It was back to basic! Sleeping on the floor, carrying our belongings in a sack and surviving with plain sustenance.
Eleven people set out in a rather luxurious air-conditioned van at 5.00 am from Mumbai; Vivek Patil, Sneha Katkar, Manoj- Rachna, their kids Akhil- Arushi; Gautam- Puja, their kids Tanmay, Sunay; and Viggy. Mumbai was wide awake at the intersection of two festivals -9th day of Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid. The city was as spaced out as pawns on a chess board unlike its usual bee-hive kind of appearance. The Tempo Traveller flew over the Expressway, crossed Pune and went towards Satara City. A very scenic drive of 25km from Satara got us to the most popular destination of this season The Kaas Plateau. Does it have anything to do with becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
One needs to register to enter Kaas Plateau, it can be done online at a cost of INR 10 p.p http://www.kas.ind.in//
The Kaas Plateau
The entrance to Kaas Plateau is on a narrow two way road, where large vehicles are not allowed, thus we had to walk 600 meters squeezing in between cars to reach the Kaas Pathar. As soon as you enter you are greeted with a carpet of little flowers holding to their stalks squabbling with the breeze. Nature has provided them protection from wind by keeping them so close to Earth but what about saving them from man? It was disheartening to see such short lived plants ( approx. 45 days)distorted by callous foot. The purple flowers are Dosera Indica an insectivorous plant also known as Sundew. They have three to four well-opened petals and provide a beautiful purple covering to the valley of flowers.
The narrow pathway has spread on both sides like water on a flat surface damaging the flora of the beautiful plateau. There is just one watchman allotted for the safe-keeping of this site, either the concerned authorities think he is a superman or they really don't care about its unique bio-diversity. We kept a close eye on our kids to make sure they keep a safe distance from the plants and do not pluck any part of what is rooted.
The little flowers seek close observation and co-operation from you. These species, unique to this terrain re-establish the saying small is beautiful. Over and above the purple ones there are pretty white flowers with sky blue in the center and bright yellow flowers. Soft breeze blew as we walked towards the edge of the plateau over looking the blue Kaas Lake, the view was spectacular with densely forested hills all around. The sun was high up in the sky and its rays felt warm to the skin, I hoped for rain, a slight drizzle which would have made this visit all the more special. Alas! it was as dry as a bone.
The Kaas Plateau provides a great opportunity for photography, you will want to click the puny little flowerets from close, far, straight and angular-sitting, standing, lying and squatting . If photography is your passion, better go empty stomach as you may end up doing many many sit-ups like Sneha Katkar; her pictures bring forward an entirely different perspective, some of which she shared for my blog-readers. One side of the plateau ascends to form a hill, there were many people who climbed the hill and did not mind the sun. We spent a couple of hours there and then proceeded to our next destination, Thoseghar Waterfalls.
There is a lot of hype attached to this site, won't say I was disappointed but over commercialisation and over-crowding has left a burden on this unique nature's gift to Maharashtra.
Thoseghar Water Fall
Thoseghar waterfall is 45km away from Kaas Plateau, like I said earlier this trip was all about basics so no stopping anywhere for food; we supported ourselves with stuff that was carried from home . The drive was very scenic and the sky was glassy providing peerless visibility. Queues of windmills could be seen in far off hills and once again you were reminded that a true traveller does not think about the destination, its the journey that keeps him going. The Sahyadri Range of Western Ghats looks spectacularly green after the monsoon, it charms you like a new-born child.
An elevated stone- pathway with railings on both sides is provided for viewing the waterfalls. This is the best time to visit them( during monsoon) in the dry season you may not find them. There are several view points, the first one has a wide gallery and is most crowded, you can see two small ones and one big one ( 500 m) from this one. It is worth checking out all the view points, it may be difficult if you have kids; for them its as boring as warm-up exercise before playing a sport.
If you go upto the last point in the waterfall trail, you can come out through a paddy field. Outside there are few shops selling Vada Pav, Kanda Bhajiya and Whole corn. It was party time!!!
Sajjangad Fort
Sajjangad is a fort which was the last resting place of Samarth Ramdas (16th century), he was a noted poet and his teachings and work is still followed by people today. There are some 200 steps that lead to the temple and samadhi of Ramdas. Entry is not allowed after sunset, we made it in time to stand in a queue for overnight stay at the dharmashala . We were graciously provided one room for 11 of us.
After- fresh up, we went to the food stalls for evening tea and snacks. We visited the Rama temple and the samadhi, soaked in the spiritual essence of the environment. In the night we sat in a large hall for food, a prayer in praise of Samarth Ramdas was chanted and food was served. Simple kadhi, rice and pickle have never tasted better.
This place provided an opportunity to be close to nature and live in the simplest way possible, kids learned that there is a life which is different from the material world, where you find comfort in simplicity.
This place provided an opportunity to be close to nature and live in the simplest way possible, kids learned that there is a life which is different from the material world, where you find comfort in simplicity.
Pateshwar
At 6.30 am, we were seated in the van for an hour drive to Pateshwar. Pateshwar is the name of a hill which is sui-generis to Maharashtra. Vivek sir invited a local person to guide us. The air was cool and soft breeze blew as we began the trail through a comfortable pathway uphill. The oxy-rich walk on a sandy pathway through a forest became more and more interesting as we came across rock-caves with sculptors of gods and goddesses. It was surprising to find ancient sculptors of figures, text and drawings randomly kept here and there.
There were thousands of Shivlings , some of them inside rock caves, others housed in temple like structure. There is one big Shiva temple which has a unique dome ceiling made up of rock. An old priest sat there chanting. Another temple in a cave had water body inside, it was pitch dark inside, one has to be careful as to where you put your foot in these caves, mine came out looking all black and slimy. Hundreds of sculptors, some of them chipped while some in perfect condition (priceless)lay all around.
There is a large green meadow on top of the hill, a perfect place to lie down on the grass and enjoy crystal clear blue sky above. Pateshwar is a unique confluence of nature, culture and spirituality. A must visit for all.
Chandan- Vandan Trek
What would have taken an hour to reach, took us longer because our driver became ill, we had to stop at the doctor and medicate him. Thus we reached the Ibrahimpur Village at 12pm. A walk through the paddy fields got us at the base of the Chandan Fort. Then we started the ascend as the sun's heat burned us. Anticipating rain, none of us carried caps, we covered our heads like Afghans with handkerchiefs and scarfs. The mountain was high and rocky, it was very draining to ascend up, the kids did great and so did the others. I found it tough as I was very low in stamina.
The climb is not treacherous but particularly steep, it took about two hours to reach the top; at the top there is a mosque which was shut, it can be used as a resting place. I believe one has to bring the key from down. The other resting place at the top is a large banyan tree infront of a temple. The view from the top is worth every effort, the breeze magically rejuvenates you and though you appear like a speck infront of the magnanimous mountains, you feel proud of your accomplishment.
The downward trek was fast, the sun's glare reduced and we were back at the paddy field. Please note that one should begin this trek from the Belmachi village, there are some other entry points too but its not advisable.
I asked my thirteen year old son, what was his favourite part in the trip. He said it was the trek. While the younger one (9 yrs) said the bus ride. From the conversation came out the facts that these urban kids love nature, though they may not perceive its beauty as adults. Trekking provides them with action, adventure and challenge. Precious lessons of life can be learned through this sport, working under tough conditions, using presence of mind, economising your resources , decision-making , mental and physical fitness and many more which you- my reader, will discover for yourself.
It is generally said that people come into your life for a reason, this holds true for Vivek Patil of Tunga Trekkers. Thanks to him, my interaction with the outdoors, journeys that I undertake and understanding of Maratha Culture is exploring new horizons.
It is generally said that people come into your life for a reason, this holds true for Vivek Patil of Tunga Trekkers. Thanks to him, my interaction with the outdoors, journeys that I undertake and understanding of Maratha Culture is exploring new horizons.
The two families left for Mumbai at 4.30 from the base, Vivek sir and his team continued their journey to win over Vandan Fort.