey, Mahabaleshwar can be a good starting point for a trek to some of the picturesque
places sandwiched within the precincts of this hill resort. State transport
buses and jeeps siphon through several villages on the shores of Koyna Lake,
from where you can take a ferry and move across the backwaters of Koyna Dam.
Here at Koyna Dam, the cacophonous sound of the gurgling waters and the
salubrious breeze wafting upwards in the air will do the much needed healing
required by your senses. This ferry will stop at various points nestled in
close proximity to age old forts. From these halt points, a throw stones away
of walking distance will steer you to all those forts about which you have been
reading till now in the history books only.
Day Two and Three
Attractions
Arthur's Seat
Arthur Seat is a fantabulous picnic spot
nestled at an altitude of 1340 meters. This point was named after Sir Arthur
Mallet, who was nature lover, sat here and gazed at the Savitri River, where
he lost his wife and children in an ill fated mishap. To reach this tourist
spot, you are required to cross many obstacles and have to cover up the tough
trail of various kilometers to get the glimpses of panoramic views. When you
will reach here, you shouldn’t at least forget to gorge upon the scrumptious
street food offered by the local vendors. All together, for gourmands,
children, adults, honeymooners and children, this destination in
Mahabalehswar houses something interesting for the traveler of every age.
Kate's Point
Every destination is India, inherits a history
behind it and Kate’s point is definitely amongst those destinations where
similar sentiment is seen establishing its presence in the region. This
elevated point is perched at an altitude of 1280 meters. This place got its
name from Sir James Malcom’s daughter Kate, who developed a special
connection with this place. Besides this, Kate’s point is famous for another
two travel spots like Balakwadi and Dhom reservoirs. If you are a city
dweller who has been looking for a much needed break then you may find Kate’s
point as the most suitable destination for spending a complete day in
absolute seclusion and solitude.
Needle Hole Point
Needle Hole Point is nestled in proximity to
Kate’s Point. One can see a natural rock formation with a hole in the middle,
thus providing it a Needle-Hole structure to it. This point is also known for
the bird’s eye of Deccan traps which if noticed from an elevated point offers
an elephant’s trunk like look to the whole region.
Wilson Point
Wilson point(1439 mts) is amongst the highest
elevated hills in Mahabalehswar from where the sunset and sunrise can easily
be noticed from its apex tip. Indeed,
this destination is amongst one of those places where photographers can get
an opportunity to capture beautiful pictures of the landscapes in their still
cameras. Every person who owes a knack of extra ordinary creativity will find
this destination in close sync with their utopian world about which they
might have dreamt or fantasized in their imagination only. Right from the writer’s lens to the
adventurer’s perspective, this place catches the imagination of every bag packer.
3 Monkey Point
Just by reading this destination’s name, it
get’s clear that, 3 Monkey Point share a strong nexus with Gandhiji’s 3
monkeys. These monkey structured stones created by the nature’s natural
activities is nestled a throw stones away from this place and if you are
accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, then you can even garner many unique
facts about this place.
Venna
Lake: Your kids will find
this place a great spot where they can fulfill their much coveted wish of
taking the horse ride and do boating over the turquoise waters of Venna lake.
Panchgani
is 19 Km away from
Mahabaleshwar. For the people who love to visit less crowded hill resorts
will find this destination suiting their instincts. This destination can be
reached by boarding taxi or bus as well.
Unique
Facts:
Strawberry Festival at
Mahabaleshwar(Mapro
Gardens): (Easter Weekend)
Duration: 4 days
Strawberry festival which is completely
sponsored by a well known corporate Mapro Foods is organized every year with
gaiety and fervor. Usually celebrated between the March’s month end and
April’s first week, this event catches the interest of millions of travelers around the world.
Here the vacationers can gorge upon the mouth watering delicacies like
Strawberry pizza, Strawberry drink and Strawberry ice creams garnished with
flavors of raw berries, specially hand picked from the Mapro Gradens. This
year the Straw berry festival was organized on 31st March 2013. To
know the exact date of this festival you can even contact the sales office of
this company: 02265298725
Central
Bazaar: The central Bazaar
of Mahabaleshwar houses various food and artifacts shops. These shops are
owned by some Iranis who solidified their roots a few hundred years ago. Here
you can satiate your gustatory desires with the region specialty like chick
pea nuts, sticks, home made snacks and raw beer. Moreover, wide varieties of
leather goods and honey can be some of the special items which can act bring
upon some special memoirs to your touring experience.
How
to Reach
Road
Mahabaleshwar
is located about 32km from Wai. It is
around 285km from Mumbai, the
state capital. The nearest major city is Satara, around
55km away, and is 120km from Pune. Mahabaleshwar is connected by the National Highway 4.
Bus services by state-run MSRTC and
private organizations connect it by buses from Pune, Mumbai, Sangli and
Satara.
Rail
Nearest
railroad is Satara, around 58km. Nearest major railway junctions include Pune
(120km), Miraj (170&km)
and Sangli (165km). Private cars and cabs, as well as state-run bus services
are available in these locations to Mahabaleshwar.
Air
The
nearest airport is Pune International
Airport, serving the city of Pune, about
120 km from Mahabaleshwar. Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport of
Mumbai is 270 km away.
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The remote area around these
forts will offer you an opportunity to saunter through the dense jungles and
cherish the abundance of wild life. It is advised that you can make
Mahabaleshwar as your base, from where you can easily move to one or two forts
at a time and then return back to a hotel for a night stay. Indeed, booking the
hotel in advance and particularly in monsoons will always save you from the
hassles of searching the accommodation.
Day Four
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| Mahableshwar Temple |
On the day fourth of the journey,
it is suggested to hire a guide from Chaturbet. Being the new comer to this
area, It will be difficult to find your way to up Makarangad, so it is
recommended to hire a guide or instructor for 3 days. The local guides being
the resident of the region are well versed with every part of the village and
hill resorts girdling Mahabaleshwar. A guide will charge Rs 300 to 500 for a
day and he will provide you every detail of all those forts, rivers and mini
hill resorts that will fall in the midst of the trail from Mahabaleshwar to
Makarangarh. However, paying a guide on the per day basis would prove to be a
costly deal. Hence, if you want to save your hard earned money then it is
advised to hatch a deal with the guide and pay him lump sump amount for 3 days.
By making a deal with the tour guide, you can save some amount and later on,
invest that saved amount in other leisure activities.
Coming back to a trail from Mahabaleshwar to Makarangarh, you can catch a bus or jeep going to Tapola and
get off at Zolai Khind pass. After de-boarding a bus at Zolai Khind, you can
chose a way to North-West, from where you can saunter through the dense
forests and finally, after a spur of 3
hours to the town of Dudh Gaon, you will reach to the village of Dudhgaon. A
throw stones away from Dudh Gaon, you will observe a Makarandgarh Fort standing
tall due to south-west direction, surrounded by thick forest cover. But before
you commence pondering that by just visiting the Makarandgarh Fort, your tour
has reached to then culmination point
then your intuition may seem like giving wrong signals. The tour up to
Makarandgarh fort will cover up only half trail. The remaining trek follows the
dirt road to Koyna river, Chaturbet and hill side forests which surprisingly
disappear into the forest. The adventure lovers who have always dreamt to click
hard core photographs of wild life will get a golden opportunity to do hard photography.
Besides this, a trail of 4 hours
further will take travelers to Dabhe village, Ghonaspur Village and finally to
the big fort. From here only, the main region of Makarangarh starts. Not much
is known about the history of Makarandgarh fort and there are hardly any
ruins or ramparts still standing . There
is a large Mahadev Temple(maintained by local villagers). The rock cut cave is
another place worth visiting at Makarangarh. Conclusively, the day two of your
journey will end here and can go back to your hotel which will take another
three to four hours of spur.
If you are an impatient traveler,
who doesn’t like to walk much then boarding direct buses from Dudhgaon to
Makarangarh can also be the best option.
Distance: 12-17KM,TIME: 6 to 7 HOURS
Day Five
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Pratap Gar Fort |
From Makarandgarh Fort, descend
to Hatlot Village to the West. The trail descends along right side following
the base of the wall(due north). In about 30 minutes, you will come to a temple
set amidst thick forest. Follow a trail going left, or due south-west, that
leads down to Hatlot(if you take the trail going right, you will reach
Ghonaspur). After walking for 1-1 ½ hrs, you will come of the jungle and to the
first of four hamlets that make up Hatlot.
Past the first hamlet you will
come to an iron bridge across which lies a Maruti Temple. Just past the last of
the four hamlets, the trails turns due north-west and follows a dirt road that
brings down to the Koyna River and a dirt road that goes to Dudhgaon. Take a left,
due north-west, at the road and follow it past Shirpoli and Dudhgaon Phata(junction).
Walking along this road, you will pass Parpar Village(30-45 mins) and then
Sondpar Village, from where a path leads up
a gentle spur, due west. This will bring you to Afzal Khan’s Tomb(1 hr).
From here, follow the tarred road that will get you to the base of the fort in
10 minutes.
In 1656, Shivaji invaded Jawli
and turned his attention to building to building a fort on Bhorpya Hill, which
was strategically located along the trade route from the Konkan to Wai. This
became Pratapgarh Fort(1,080m), which is one of the few forts in Maharashtra
that is still in Private hands. Furthermore, if you will move a few steps ahead
, you will notice an age old Bhawani Mata Temple, which houses an idol of
Mahishasurmardhini. This idol has been etched out of Single Saligram stone that
was brought by Shivaji from the Kalignadaki River in Nepal. While you offer
prayer at Goddess Temple, you can also pay an obeisance to quartz Shivling
believed to be worshipped by Shivaji. Above, all once you are fully done with
exploring the tantalizing corners of the region, you may like to choose Raja
DInkar Kelkar Museum as your next halt. At this museum, you will get a chance
to have a close encounter of the artifacts used by the Marathas and Mughals
during the times much before the 14th century AD. For exploring this
museum, you may require an another day to travel to Pune and visit this place
exclusively.
DISTANCE: 10 TO 12 KMS
TIME: 5 HOURS
Raja DInkar Kelkar Museum Details:
Location
Plan & General Information
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Mob No:9811645690
E-Mail-hiteshchandna1987@gmail.com
