Bhushi Dam has become the busiest place near Pune during monsoons. And this is only from recent decade or so. The place is always in discussion for all the wrong reasons every year when monsoon visit this part of India - heavy rush, traffic jams, drunk public, accidents. It feels as if whole of Pune & Mumbai visit here as soon as it starts raining. Earlier it was not so. I remember having gone here without any rush about 15-20 years ago. After that I was always terrified of visiting here in fear of getting stuck in traffic. This year I thought of doing it in a unique way. We decided to leave early & return back before rush starts. Bhushi Dam actually is one of the oldest dams of the region. It was built on Indrayani river during 1860 for Railways. It was used as a water source for Steam Engines. Even today it is owned by Indian Railways.
As the water level rise, there is a under-cut in the dam-wall. Water starts overflowing & falls over 15-20 steps constructed on other side of the wall. The view is awesome & all these people mentioned above die-hard to get drenched here & enjoy.
We started at 6.30 in the morning from Pune. We took the old Pune-Mumbai Highway. We directly headed towards our destination as we didn't want to lose the congestion free time. With heavy heart with DID NOT STOP at Hotel Ramakrishna. Ahead of Ramkrishna, there is a left turn which goes over the Railway Flyover into Lonavala town. From here Bhushi Dam is about 5 kms. We reached the parking at 8 am.
There is heavy loot by the locals here. Car parking is charged Rs. 100. Toilet & Changing Rooms are charged for Rs. 10. Onion Pakodas were for Rs. 50. And you don't have any option. However, one thing was noteworthy - toilets were really clean & were worth 10 Rs. There is a brief walk of about 300 meters till the Dam Wall. Once at the steps, the enjoyment is extraordinary. When we reached, already 150-200 people were playing on the steps. It means so many of them had planned like we did & reached here early. They were just getting drenched in the white, gushing water and taking selfies. The locals were selling Vada-Pavs & Corn over the steps. Over-all the environment was jolly & picnic-mood. The water was crystal clear. We were able to see the bottom. Cleanilness around was so-so types. Mostly the tourists need to be blamed here.
We returned back by 9.15 am. By this time rush started to rise and we started our return journey. Now we could feel the traffic on opposite direction. Traffic Police were on job & they had started to regulate the traffic. At one point there were vehicle queued upto 500 meters. But this was for the on-coming lane. We were completely free. We had a breakfast at Lonavala & reached back home by 12 noon. So, our plan was successfull. We didn't stuck into traffic anywhere; we got good car parking location; no hurdles in taking out the car; there was no mad rush anywhere; and more importantly, there were no drunkards; there were only family groups.
This year seems to be most travelled – first to the Northernmost
part of India, Kashmir & then the Southern tip (well, almost), Kerala. If
one is the “Paradise On Earth”, then the other is no less, especially Munnar. That's why it is very rightfully referred as God's Own Country.
We had planned this trip almost a year in advance. We
finalized & did our ticketing 4 months ahead. Various options were on cards
– rarely known North Kerala & the South Kerala combo with Kanyakumari. We
finally decided for a more common Golden Quadrilateral of Central Kerala:
Cochin – Munnar – Thekkady – Kumarakom / Alleppy (Alappuzha).
We boarded our train, Pune – Ernakulam Poorna Express
(11097) on the night of December 19, 2015. The train passes through the
Doodhsagar Falls (in Karnataka) next morning. This is the one famous Falls
which features in the movie “Chennai Express”. We selected this train for the
same reason.
December 21, 2015:
On the 3rd day early morning at 3, we reached
Ernakulam Junction (25 minutes before time). Ernakulam is actually part of mainland
portion of the city of Cochin. Both are in a way, twin cities. We had booked a
Tempo Traveler for our further tour. We started for our onward journey by 4.30
am. Munnar is about 120 kms from Cochin / Ernakulam.
The initial part of the trip travels through the main Cochin
city, then the more urban area & finally entering into the twisting &
turning roads within lush green hills. Enroute is a 4 layered Cheeyappara
Waterfalls about 70 kms in the journey. After a tiring start to the day
(uncomfortable sleep in train, waking-up early morning, not enough breakfast),
this breathtaking Falls was a nice change. The waterfall is just by the road
side & cannot be missed. Just a kilometer ahead is another Water Fall –
Valera Falls. It is, however, on the other side of hill & has to be viewed
through a distance.
Cheeyappara Waterfalls
Within a couple of hours, I woke to the view of Tea
Plantations, a signature that we were finally in Munnar. One can view these
Plantations till the eye reaches the horizon. After a brief photo-stop on the road,
we reached our hotel at 10 am – Hotel Munnar – Terrace Greens.
Munnar
Munnar is one such scenic location which has a mix of
natural landscapes with man-made Tea Plantations. This combination makes up the
beauty. Visiting here & looking around, there was a feeling as if the view
here is no less than what I saw in Kashmir 6 months ago; except the snow was
missing on mountain ranges far away.
After some rest in the afternoon, we decided go out for some
adventure. Our driver suggested one such place – Kolukkumalai. It is one of the
best places to visit, if in Munnar. Kulukkumalai Top is the highest point in
the whole of South India. It is home to the highest tea plantations in the
world; with the tea grown here possessing a special flavour and freshness
because of the high altitude. It is situated on the border of Kerala &
Tamil Nadu (when on top, one side is Kerala while the other is TN). It is about
40 kms from Munnar main town. The road is a completely Kuttcha & has to be
accessed through the 4x4 Jeeps only. It costs about Rs. 1500 for a return
journey of Jeep (carries about 8-10 adults).
The experience & adventure is awesome. Passing through the bumpy ride watching the abundance of Munnar Magical Beauty was heavenly. Few water falls on the way were icing on the cake. As we started nearing the top, we could feel the Clouds around us. It was extremely chilly on the top. After watching a peaceful Sun-Set, we started for our return journey back to our hotel. Kolukkumalai for me was definitely a place to visit atleast once in lifetime.
If travelling through Packaged (Group) Tours, this place is
missed / not covered in their itinerary. Ensure you add it up & make sure
you won’t miss it.
December 22, 2015:
We started for our Munnar sight-seeing in the morning. Our
first destination was Mattupetty Dam. It is located just outside the main town
& has beautiful reservoir & water catchment area. The dam is built
mainly for Hydroelectric power generation. By the side is a market for local
goods, foods & spices. Just ahead of the dam along its reservoir is the
Echo Point. It is actually a spot by the water. Boating facilities are
available. The whole area is often visited by wild Elephants. Vehicular traffic
is not allowed after sun-set here.
Mattupetty Dam
We did some Elephant Rides on the way. It is fun, especially
for kids. We normally don’t get this experience. Apart from regular rides there
are some more activities (feeding elephants with fruits, rain shower).
After having stomach full Kerala Meals at Saravana Bhavan,
we went for a Kathakali & Kalaripayatu Show. Kerala, being a tourist place,
there many such Cultural Centers all over. They showcase their traditional
forms of art. They are surely worth a visit.
Kathakali is an Indian Classical Dance form of Kerala. Its
genre is Story-Play; even the name is broken down in Sanskrit as Katha (Story)
and Kala (Art). The distinctiveness of this art form is the colorful dressing,
elaborate make-up & characteristic face-mask. The dance constitutes hand
& facial gestures (Mudras & Navarasas). It is traditionally performed
by male artists (even the female roles are performed by men). However,
nowadays, women too take part in Kathakali performance. It is traditionally
structured around mythological stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata &
Bhagavat-purana.
The Kathakali show consists of atleast 2 artists (one doing
a female role), a Sutra-dhar (or story-teller) & musicians. Many hours
before actual show timings, artists are busy preparing themselves their
make-up. The show starts with explanation of all Mudras & Navarasas. Then
the actual story starts. In the end they offer the patrons to take a photo with
the artists. The show is definitely fascinating.
Further we waited for another master piece of Kerala –
Kalaripayattu. It is one of the oldest forms of Martial Art using techniques
& styles from Yoga, finger movements & dance. It is fought empty handed
as well as with weapons (swords, spears, knifes, etc.). The show consists of
individual performances as well as one-is-to-one & multiple combats. This
show was entertaining.
Our next plan was for Periyar Tiger Reserve. However,
reaching here we came to know there is an Online Booking that is required.
Visiting directly can be problematic if bookings get full.
December 23, 2015:
We checked-out from our Hotel and started for Thekkady. We
saw couple of wild elephants grazing far away on top.
On the way breaked at Spice Garden. There are many Spice
Gardens in part of India. The climate & soil being conducive to spices,
locals have developed their lands into Spice Gardens to attract tourists. They
conduct a guided tour where they take you around the garden; they show &
explain various spice plantations & their uses. The tour ends at the Spice
Shop which sells all those spices & ayurvedic medicines & oils. All
this has an entry fee of about Rs. 100 per person.
I felt that these Spice Gardens are good to have a break
& roam around. However, there is no need to buy spices from here; they are
available in towns at much cheaper rates. Ayurvedic Medicines can be purchased
as per requirement.
We reached Thekkady in the afternoon. Thekkady is an
important tourist place because of its proximity to Periyar Tiger Reserve. It
is also an heaven for Spices (Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove, etc.).
After a brief rest we ventured out for some Spices Shopping.
December 24, 2015:
In the morning, we started for the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It
is just 3 kms from Thekkady. After a check-point clearance, we entered inside.
Vehicles are allowed to a point after which there is a walk of about 300-400
meters in the dense forest with tall trees.
Periyar Tiger Reserve (or National Park or Wildlife
Sanctuary) surrounds the Periyar Lake, which was formed when Mullaperiyar Dam
was constructed in 1895. In other Wildlife Sanctuaries, normally Safaris are
conducted in vehicles (open Jeeps or mini-buses). This is unique in a way,
Safaris here happen in boats. The driver & the attendant show if any of the
animals are visible nearby. The area is a known Tiger Reserve & Elephant
Reserve; however, you need to be really lucky to see them here. And obviously
so, these are the special species & one should not expect them to be so
easily visible on a pleasure trip of one hour. Many species of birds are seen.
We were able to see the Sambars, Monkeys.
This one hour of boat ride was a different experience. I am
not sure where else you can roam around a Wildlife Sanctuary in a boat.
From here we started for Kumarakom. On the way, we hopped in
for a Tea Factory visit – Harrison Malayalam Ltd. Unfortunately, the factory
had a weekly off on Wednesday. Hence the tea processing was not in progress.
One of the employees accompanied us & showed us the processes through the
silent machines. In the end, we had some purchase of tea at their Factory Shop.
We reached our hotel in Kumarakom late evening by 8 pm. The
facility so far was the best in the journey. In the darkness of the night, we
were not aware about the location; but as we came out of our rooms in the
morning, we were just by the side of Vembanad Lake. The view was awe-inspiring.
December 25, 2015:
Sunrise - Vembanad Lake
Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India (with 96.5 kms in
length). It is also among one of the largest lakes in India. It is situated
almost at the Sea Level, with some of its part below the MSL (Mean Sea Level).
It is separated from Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island. The lake is fed
with 10 rivers and there is an intricate network of canals & lagoons. There
are number of villages in & around this Wetland System. These are connected
through this water network forming another Venice of East in India (another being at Srinagar).
Unique feature of this lake is the mixture of Fresh water
from rivers & Salt water from seas. Based on tidal action, the salt water
mixes up increasing the salinity & water level of lake during some parts of
the year. At other times, majority of it is a Fresh Water Lake. This ecosystem
has facilitated breeding of some special aquatic species in the lake.
Backwaters
Duck Farming
There are options of a stay in House Boat. The House Boat
roams around the lake, its canals & back-waters for the whole day with halt
at some point in the night. We however, decided to stay in a hotel & take a
small ride of couple of hours in a boat.
There is one Museum based on Fossils & Archeological
Discoveries in Kumarakom. But when we visited, it was closed because of
Christmas.
By afternoon, we left Kumarakom & reached Cochin (Kochi)
by 3 pm. We decided to visit few sight-seeing’s of Cochin. We reached the St. Francis
Church at Fort Kochi. Fort Kochi, by the way, is the region in Kochi one of the
old areas by the sea-shore.
St. Francis Church
St. Francis Church is the oldest Church in India – built in
1503. It was famous for one more reason. Vasco Da Gama died here in 1524; even
his body was buried in this Church. The remains were then carried back to Lisbon
14 years later. His Grave is still preserved inside the Church, apart from
graves of other Portuguese. The area around the Church is a local street market.
There is one play garden for kids & a walk-way by the sea-shore. The renowned
Chinese Fishing Nets can be seen lined-up by the shore.
Chinese Fishing Nets
From here we went to a place which we though we would hush-up in few minutes, but ended up in spending some quality time in admiration - Kerala Folklore Musuem. It has an exceptional collection of Art & Artefacts. Mostly focussed towards South India Culture. The artefacts range from Weapons, Utensils, Dresses, Idols, Props of various Dance Forms, Paintings, Photographs, masks, etc. Rs. 100 ticket is worth every penny. And more so that the Museum is not any Govt. Enterprise, but run individually by one, Mr. George.
Folklore Museum
We decided to spend the evening shopping in the market. However, being Chirstmas, the market was absolutely closed. We just, therefore, roamed on Marine Drive - the most happening place of Kochi. This promenade is an ideal place to spend some "self" time. Vast Arabian Sea on one side, modern malls & shopping complexes on other & the street vendors lined-up along. We spent about an hour here roaming.
Arabian Sea - view from Marine Drive
Further we checked-in our hotel for a final night of our trip.
December 26, 2015:
we had an evening flight. So we decided to munch another local place about 10 kms from our hotel - Hill Palace.
Hill Palace is another Archeological Museum managed by Govt. of Kerala. Originally it was built in 1865 by Maharaja of Cochin. Apart from Museum, it houses a Kids Park & Deer Park. It is built on a hillock which can be accessed by walk-way as well as simple steps. Vehicles are not allowed till top.
Deer Park
From here we bid farewell to the God's Own Country & proceeded for our return journey. Stay Details:
Following is the Photo-logue of our recent Thoseghar-Chalkewadi trip:
Thoseghar Waterfalls:
Chalkewadi Windmills:
equivalent to the Kaas Plateau (Valley of Flowers)
Urmodi Dam:
Panorama of 4 individual photos stitched together
For route, visit my last blog about our first visit -- Click here Some updates --> Entry fee has been levied for entry at Thoseghar Waterfalls - Rs. 10 each for per adult entry, Car Parking & SLR Camera (Rs. 5 for a Compact Camera) Road condition at Chalkewadi was as bad as it was 2 years ago - need to be pretty careful in case you have a car; mine under-body did hit at one place.
We had to undertake a vehicle trial of our upcoming model. We decided the Pavana Dam - Dudhivare Khind route; the kind of route we wanted - Highway, Cross-Country and Ghat Section, with lot many pot holes due to the rainy season. So this was our official trip at one of the many scenic drives near Pune. We started off from our office in Pimpri at 10 am. We took the Old Pune-Mumbai Highway (NH-4). There is a left turn at Kaamshet (after Talegaon) towards Kalewadi. After Kalewadi, the road is extremely scenic. On the left Pavana Dam Wall is visible as the road climbs a small ghat.
Pavana Dam - River flowing past the Dam
Pavana Dam - Wall & Catchment Area
With the backwaters on the left and the road twisting & turning through the ghat, the drive is awesome. And driving an SUV on this is like an icing on the cake. We could see many waterfalls on the way. It was an official Test Drive, hence we couldn't stop at all of them; however, we still sneak through couple of them for a brief photography. Again being on official duty, we just photographed and had to resisit our temptation of taking a cool bath inside one of them...
Tunga Fort across the Pavana backwaters
From here, we took the Lonavala route through Dudhivare Khind. It is a small mountain pass on top of a hill with travel distance of just above 100 meters. However, the high walls of black rock on both sides with a very narrow road to pass was giving a very eerie feeling. Just a note, do not stop your vehicle in between; there are chances of land-slides (they are not fatal though). Park the vehicle before or after the pass and then walk in between.
Dhudivare Khinda
From here we went to Lonavala, had lunch in between and then reached our office in Pimpri. Map:
This was actually a family function, a naming ceremony, of one of our friends' son in Mahad (महाड). We decided to visit Shivthar Ghal (शिवथर घळ) on the way. We four (with Nitin, Tushar & Vishal) started off at 6.15 pm from Padmavati locality in Pune in a Hyundai i-10. We took the NH-4 (Mumbai - Bangalore Highway).
We took a breakfast break for an awesome Misal-Paav at Kailas at Khed-Shivapur. We moved ahead at 7.30 am. After the toll, there comes a place called Kapurhol (कापुरहोळ). On left is a road for Ketkavale - Narayanpur (केतकावळे - नारायणपुर). Just ahead of that is small road on Right. This is the road for Bhor, Bhatghar Dam & Varandha Ghat (भोर, भाटघर धरण, वरन्धा घाट). There is no sign board. One needs to be very careful; else you'll suffer a small U-Turn ahead. Little ahead Bhatghar Dam Wall is visible on your right. Back-waters is not seen from the road. One needs to venture inside - off-road - to view the same. Approx 15 kms from NH-4 comes a Taluka-Town called Bhor. At the end is a "T" section. Take right for Mahad (left goes to a place called Shindewadi). About 20 kms from here comes village by the name Devghar (देवघर). From here start the backwaters of newly made Neera-Devghar Dam (नीरा-देवघर धरण). The road twists and turns around the sides of the vast back-waters. This drive is splendid. We were here in the wrong timing of the year actually. I have decided to visit this drive now in monsoons. We took a brief photography pit-stop here; while clicked some other snaps while on the drive.
Neera-Devghar Dam
As soon this beauty ends, the other one starts - Varandha Ghat descend - one of the tough ghats to get down in Konkan (कोकण). It has some breath-taking hair-pin sloping turns that could bring a lump even in a seasoned driver's stomach. But that is later; at the start are the Bhajia, Vada-pav & Chai (भजी, वडा-पाव, चहा) stalls at the foot of a large black stone cliff.
View from Varandha Top
Highlight of Varandha - a different perspective as we see this cliff normally in monsoons, lush green
Just before ghat ends, there is diversion to Right for Shivthar Ghal (शिवथर घळ) - info board is available. However, just note that the route is only for small vehicles. Buses need to descend the ghat completely and then there is a bigger and much cleaner road on Right (5 kms prior to Birwadi). The smaller road is only of 7 kms, while the bigger one costs about 22 odd kms (as per Google Map); however it will be better you go by the longer route in monsoons, or if you do not want to subject your vehicle for a torture testing. The time when we went, route was ok. It was about 10.15 am when we reached Shivthar Ghal.
Sunder Math - the shrine is called so
Shivthar Ghal is a place of historical importance. Saint Ramdas (संत रामदास) narrated the famous spiritual text, the Daas-bodh (दासबोध) to Kaartik Swami (कार्तिक स्वामी), who wrote it down in a small cave (Ghal in Marathi) here sometime in 17th century. It is here where Saint Ramdas and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज) met for the first time. Saint Ramdas further went on become Maharaj's Spiritual Guru. Its a very low heighted cave, about 7 feet. At some points it is as low as 3-4 feet. A tall person like me can barely stand straight here. Presently, the scene of Ramdas Swami narrating Dasbodh to Kaartik Swami is constructed inside with statues.
By the side of the cave there is a water fall - a small stream of water seen falling - though seen only if watched minutely. However, this must be converting itself into a magnificent water fall. We knew we were going to miss this because of wrong timing, however, we though since we are going nearby, let's atleast visit the place.
This water fall will definitely a worthy place to visit in monsoons. Just a caveat - one cannot do all those things that you might come hoping to do in a water fall considering the spirituality of the location. This is infact a very good combination of a spiritual place by the side of a water fall. I don't remember any other place, atleast in Maharashtra.
By 11.00 am, we starter off towards Mahad, about 30 kms from here. This time we took the other better road since we had to go ahead towards Mahad. After function, sumptuous lunch and brief rest, we started for our return journey at 4 pm. This time we took the other route, the Tamhini Ghat route. Our plan was to cross the ghat before dark. We took a tea-break at Nizampur (निझामपुर), ahead of Mangaon (माणगाव). On the I saw two boards - one for Pala Caves and the other for Hot Water Springs (on the other bank of Savatri River) towards Mangaon on NH-17 (Mumbai-Goa Highway). We reached Chandni Chowk at 7.30 pm. After some snacks in a hotel here, we reached our gathering point, Padmavati, at 9 pm.
Map:
Odometer readings:
00 km Padmavati (Pune)
20 kms Kailas Bhel
36 kms Kapurhol
52 kms Bhor - take Right at a "T" joint
70 kms Devghar (Neera-Devghar Dam)
101 kms Right - small road for Shivthar Ghal
109 kms Shivthar Ghal
144 kms Mahad
Return journey
174 kms Mangaon
184 kms Nizampur
194 kms Take Right turn by the Posco Company
198 kms Take Right turn at a "T" joint - Tamhini Ghat starts
