TRIP TO MAHABALESHWAR
We (me and my wife) have been to Mahabaleshwar on 27th November, 2013. We have been there over 15 years before. So the memories of the place were blurred by elapse of such a long time. So we decided to visit the place.
We started at 6.45 a.m. from our home in Thane. We had hired Indica A/C car. The driver Azim was just a 22 year old boy who arrived at 6.15 a.m. as agreed. He came through one Yogi Travels from Andheri. We had found them on internet and the prices quoted by them were the lowest. So we selected them. When I enquired with Azim he told me that he had never been to Mahabaleshwar. That means he would not be useful to us for sight seeing etc. But anyhow we solaced ourselves by saying “there is always first time”.
Our first stop was at Manshakti Kendra, Lonavala for breakfast in their cafeteria. Though it has lost its past glory of wonderful taste of each item made there, it is still far more superior and better when compared to Food Mall on Expressway. Thus in our view it is better to leave Express way and take diversion to Lonavala for break fast or meals etc. We had Batata vada with Usal (a good combination offered at vary few places) and Pohe followed by tea.
We reached Mahabaleshwar by mid-day. We had booked at Saj Resort, a wonderful place just couple of kilometers before famous Venna Laka of Mahabaleshwar. We had a welcome drink made of strawberry accompanied with tasty cookies.
We immediately moved to Panchgani and our first stop was at Mapro. We moved in their garden and shopping counters etc. and entered in their restaurants. The first shock we felt when we glanced through the menu card. We had such repeated shocks everywhere in Mahabaleshwar. The place is awfully expensive, the taxis, the horses, local restaurants, guides all ask you to pay astronomical prices of everything. You are always left with a feeling that you are being treated as walking ATM and being squeezed and duped.
Mapro is a good place but over-rted and very expensive. We had a Grilled sandwich and strawberry with cream for our lunch. We were successful in avoiding the temptation of Fried potato chips and satisfied ourselves with the few crumbs of it served with our sandwich.
After that we visited Parsi Point and spent late afternoon at Table land in Panchgini. On table land where horses were costing Rs. 500 for a 3 km. ride and horse drawn carts were costing Rs. 300/-. We saved our money and walked around (not the entire stretch of 3 kms.) and had a cup of afternoon tea in a roadside stall costing us Rs. 20/- each (normally at such places it should not be more than Rs. 10/-)
There is a small pond on table land where we spotted few bathing beauties. LOL
We returned to our resort around sunset time and were attracted towards SPA. We allowed ourselves the luxury of massage and steam and relaxed later with my favourite Scotch whisky before dinner which we called in room as it was really tedious to get dressed for dinner in the restaurant. They did not seem to insist on proper dress code etc. but still we prefer to avoid loitering in the public places of a hotel shabbily dressed.
DAY 2
It dawned with a bad news that our driver Azim had fever at night and was down with upset stomach. We drove to Mahabaleshwar just 5 kms. away from our resort for our breakfast. We called Yogi Travels, Andheri. Their replies were evasive and were totally non-cooperative. The taxi owner who had offered his services to Yogi requested us to send the car and the driver back. We promptly did it and were back on the street looking for new car arrangements.
We were lucky to get another travel agent who offered us Indigo at good price for local sightseeing as well as for our next day’s tour to Satara, Wai, Thoseghar falls etc.
Here are the few snaps of Mahabaleshwar which is surrounded by ranges of hills and valleys. Five rivers originate from Panchgani and there are lakes made of backwater of various dams built on those rivers. It offers spectacular scene of greenery, water, valleys, hill tops etc.
As usual we had decided not to do “much” shopping (that is means little shopping is allowed. Only thing is how much is “little” was kept undefined. LOL). Still we purchased honey, jam, jelly chocolates, sweets made of strawberry etc. in “small” quantity, reminding ourselves that we do not have a car to go back home and would be required to go by private bus service.
Day 3 – Our new driver was prompt and came to pick us up at 800 a.m. and we proceeded to Wai. We first went to 300 years old Ganesh temple and Shiva temple built with black stone on the banks of Krishna river.
We had a breakfast of Dosa and tea at Wai and visited Khamkar’s sweets shop for their wonderful Pedha, which we purchased for us and for our friends back home.
After Wai, our next stop was at Sajjangad, a place of Saint Ramdas, (also known as Samartha Ramdas) who was Guru of Shivaji Maharaj, a great Maratha king who saw the dream of Hindu empire and made it possible when there was not a single independent Hindu kingdom for over 100 years after the fall of the last Hindu empire of Vijaynagar (Hampi, Karnataka).
Saint Ramdas has written poetry and he was the most practical saint. He was very clear in saying that one should be tough and arrogant in your dealings with those who are arrogant, crafty and thug. Otherwise you should be very modest and considerate with others. In his famous shlokas, he has very nicely narrated as to what constitutes “Stupidity” and “foolishness” and to my astonishment, they are applicable even today.
One has to climb few hundred steps to reach the fort from the parking lot. On your right, the sight of the lake created by backwater in the valley makes it spectacular and pleasing. There is a temple on the top. It takes about 2 hours to visit and return.
There is a temple on the top of the fort. The cool breeze against our face made us forget the pains of climbing about 250 or so steps. The air was fresh and it filled us with the enthusiasm. It takes about half an hour to climb the steps and another one hour to move around the top which includes “Samadhi” (tomb) of Saint Samartha Ramdas and few items of his personal use which are over 300 years old.
They offer lunch and dinner as “prasaad” for those who wish to have it. It was bit too early for us and we wanted to cover Thoseghar Falls before we make it for lunch in Satara City.
We did not linger at Sajjangad for long. We moved forward to Thoseghar which is around 15 to 20 kms. ahead of Sajjangad. The road goes through the hills and is quite dangerous at few places. While passing the road one can see the spectacular scene of Satara city in the valley surrounded by hills.
The road and the surroundings of Thoseghar Falls is simply picturesque. Walking through the green forest and the woody smell of forest is a different experience. The Forest Department has developed it quite well. They have built the steps leading down to the edge of the hills to see the falls on the hill of the opposite side. They have even built a viewing gallery also. It was quite unexpected for us. It was not a week end, so there was no crowd of visitors. For some time we were just two of us. The serenity laced with the melodious noise of falling and flowing water was touching.
The fall was not in its full force as it was not a rainy season. During rains, it looks memsmerising that is what we were told. I was convinced about it. It must be looking superb during monsoon.
Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India
triptomahabaleshwar12@gmail.com
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