Malshej Ghat, the Prince of Sahyadris! - a perfect weekend getaway from Mumbai!

Malshej Ghat, view from the plateau

Not many would believe it, but Mumbai is still a blessed place! As Mumbaikars we are indeed privileged to have places like Malshej Ghat at a driving distance of only 3 hours.

Malshej Ghat is a quaint hill-station located ahead of Kalyan, at a distance of about 150 Kms from Mumbai. Cosily nestled in the Western Ghats of Pune District, it is a place which has acquired fame (and some notoriety) for the unparalleled sights it offers during the monsoon months. Indeed the best time to visit the place is during monsoons when the swirling wind, heavy showers, verdant mountains and numerous waterfalls weave an atmosphere of magic in these jungles. But, on weekends, these delights also attract a lot of merry makers for whom the idea of enjoying this nature's bounty is to consume bucketfuls of liquor and then create ruckus in broad daylight along the streets and at the plateau beside the MTDC Flamingo Hill Resort. Aside from this, Malshej Ghat is a place where the waves of commercial exploitation are yet to reach. It has only two hotels worth the name - MTDC Flamingo Hill Resort and Su-shant Resort. Consequently, it is an ideal destination for people who want to spend time in solitude and soak in the tranquil atmosphere.

For a slide show of complete set of pictures from Malshej Ghat, please click here.

Malshej Ghat Panorama

The place is equally impressive even during the non-monsoon months. In fact Malshej Ghat is a place which has something to offer for every class of traveller. If you are of the adventurous kind, then there are numerous trekking points around here - Harishchandragad (a place which every trekker worth his salt swears by, being one of the most difficult points in this part of the world), Shivneri (birth place of the warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) and the numerous nature trails in the rolling hills around Malshej Ghat.

For wildlife lovers, the place is a paradise of sorts. Located in the Western Ghats, one of the few biodiversity hotspots in the world, it is home to several species of birds (resident and migratory), butterflies, flowers, reptiles, etc. including its most famous visitor - the beautiful Flamingos, who have perhaps rightfully chosen this place to breed during the monsoon months. The area around Pimpalgaon-Joge dam (located about 5 Kms from the MTDC resort) is an excellent birding hotspot which attracts a host of migratory birds during winter. One could even go Leopard tracking in the dense jungles nearby or in the adjacent Junnar area - Wikipedia tells me that "Junnar taluka in Maharashtra has the largest density of leopard population within a 500 km² area", Gulp!

Finally, if you are of the Wodehousian type, looking to spend a quiet day away from the hustle-bustle of the city, just relaxing, repairing and enjoying the simple aspects of life - seeing time fly by, listening to the sweet melodies of the birds, walking bare-feet on cold grass, feeling the gentle wind lapping on your face, reflecting on the how's & why's of life - then Malshej is perhaps the place you need to head out the next weekend.

For the moment we fell in the second and third category. The occasion was my wife's birthday and we were looking to spend a day out without much fanfare. We decided on the place only two days before and thanks to the off-season, managed to get bookings at the MTDC Flamingo Hill Resort (where otherwise getting bookings is very difficult). We got moving at the crack of dawn and as the soft sunlight filtered in through the trees we could see the air and landscape change immediately after we passed Kalyan. Mountain peaks draped in winter mist, monkeys (Rhesus Macaques) waving out to us from the edge of the road, winding and undulating roads, sweet earthy scent of the Indian hinterland wafting from the villages (still unscathed by modernity), and spicy Misal Pav with cutting tea (for breakfast) were some of the pleasures we enjoyed during this small journey.

As we neared Malshej Ghat, we passed through the solitary tunnel and immediately after it, on our left, saw a strange piece of nature's architecture. Overlooking the vast expanse of the Malshej Valley was a lone rock (shaped like Thumbs-up) jutting out at the edge of a small cliffed plateau. There's a narrow passage at the end of the tunnel which leads to the spot. It's a place from where one can photograph the entire panorama and spend a good 15-20 minutes (or more!) marvelling at the rock and the sights. If you are lucky, you could even get to photograph a Raptor flying at eye level!

Malshej Ghat Panorama from Rock Point

We reached the resort by 11:00AM. MTDC Flamingo Hill Resort is located on a plateau, surrounded by jungles and rolling hills, and it came to us as no surprise as to why it was so popular with travellers - there's no better place to get a good 180 degree view of the valley (save for the rock point I mentioned earlier). However, the place is like any other MTDC property - excellent location, trashy facilities!

At a distance we could see from the hotel drive-in that the waters of Pimpalgaon-Joga dam were beckoning us - it was wonderful to see them glistening in the sun. Since we were before check-in time, we decided to take a stroll on the plateau. There were very few tourists currently and the vast expanse was ours to own. The plateau abruptly ends into a deep gorge with dense jungle at the bottom. The jungle seemed calm from hundreds of feet above, but I am sure it was wild and teeming with activity below! The edge of the plateau is perhaps the best place to spend quality time!

Soon after a sumptuous lunch (the food is ok if you stick to the basic items) we headed straight towards Pimpalgaon-Joga lake. The lake has been created by halting the waters of River Pushpavati by constructing a bund or an earth-fill dam. There's a crude road on top of the dam which leads to Khireshwar village - the base camp for trek to Harishchandragad. Stretched expansively under the blue sky, the waters appear azure as far and wide as the human eye can see and one feels like getting lost in that moment. It's one of those perfect postcard lakes - rolling mountains on either side, a village behind us and the waters disappearing on the horizon - mesmerising! The lake is peppered with rocks which serve as perching point for cormorants, terns, egrets, kingfishers, and other water birds. Every now and then a cormorant would do the sorties and keep us entertained.

We slowly traversed the entire cross-section and finally settled down at a small piece of land that merges into the waters at the end of the dam. Once here, we waited for the evening - the crucial twilight time - when all the colours of nature would be on full display. The simple charms of rustic life were there for us to savour - smoke billowing from the stacks on the horizon, buffaloes bathing in the waters only a few feet away from us! We also met a villager who told us tales of misery of the people of the land. His eyes were intense, but there would be a glint whenever he would mention the prices that some pieces of land were fetching! We spent our time chatting, throwing pebbles in the water and photographing birds, including the Common Kingfisher who would intermittently come and perch on a rock few feet away from us.

Evening is when nature's magic show begins...

Time flew fast... soon evening fell and we were joined in by a large family group at this time. It was an absolute riot of colours. Sky was the canvas and God was the painter - from shades of yellow to golden to blue on nightfall - we couldn't have asked for more! With a very heavy heart we left the place and trundled back to our car. Back at the resort, a bunch of college students were having a campfire at the plateau. Amidst all the cacophony of these revellers, we could hear songs like Munni badnam hui blaring from mobile phones... wonder what the resident Gods must be thinking of them! Meanwhile, the night sky was beautifully lit up by the near full moon and countless stars.

Bee-eater readying to take flight

In the morning we ventured out early onto the plateau, hoping to catch some birds and capture panoramas in the soft morning light. The Long-tailed Shrike, Green Bee-eater, Pied Buschat, Blue Rockthrush, Crested Lark were all there for us - somehow shy this morning! Soon the butterflies also joined in and all around us it seemed like a song & dance party of nature! Good things don't last for long and the check-out time was looming upon us. In the courtyard we saw people playing volleyball and badminton. Finally by 2.00PM we bid Malshej Ghat goodbye but not before enjoying another sumptuous lunch, this time from the restaurant's upper deck from where the whole valley is visible!





All in all it was a day well spent. Perfect blend of some nature-watch activity and relaxation! Truly, Malshej Ghat is the 'Prince of Sahyadris'!

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes" - Edward Estlin Cummings

As always, I look forward to your comments / suggestions / feedback. Do write in...

Thank you!

Picture of the day

Captured from my home..., originally uploaded by thelegendreturns.

Captured this today from my home...

Have posted several pictures in the past of dusk / sunset captured from my home on this blog. I really consider myself lucky to have enjoyed these views for close to 23 years of my life now. However, soon these views would be gone as the panorama is fast filling up with new construction, sigh!

Lets enjoy the sights while we still have them!

Ovalekar Wadi - abode of the butterflies (Part 1)

Ovalekar Wadi is a quiet little butterfly park (all of 2 acres) located off the Ghodbunder Road in Thane (near Mumbai). Home to about 70-90 different species of butterflies, it's a place about which I learnt only a few months ago! What pleased me the most was that as a resident of Mulund it wouldn't be too much of a bother reaching the place early in the morning.

I set out from my house at 6:30 AM on a November morning armed with my camera kit. No sooner had I stepped out, than it started raining!!! It was only a drizzle, but enough to indicate that for good part of the morning the sky would be overcast and hence the light poor - a photographer's nightmare!




Thankfully it wasn't all that bad either. Yes light was poor and we got to see far fewer butterflies than otherwise, but we had an overall positive impression about the place and resolved to come back again soon.
Intermittently, sunlight would filter in through the cracks in the clouds and we used that opportunity to indulge in some macro photography - flowers, insects, et al.

For a slide show of complete set of pictures from Ovalekar Wadi, please click here.

The park is a result of the efforts put in by Mr. Rajendra Ovalekar, the owner of the place. He has planted a variety of fruit and flower bearing trees in this patch of land, thereby creating a natural environment where butterflies can thrive without any need for enclosures. He very passionately showed us a butterfly cocoon, caterpillars, and also explained some of the finer aspects of butterflies.

As we were enjoying the sight of butterflies flitting about, flower to flower, we were very lucky to sight a Signature Spider trap a butterfly and entangle it in his web. That was the highlight of the visit. Apart from this we got some nice shots of flowers (with water droplets beautifully sparkling on their petals), mushrooms, a cat that seemed eager to catch a prey, moths, and butterflies such as - Blue Glass Tiger, Striped Tiger, Common Evening Brown, Common Palmfly, Common Crow, etc. - a fraction of the total population over there.

I believe the place is a must visit for butterfly lovers and people generally interested in nature macro photography. Spend a few hours here at leisure and you are sure to go back refreshed. We are fortunate that there are still a few patches of green left in & around Mumbai, thanks to spirited people like Mr. Ovalekar - lets enjoy them while we still have them!

Looking forward to your comments...

How to reach the place: Ovalekar Wadi is located off the Ghodbunder Road in Thane (West) (see map - http://www.wikimapia.org/14420146/Butterfly-Farm). Whether coming from Mulund Check Naka or Thane Station, ask for Parshvanath College of Engineering or Harmony Society in Owale. Just ahead of these landmarks there is a narrow winding lane on the left (be alert as you are sure to miss it), which takes you inside the village. Drive for two minutes on this lane and keep an eye out for a non-descript gate on the right (again you are sure to miss this). A board outside the gate reads Ovalekar Wadi but there's no mention of butterfly park. The entry charges are Rs. 50/- only and the park is open all day.