Alluring Western Ghats
Mahabaleshwar-The
land of strawberry
The
most exciting destination on the Western Ghats in Satara district of
Maharashtra is Mahabaleshwar that was the bygone summer capital of
Bombay Presidency. The charm of the hill resort of Mahabaleshwar is
incredible offering unending vistas of natural beauty, virgin peaks,
verdant groves of valleys, meandering roads, plateaus and the best
glimpses of Western Ghats. The hill resort has everything. There are
pilgrim points, waterfalls, lakes and strawberry gardens and we
couldn’t have bargained for more. There are a plethora of
activities for tourists and they can indulge in bush walking, horse
riding, boating on Venna Lake and strawberry gardens.
Around
120 km from Pune and a 3½ hour-drive by Volvo brought us to the
ancient hill resort of Mahabaleshwar. For pilgrims, the hill resort
has 450-year-old Panchganga temple that constitutes the source of
five rivers- Savitri, Krishna, Saraswati, Gayatri and Koyna. Lying
about 9 km from the town, the shrine honours Lord Krishna and Brahma
and waters of five rivers gush out from the mouth of the Nandi
forming a spring.
There
are many fascinating points around the hill resort like Arthur’s
Seat with mesmerizing views of the Western Ghats. One can go to
Hunter Point and Echo Point that echoes with the buzzing sound of
scores of honey bees. A visit to Tiger Spring has water gushing out
from a needle-like hole and Window Point has breathtaking views of
Western Ghats. One can drive 6.8 km from the town to reach Kate’s
Point to enjoy unforgettable glimpses of Krishna Valley and Deccan
Plateau.
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| Needle Point, Mahabaleshwar |
The attraction of Needle Point is quite tempting that has a
portion of the hill resembling an elephant’s face.
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| Lodwick Point |
A
pilgrim’s passage to Bhimashankar
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| Bhimashankar Shrine |
Nestling
in the Western Ghats and nearly 130 km from Pune is the pilgrim
resort of Bhimashankar in Pune district that has one of the 12
jyotirlingams of India where pilgrims in droves congregate.
A
three-and-half hour drive from Pune through jungle clad and
semi-barren hills of Western Ghats offered wondrous glimpses of
nature. Lying on the banks of river Bhima, the pilgrim point of
Bhimashankar rests in Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in the midst of
thick floral groves. The highly revered shrine has been the creation
of Nana Phadnavis, the famed statesman. The huge black shrine with
interior carvings houses the idols of Shiva and Parvati and Lord
Ganesha.
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