Malshej Ghats! Mother Nature at her best!!

Link to Shivneri Fort.

Namaskar!

It was a hot summer and we were sweating hell. The rains arrived on time (2 days before infact!) and an itching for a plan had begun. The plan was finalized with my bachelor college group. Since we had 2 days in hand, the spots were finalized accordingly; Malshej Ghat, Shivneri fort and Bhimashankar.

I had been to Mahabaleshwar, panchgani, lonavala, kolhapur, kaas and other monsoon hotspots. But Malshej ghat was pending. Long due since we always had a hard time adjusting a bike.
After 3 weeks of rains, the scene was transformed to lush green. Mother nature was just opening up and was a right time to visit Malshej.
 

The date was finalized. 22n-23rd June.

The first section, i'll cover Malshej ghats.

We begun our journey at 8 am. A hour of travel on a newly made tar road, we took a brief stop for a Chai and Snack break at 9am. It was a half hour run ahead for malshej.
 

Meanwhile, we clicked some mouthwatering delicacies. Keep drooling on keyboard.

The Dahi Wadas! PS: Dahi is missing!

The Missal!

After having Dahi-wada and Missal in our tummy, we headed towards the splendid malshej ghats.

Just a few kms to go, we were stopped at a local check naka for scrutiny. So, if you are planning to carry booze, beware.. The authorities literally asked us to get down and scrutinized the whole vehicle for suspicious articles (read as alcohol). After the clean chit, we were let off.

The ghat begins with a series of small waterfalls. You can recognize the site as there will be vehicles parked roadside and people hanging around the waterfalls. As we have had enough of waterfalls (our college was at bhivpuri, and we used to go to bhivpuri waterfalls every monday!!), we were not amazed by the joyous faces of people. The next stop was the small shani temple. This is where your vehicle gets a nice shower as the water falls literally on the road.

Few pics from the journey.

The Awesome road!

Just before the ghat starts.

Overpowered by fog!

The ghat begins with a fog. Thankfully it was not raining. So we could enjoy the views outside.

Lord Hanuman temple

The Shani Dev.

This is the temple were water falls on the road drenching your whole vehicle. Yes, it comes with a force. So if you are attempting to take a ride through it on your bike, you are indeed stupid.

Some views.

The Ghat Roads!

No traffic!

The Famous tunnel!

Tunnel in a silhoutte!

 Once you cross this tunnel to the other side, there is a make shift point where the sahyadris opens up. On a clear day, you can see peaks of Matheran from a distance. Malshej has been a vantage point during the hay days of Maratha empire.

Fog me!

The point!

Amazing views of Sahyadri Valley!

With some individual photographs, we bid adeau this place.

Tips:

1) Dont ever think of boozing at Malshej. The authorities are damn strict these days.

2) Dont litter. Say no to plastics.

3) While on the point, look out for slippery rock faces.

4) Spare some time lonely and feel the nature.

After half hour of photography, we headed to our Mecca, Shivneri fort!
Contd.... Shivneri Fort. My Mecca

Ajinkyatara Fort.

After exploring sajjangad, i came back to Satara city where in the Ajinkyatara fort is located.

Ajinkyatara

Ajinkya-tara literally means "The Impregnable Star" and is one of the seven mountains surrounding the city of Satara. (Saat-tara)
This fort served as a watch tower for monitoring activities in south maharashtra.

Located in the heart of the city, it's a good respite from chaotic and idiotic two wheelers of the city.
Its 5 kms ride from city square.
We continue straight from Chaar bhinti's which leads to the base of Ajinkyatara fort. Vehicles reach at the base of this fort. The entrance is not as impressive as Sajjangad. The landmark of this fort is the big TV tower located bang on the fort.

There are some paintings and stone sculptures depecting gods and scenes from hindu epics.
Pics;

First view of Ajinkyatara fort.

The Maruti carved out on the wall.

Krishna and Radha.

Mammoth Darwaja of the fort.

Small temple at the beginning of the fort.

There is a big TV Tower, right in the middle of the fort. I feel it as RIDICULOUS.
Behind that TV tower, to the right is one small temple dedicated to Lord shiva.
As you walk in, a TV tower is always in the sight. This TV tower is located bang on the middle of fort. I felt it was ridiculous. Behind this tower, is a small shiva temple. The temple looks ancient. This temple was surrounded by marshy land so no pics from outside. But there's a lingam inside. The temple is overlooked by a bull which confronts you while entering the temple.

The Nandi aka Bull.

The Lingam inside

After brief prayer sessions, its time to return to the TV tower. To the left hand side, there is a Mangla devi temple.
On the way, you come across a deserted structure and another medieval temple which has fallen in ruins. It is still a active place of worship. And mind you, it has a Ladakhi flavour to it!!!

The deserted administrative office!

Follow the foot trail, you cross a thick jungle. Somewhere there i saw this hidden medieval jewel! From this foot trail, only its top was visible. I was just curious to know what it is and discovered that it is a temple!

The old temple in ruin.

Have a look at its walls! Its crumbling walls look lovely, isn't it!

Ruined walls.

As i said earlier, this temple is an active place of worship. And the proof it isthe lighten incense sticks.

The temple from inside

This is the Ladakhi surprise i was talking about!

Prayer flags Ladakhi style!

Some more flags!

Inside the forest are some mammoth banyan trees!

Mammoth banyan trees!

The jungle gives way to clear land. You can find this commanding view of South Maharashtra!
The vigil men would overlook for intrusion from here!
No wonder, they would also praise mother nature along with their job!

View from fort!

10 mins walk and you reach mangala devi temple.

Mangla devi temple

There is a board which says "Ajinkyatara" in marathi, which is written in devnagri font. (Zoom in the first pic of Ajinkyatara) But it is inverted! So i inverted it in a picture manager!

Board inverted

This is the end of the fort. You have to return back to the parking lot. Self start the bike and bid adeau this fort. The next obvious stop was the "Char bhinti" or the wall of policy.

The policy!

Finally! That FLAG FLIES HIGH, MAKES ME FEEL PROUD! :)

My love!

Thats all on this trip. As usual, i would like to give you few tips. It would help you plan accordingly.

Important tips;
1) Fort type: Hill fort
2) Trek rating: Very easy
3) Location: Vehicle can reach upto the base.
4) Best time: Any time of the year. Monsoon and winter most preferred
5) Distance: Sajjangad 12kms from Satara, Ajinkyatara located in city itself
6) Nearby excursions: Kaas plateau (Valley of flowers of Maharashtra), Thoseghar waterfall, Tapola, Wind mills, Kaas lake.
7) Time: 2hrs each fort
8) Local transport: Available are State buses and shared mahindra jeeps from satara bus depot.

Other tips;
1) Do not litter, keep satara clean
2) Do not drink and drive.
3) In rains, fort floor can get slippery. All the flooring is made out of chiseled stones. Sole with strong grips are advised.
4) Take back some authentic "Satari Kandi pedhe" a sweet item for which satara is famous for.
5) Take back the values of Ramdas swami, we'll need them in this superficially civilized world which is suffering every minute due to lack of spirituality.
6) Take back some wonderful photos! Leave only your foot prints behind and not plastics.

You live only once, so go out there and explore :)

Explore Konkan - The Konkan Coastal Route.

It's always fun when its Konkan. No matter how many times you visit, it has something new offer. I have covered whole konkan stretch abeit in stages.
Konkan offers wide range of travel themes. Sparkling clear beaches, Lofty sahyadri mountains, Lovely laid back hillstations, Sea side temples, Wild life, Birding are to name a few. Konkan is one of biological hotspots of the world! If offers plenty for a wicked traveler.

One such wicked plan is to explore Konkan via the Coastal highway. Although, biking/driving through the National Highway -17 is a experience in itself, the coastal highway offers a different insight altogether. As the name suggests, Coastal highway runs parallel to coast most of the times. If not coast, it runs through coastal towns. Sometimes you need to ferry your vehicles to avoid a long circular route. Overall, reaching goa through this route is a fun in itself. 

Although i have never done in on a bike, i have covered almost all places in different stages so i know much of it coz i was the one doing literature survey for most trips.

Here's a Car/Bike plan i chalked out which begins at Mumbai and ends at Goa.

1. Bhaucha Dhakka (Mumbai) to Rewas by boat (Only two wheelers allowed, no cars!) Rewas – Alibaug – Revdanda – Kashid – Murud Janjira.
Visit Kashid beach and Murud Janjira fort.

2. Murud – Rajpuri – Ferry to Dighi (Only two wheeler allowed, no cars here also!) – Diveagar – Shrivardhan – Harihareshwar – Bagamandla – Ferry to Bankot (Both two and four wheeler allowed) – Kelashi – Anjarla – Harnai.
Diveagar has a fantastic beach and suvarna ganapati temple. Shrivardhan also has a beach. Harihareshwar is a temple and a coastal town. Bankot has a fort. And Harnai is a lousy fish catching zone.




3. Harnai – Dapoli – Ladghar – Burondi – Kolthar – Dabhol – Ferry to Dhopave / Anjanvel (Both two and four wheeler allowed) – Guhagar – Velneshwar – Hedavi – Tavsal – Ferry to Jaigadh (Both four and two wheeler allowed) – Kharviwada – Ganapatipule
Visit Dapoli. Ganapatipule is another temple town and has a spectacular beach!

4. Ganapatipule – Ratnagiri – Bhatye Beach – Pavas – Bhandarwadi – Kalakawadi – Right at Ambelkarwadi/Mogare Junction – Bharadin – Nate – Ferry to Jaitapur – Amberli Bridge-Devgad – Dabhole – Kunkeshwar.
Ratnagiri is a pit stop, major town along the route. Devgad famous for its alphonso mangoes.

5. Kunkeshwar – Varachichawadi – Wayangani – Malvan – Tarkarli
Visit Kunkeshwar temple. Tarkarli is the zenith of spectacular beaches!

6. Tarkarli – Vengurla – Tirakol/Terekhol - Ferry to Keri (Two/Four wheeler allowed) - Arambol – Calangute/Baga(Goa)

The itinerary takes 3 days. I would suggest to spare a week and go for it, leisurely!
Not to mention, the people of Konkan. They are amongst the most friendliest you'll ever find in India. They truly are representatives of India that honors and welcomes its guest as "AthitiDevo Bhava".