Bhimashankar trekking via Shidi Ghat from Pune

Hello Friends...!!!

I am excited to write about a brand new destination this time. Some place that is completely different from the ones I posted before. This is my first time exploring Maharashtra. Read about my first trek to Bhimashankar. 

I was accompanied by Anil and Mayur but how can I forget about the two special friends we made during the trek! They were the two dogs who guided us & hiked along for nearly 4km into the forest and the hills from the base village. You know how they say you find such friendly escort dogs along your way to Swargarohini after Badrinath but to find something like that there was just an unexpected and pleasant surprise. It was maybe a coincidence or we were just plain lucky 😉

Source: Google

Brief about Bhimashankar:

Bhimashankar temple one of the twelve Jyotirlingas situated in Sahyadri ranges of Maharashtra covering an area of about 120km & height of 3400 feet high in the hills. Bhimashankar is of great religious importance and one can see flocks of devotees visiting here during the month of Shravan. It is said that Lord Shiva after getting angry, killed Tripurasura demon. The heat generated from their war caused the origin of river Bhima. The place so called is Bhimashankar. 

An ideal time to visit: Monsoon (June to August)

How to reach:

For trekking, one has to reach Neral or Karjat from Mumbai or Pune.

Karjat is 100 KM from Pune

Neral is 75 KM from Mumbai.

Both places are well connected by Buses, Trains & Mumbai locals as well (from Mumbai).

Where to start trekking in Karjat?

Karjat to Bhimashankar

First, you have to reach the "Khandas" village which is at the base of Shidi ghat or Bhimashankar hills at a distance of 35 KM from Karjat. One has two options to get there.

Option 1:  From Karjat railway station, we can hire an Auto to reach the base village "Khandas". You can get an Auto even at midnight. They will charge a minimum of Rs. 600.

Option 2: From Karjat bus stand, take the first bus to the village "Kashele" in the morning at 6:35AM. The ticket costs around Rs. 25. Kashele is 17KM from Karjat. However, there are no buses from Kashele for the onward journey so you have to book a local taxi or jeep. They charge around Rs. 300 to take you to Khandas village, regardless of if it is a single person or a group of ten. So if you are a group of ten people, you end up paying just Rs. 30.

Overall route is:

Karjat/Neral --> Kashele --> Khandas villege--> Shidi ghat --> Bhimashankar temple

We chose to go with the first option as we didn't wanna waste time waiting for a bus.

Trekking Experience:

The trek starts with a 7.5 KM ascent via Shidi ghat. It is a moderate to a difficult level climb which passes a thick forest, some rocky & hilly terrain. You also need to climb 3 ladders along the way. The monsoon season makes the rocks slippery and it is not advisable to climb during that season as it is very dangerous. In the jungle, you can spot a rare animal here named "Shekaru" & of course the usual monkeys. In monsoon, you can also see many waterfalls. This trek guarantees a peaceful, serene and beautiful eye-catching view amidst the lush green forest.

During the course of the trek, you can find two small villages where you can take a little rest and get refreshments. We had a little lime juice as if it was an energy drink. We also filled our water bottles which got empty during the first leg of our trek. You already know how important it is to carry water. So do make sure you pack light.

Like I said earlier, it was kind of mysterious that the two dogs accompanied us from Khandas village to Shidi ghat. They finally stopped at a point where we had to climb those three steep ladders. But yes, the incident was really true. They guided almost till we reached Shidi Ghat.

The feeling you get when you reach the peak is exhilarating. There is a village at the peak where you can book a room to stay or to only change. I recommend trying the food at the local shops and restaurants in the village.

Gupt Bhimashankar: 

There are so many attraction spots in the surroundings but Gupt Bhimashankar as the name suggests is the secret shiv-linga that remains submerged in water from the river Bhima flowing near Bhimashankar temple. It's a wonderful trek to get the true Jungle Experience. Not many visitors prefer going to this trail, but if you are a nature lover its worth a visit. Note that it is dangerous to reach here while it is raining.

It is 2.5 KM away from Temple and a 30 min trek deep inside the forest.

Monsoon pic, PC:adventures365

Local Guide:

The funniest/scariest experience was when we got lost in the middle of the forest during our trek for about 30 minutes. We were helpless Since we were clueless, we decided to just go back and started to descend. We were about 500m in our descent that we spotted a group who had their own guide. They were kind enough to let us tag along and so continued our ascent.

By the way, if you want to take a guide with you, contact below:

Name: Suraj      

Phone Number: 07218858680

Return Journey:

Two options here.

Option 1:  You can descend via the same trekking route till khandas village.

Option 2:

There are direct buses available from Bhimashankar bus station to Pune via "Manchar" which takes 3 to 3.5 Hrs approximately. Also, the same route is followed to reach Mumbai as well.

Gallery:

Munnar, The beauty of Kerala

Hello Friends,

Another one of my thrilling trips was to Munnar that I visited during the end of March 2018. Actually, it supposed to happen at least a year ago but I kept on postponing as I was waiting for the right crowd of friends to enjoy this amazing place with. Also, as I always keep telling to my friends that this could be the last trip in South, so it had to be special. But who knows when I might change my mind ;). One more reason why this trip is so special is that so far I had only been trekking in hill stations that had beautiful hills but this was the first time I had been to a place where I trekked in such an amazing place with thick, dense forests. When in Munnar, you'll witness the lush green tea plantations, dense forests, cool mountains as far as you can see.

Kannan Devan Hills

I had all the details of the trip, like the hotel booking, cab booking, etc. all in place about two months in advance but the group I was gonna take off with was not decided until the last moment. Finally, I made my office colleagues and roommates go with me and put together a group of 11 people and decided to book a TT.

There are so many places to visit nearby Munnar but I have listed only those which we could cover in our three days plan. So here we go...

How to Reach:

Below are the major cities from where you can easily reach the Munnar. To further minimize the trip budget in case you are in a small group, booking Train tickets in advance up until the below-mentioned places would be the best idea. For the onward journey, we can easily book a cab.

1. Ernakulam to Munnar   (135 KM )

2. Madurai to Munnar  (135 KM )

3. Palani to Munnar (120 KM)

4. Coimbatore to Munnar ( 158 KM )

Bangalore to Munnar : 

We hired a TT from Bangalore. It is a 476 KM journey one-way. If you are traveling from Bangalore to Munnar below are the state entry charges which was taken care by our TT driver:

Tamilnadu state: 1500 RS /-, Kerala State: 5000 RS /-, Toll Charges approximate 1000 Rs., TT (Non AC) charges was about 11.5 RS /- per KM  (Total trip route: 1300 KM).

We started our journey on a Thursday night @11 PM. All my friends were happy with the TT we had booked as it was well-maintained and clean, fitted with JBL speakers and some Red&Green LED lights giving a disco-kind vibe. You can contact the TT driver at the below-mentioned number:

TT contact :

Driver- Chethu: 8073103532          Driver Owner:  9845001079    Travel Company: 9901113359

Note: Cab charges may subject to change Season wise

Places to cover:

I have categorized the following places the way we covered them, namely, Day1, Day2 & Day3. Depending on the location of your stay I would suggest that it is better to choose a plan to cover distant places first.

Note: Please don't hire a guide in Munnar. If you know the places and the route to get there, you will be just fine but hiring a guide may spoil your entire plan. I have also shared the route maps on the blog to help you out there.

Day 1:

Below listed places amount to a total round distance of 68 KM from Munnar.

Day_1 Route map

      1)  Kannan Devan Hills:

If you are arriving to Munnar from Bangalore by road, you will be welcomed by the beautiful  Kannan Devan Hills. Here you will experience the green tea plantation over the hills just like they show in the movies.

2) Tea Museum :

KDHP tea museum is an Industrial and historical museum situated in Munnar. It is also known as Tata Tea Museum.

3) The Blossom park:

Also known as the Hyde Park. You can trek through the thick tea plantations and forests.

4) Pothamedu View Point:

Pothamedu View Point provides a panoramic view of Munnar, adjoining valleys and the Mathirapuzha river. The lush green vegetation in the place with Cardamom and Tea plantation gives a rich view of this place.

Pothamedu View Point

5) Attakud Water Fall:

This is not very big Fall but the view of flowing water through the large rocks is a true beauty.

Attakud Waterfall

                                                              

 Day 2

Now, the Day-2 places are one of the major attractions of  Munnar which needs a complete day to explore. This leg of the trip covers a total of 76 KM from Munnar.

Day_2 Route map

1) Mattupetty Dam: 

Mattupetty Dam comes in Idukki district is a storage of concrete gravity dam built in the mountains of Kerala to conserve the water for Hydroelectricity.

Mattupetty Dam

2) Echo Point & Kundumala View Point :

Both places are close by. It is a small trek to reach Kudumala. The view here is eye-catchy. 

Echo Point

3) Kundla Lake:

This is peaceful, still water lake flowing among the hills. It's a little crowded, nevertheless, you can spend a good time here. Plus point is the boating.

4) Munnar Top Station:

Top station is around 10 KMs from Kundla lake. While going towards this place I felt like I was on top of Munnar and the weather also started to get a lot cooler. The view from this point is absolutely stunning with forests situated in the foot of majestic hills. If you wish, you can take the narrow path to trek mid-way down and do some awesome photography there.

There are two viewpoints close by on this route. To reach the Top station keep walking further ahead until you reach the end. There is an entry fee of 10 Rs /- at the Top Station.

Day 3:

On the 3rd day, we booked a Jeep Safari because we decided to enjoy a little off-road ride. The Jeeps are a little bit costly here. They charged about Rs. 5000/- for 11 people and 2 Jeeps.

Also, because we were not aware of the route and the places to cover, we had to take the offer.  The places listed below cost a little extra, you can save this money if you have your own vehicle. But be careful as the roads are very narrow, and risky. Make sure you have a skilled driver :)

This a brochure is given to us by the Jeep drivers. The trip started at Sengulam. In case you are planning on hiring on of these jeeps, I must tell you, the prices mentioned in it are negotiable.

Page 1

Page 2

1) Sengulam Boating:

This place is 16 KM from Munnar. Lake view is breath-taking. It is relaxing to spend time at the park. There is an entry free to be paid.

The route to the next destination was an off-road drive. It was so exciting to travel through the thick forest along a very narrow path. It was a little scary too as the jeep kept swaying from one side to the other. 

i. Ripple Waterfall:

This was the first place we visited by Jeep driving through the deep forest. The waterfall was very dreamy. The driver warned us to be careful and not to go deep in the fall. We enjoyed a shower in cascading fall here. Just this one stop  made us feel like it was best 5000 rupees we had ever spent.

ii. Hanging Bridge:

There is beautiful wooden bridge fastened and hanging between two Hills. The bridge would shake even if were just walking or driving on it. It felt like we were gonna lose our balance and fall. But it was still safe and nothing happened :D

Hanging Bridge

iii. Ponmudi Dam view:

This is an awesome place for photographers. The water from the lake at the bottom of hills was really a peaceful view and pleasing to the eye.

Ponmudi Dam view

iv. Ponmudi Top Station:

There is a beautiful view of thick forests spread over a long distance with the among tall hills. Again a photogenic and relaxing place.

Ponmudi Top Station

v. Ponmudi Echo Point:

This was the last spot for the day. There is a small brook of water flowing through the large cleavage of rocks at Echo point. There was large open space inside so we relaxed there for about an hour.

It was time for us to leave for Bangalore. It was Easter, and we found it difficult to find food.
Munnar, is a beauty one can visit throughout the year. Except for the places listed under Day 2, there are no specific spots that you need to cover because, any path you take, any place you go in Munnar, you'll find it to be the most beautiful place in the world. It's a largely spread forest area including adjoining Anamudi, Chinnar, Annamalai, and other small reserve forests. It's a very peaceful and calm place. Winter (September to February) could be the best time to visit this place.

We were all so happy. For me, personally, this was the best trip I have had so far. Given a chance, I wish to go back and visit once again with my family :)

Alappuzha the Backwater trip in Kerala

Hello Friends,

At the start of this winter, I decided to go to the beach and I immediately thought of Kerala. I decided to explore Alleppey after doing a little Google search. I booked a hotel by the beach without even consulting my friends Ganesh and Avinash but when I told my friend Gowtham what I was planning, he straight out asked me to cancel the hotel booking and suggested me to book a boathouse instead. That’s when I came to know how famous Allepey (or Alappuzha)is for its beautiful backwaters and boathouses. The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast also known as the Malabar Coast in Kerala. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man-made and natural, fed by 38 rivers.

The boathouse experience in the backwaters was something beyond calm, resting and peaceful. I won’t be wrong if I said that it is heaven indeed. Alleppey is humid and hot during summer but October to January is the best time to visit. 

How to get there:

Nearest Station: Alleppey can be reached easily It is about46 km from Kottayam, 53 km from Kochi, 155 km north of Trivandrum and 28 km from Changanacherry. 

Route map

Trains from Bangalore:

Island Express till Changanacherry, Ernakulam Express till Ernakulam/Kochi, Kochuveli express tillAllepey. Early reservation is always a good idea.

Buses can also be booked but that is more expensive than traveling by train.

BoatHouse Booking and Details:

I chose “Alleppey Crystal Holidays Houseboat” on Make My Trip. The total price was about Rs 5800 for a single room for three people on sharing basis. But when we got there, we saw that it was a two bedroom boathouse and luckily, the other room was vacant that night and we got to use it (Complimentary ;)). 

BoatHouse Interior

Shown above is the inside of one of the rooms. It’s nothing less than a luxurious hotel room with all the facilities like warm, cozy beds, a bathroom, a toilet, a TV, a music system, dining table, and chairs. It was literally a house on a boat. We were welcomed with a cool drink, and they served breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner onboard, veg and nonveg all included in the booking price. I recommend you to definitely taste the authentic Kerala fish curry and other dishes. It was delicious. 

The crew even takes you to a market where you can buy your own fish and they will prepare it for you in the boathouse kitchen. And while your dinner is getting ready, you can have a little party under the bright blue disco lights on the boat dancing away to your music.

The view:

We boarded the boathouse at around 9:30 AM and our journey started at 10 AM. There were breath-taking views while the ride was pleasant. You could see the little plants in the backwaters, all the Boathouses floating around you, some big and some small, little cottages and trees along the banks. There is no way I can describe how beautiful the view was so you can see it for yourself in the video below. 

Major Attraction of Kerala Backwaters:

Boat races are occasions of great excitement and entertainment with thousands gathered on the banks to watch and cheer. Most of these races are held in the Kuttanad Region. The Thazhathangadi boat race held every year on Meenachil river, at Thazhathangadi, Kottayam is one of the oldest and most popular boat races in the state.

When Jawaharlal Nehru visited Kerala in 1952, four traditional chundan valloms went to receive him. A snake boat race was organized for him. He was so impressed that when he went back to Delhi, he sent back a gleaming silver trophy for a boat race. Even today, the 1.5 km Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most prestigious.

Other Attractions:

You must also visit the Alleppey Beach. It is about a 2km walk from the backwaters. Since we got off the Boathouse at 11 AM the next day and our return bus was booked for 5 PM, we had a little time to spare so we hit the beach. It was a lot of fun. We built a little fort using the waste on the beach like a tube light and some tree-branches and spread a thin blanket over them. See the picture below J

Shed on Alleppey Beach

Return journey:

Direct Buses to the Bangalore are available from here. So we booked it from the Red Bus and finished our one of the peaceful trip. 

Gallery: 

Aurangabad The Tourism Capital of Maharashtra

Hello Guys,

Aurangabad was the most frequently tour destination during my school time but every time I have been deprived of attending one.  When this fact suddenly hit me, I could not stop myself from planning one with my family during the Christmas Vacation last year and I could make it happen rather easily. Aurangabad is the fifth largest city of Maharashtra and falls under Marathwada region. It is well known as the Tourism capital of Maharashtra. Ajanta Caves, Ellora caves, Bibi ka Maqbara are UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Aurangabad.

Brief History :

This city was founded in 1610 by Malik Amber. “Khadki” was the original name of the village which was made the capital city by Malik. His Son Fateh Khan changed the name from Khadki to “Fatehnagar”. In 1633 both Daulatabad (Devagiri) and Fatehnagar went into the possession of Moghals. In 1653 when Mughal prince Aurangzeb was appointed the Viceroy of the Deccan for the second time, he made “Fatehnagar” his capital and renamed it Aurangabad.

In 1724, Asif Jah, a Turkic general and Nizam al-Mulk of the Mughals in the Deccan region, decided to withdraw from the crumbling Mughal Empire, with the purpose of founding his own dynasty in the Deccan and decided to make Aurangabad his capital. His son and successor, Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II transferred his capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad in 1763.

 In 1795, the city came under the Maratha rule, following the Maratha victory in the Battle of Kharda, along with an indemnity of 30 million rupees paid by Ali Khan Asaf Jah II, Nizam of Hyderabad to the Marathas. However, Maratha rule lasted only eight years before the city came under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, under the protection of the British East India Company, following the British victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

So let’s look at the details of the trip :

Aurangabad is well connected to major cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Pune, Dhule etc.

From Pune: Bus is the preferable option because It’s 235 Km by road, takes approximately 5 Hrs. The train will take 7 to 9 Hrs. Many public and private Buses are available from Pune.

If you have a private vehicle the route via Ahmadnagar is best because on the way you can cover “Ranjangao” and “Shani Shignapur” temples which are very famous in Maharashtra.

From Mumbai:  Both train and bus are convenient to reach Aurangabad from Mumbai. It is about 335Km by road.

Train (Devagiri Exp-22:00- CST ) this train takes 7 hrs to reach Aurangabad.

From Dhule: Dhule comes under Khandesh part of Maharashtra.  Aurangabad is only 149 Km from here. There are so many public buses you can take from Dhule bus stand and they are cost effective ;) 

Day 1 :

Below is the route map for day 1 tour which covers four major parts of your trip.

Route map

If you are in a group, booking a cab/auto/taxi would be the best option and you can do this at the Aurangabad bus stand. Public buses are also available and are very cheap.

Places to Visit :

1)      Bibi ka Maqbara :

“Bibi Ka Maqbara” is the Tomb located in Aurangabad. This strongly resembles to the Taj Mahal also called “Deccan Taj”.

Bibi ka Maqbara

2)      Deogiri Fort:

Also known as Daulatabad Fort. it is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra. The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by first Yadava king Bhillama V in 1187.

In 1499 the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar captured and made Daulatabad as their capital in 1607. The subsequent period witnesses a series of wars between the Deccan Sultans and the Mughals under Akbar and Shah Jahan. In 1633 AD Daulatabad was finally captured after a prolonged siege of four months. It was during this time Aurangzeb was placed as viceroy of Deccan who had his campaign against Bijapur and Golconda from Daulatabad. For a short period, Daulatabad was under the control of the Marathas before the Nizams of Hyderabad took control of it in 1724 AD.

Devagiri Fort

3)      Ghrishneshwar  Temple :

This is the temple of Lord Shiva. Also 12^th Temple amongst Twelve Jyotirlingas mentioned in a sacred Shivpuran. This temple was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate during the Hindu-Muslim wars of 13th and 14th-century. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century under the sponsorship of a Hindu queen Rani Ahalyabai of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.

Ggrishneshwar Temple

4)      Ellora Caves :

There are 34 caves excavation from the Basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills of Verul, Aurangabad. These are having 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves. These monuments are made with Dravidian architecture and artwork dating from 600 to 1000 CE period. All of the Ellora monuments were built during Hindu dynasties such as the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu & Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves.

Kailash Cave is the most visited and 16^th Cave. If you want to see all other caves may need a half day.

 

Ellora Cave

Day 2 :

Ajanta Caves are 97 Km far from Ellora caves. It is better to stay in Verul for the night so that you can leave for Ajanta caves early the next morning.

1)      Ajanta Caves:

The Ajanta Caves are about 29 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India.[1][note 1] The caves include paintings and rock cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form

The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 250 feet wall of rock. The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha, pictorial tales from Aryasura's Jatakamala, as well as rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities. Textual records suggest that these caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India. While vivid colors and mural wall painting were abundant in Indian history as evidenced by historical records, Caves 16, 17, 1 and 2 of Ajanta form the largest corpus of surviving ancient Indian wall-painting. To know more follow below link –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves#Cave-by-cave

Ajanta Cave

Photos :