“Mumbai is beautiful! Say that and any self-respecting Mumbaiite would agree, though each person’s reason would be different!” Explore the spirit of Mumbai through this article.
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Author: Anuja G Venkat
Mumbai is beautiful! Say that and any self-respecting Mumbaiite would agree, though each person’s reason would be different! In spite of such loyal sentiments, one needs to get out of the city from time to time and discover all those good things that lie in the green, beautiful, charming and QUIET outskirts of Mumbai and beyond!
This write-up is mostly inspired by the various places we visited as part of the treks we went on with BNHS – Bombay Natural History Society, a nature clan. However, our local knowledge as Mumbaiites led us to some places without any ‘outside help’ and I have included them here!
1. Borivili National Park/Kanheri Caves/Mumbai’s Highest Point:
For some reason Mumbaiites do not generally think too highly of this 103 sq km National Park and treat it like a picnic area. But some of my best memories come from here. Try walking from the main gate till Kanheri Caves, the road flanked by trees, with a stream quietly rippling on one side, and dense dark foliage on the other. Sounds of chirping crickets, the wind swaying in the trees and birds singing pepper the air, creating a natural peacefulness. Vada Pao, with red chilly and garlic chutney, and freshly cut cucumber outside Kanheri Caves has become almost a ritual with us, accompanied by over-active monkeys, curious and ever-willing to scare a nervous visitor, who they have a natural ability to identify.
Exploring Kanheri Caves is extremely exciting, though one can never visit all the 109 caves in a day! However, many of these Buddhist caves are quite bare and similar, hence monotonous, and only the extremely imaginative or energetic would attempt to visit them all. See if you can find the rock with Brahmi inscriptions or the huge cave hall with Buddha statues adorning the walls from top to bottom. Climb up to the open air assembly area, enjoy the breeze, the panoramic view of the forest and mountains and let your mind wander to how it must have been in those days, when this place was throbbing, when spiritual energy inspired one carving after another and a renowned university was busy instructing eager young monks. See it all in your mind’s eye, when you visit the meditation room, or just a bare cottage cave, which the guide book tells you was a typical hostel room for the student monks, technically called a vihara. Imagine the caves all painted and the water management system functioning and this beautiful place turns into something much more! History comes alive!
Keep walking beyond the caves and climb up a slightly steep path. You will reach a plateau, filled with tiny flowers and interspersed with grass, devoid of human visitors. The caves can be seen a level below, beyond which is a panoramic view of the surrounding forest, and if you walk to the other edge of the plateau, you may even see some unfinished caves. It feels like the discovery of a lost land! And that’s not all. This area begs for exploration. Choose your own direction and start finding new trails and breathtaking views. Did you know that the highest point of Mumbai city, a good 450 meters above sea level, also lies on this mountain? So keep on climbing. It is a trek, which takes around two hours. The top treats you to an awesome view of the Tulsi, Vihar and Powai Lakes and a lovely breeze enhances the experience.
2. Matheran:
Though an overnight stay is the ideal way to imbibe the ambience of this place, at least visit for a day if you do not have enough time to spare! The basic message is – don’t miss it! Nestled in Sahyadris, at a height of 803 meters, Matheran is reachable by a narrow gauge ‘toy’ train, chugging along at a slow pace, slow enough to jump off and get on again – all through its winding journey. Going by taxi is much faster, but you miss out on the quaint countryside scenery. And the journey with a motley crowd of course.
Matheran is one hill-station where vehicles are banned; hence the only source of pollution here is that of horses kicking up the red sand as they ply tourists from one point to another. Thick forests and lonely paths characterize this place, and as one rambles, you encounter charming old-world bungalows, built in the pre-Independence days.
There are numerous points to visit, offering panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and mountains and their dramatic drops.
Some of these places include:
Panorama Point: If planning an overnight stay in Matheran, make sure you go for an early morning walk to Panorama point. The idea is to reach the point before sunrise, the walk through the forest and mountain itself takes a good 2 hours or so, hence not-so-early risers need to put in some extra efforts! But what you see, a panoramic (but naturally) view of the surrounding valley and mountains is so dramatic that your heart jumps wildly and ecstasy comes soaring.
Echo point: I didn’t quite catch an entire word echoing, but an ‘aaaaaa’ or ‘oooooooo’ certainly got mountainous replies.
Lake Charlotte: This is the main source of drinking water for the town. Lake Charlotte is bound by a dam at one end and a temple at the other.
3. Khandala/Lonavala:
Khandala and Lonavla must easily be the most commercialized hill-stations in Maharashtra, with easy access from both Mumbai and Pune, but that does not change the fact that they are indeed nice places to go to.
First- Khandala – 2200 ft above sea level, this is smaller of the 2 twin towns. The most famous point in Khandala is the table land. It is here that many a Bollywood heroes, heroines and villains have sung, danced, fought and performed all the other antics up their director’s sleeves. The view from here is awesome, especially during the monsoon season, when suddenly everything turns green, and very long waterfalls are seen flowing down almost along the entire length of the mountains slopes opposite. The interesting thing about Sahyadri ranges is that they are volcanic mountains, and the steep mountain ranges wear a rugged, eroded look, steeply descending into gorges. There are numerous ‘points’ to visit in Khandala, like Bushi dam, Tiger hill, but the best thing is to drive/walk around and discover your own points. When in Khandala, we always stopped at Kamaths and had their succulent Wada-Paos!
Trekkers can trek down to Rajmachi village and fort, but that needs an overnight stay.
Lonavla – A short 15 minutes drive from Khandala is Lonavla, a much bigger town, with the main road lined with numerous Chikki and Chocolate fudge shops! Apart from the culinary charms, Lonavla boasts of various parks, lakes, dams, and points (with views, of course)!
Ryewood Park: Ryewood Park is one of the parks, where, 20 years back we had met a street magician who showed us some magic tricks involving hypnotism. More recent visits have always disappointed on that front, but the childhood experience has left me associating Ryewood Park with mystery and magic. The thick banyan and flowering trees and dark ambience certainly do not help in contradicting that childhood opinion!
Valvan dam: Another interesting place is Valvan dam, maintained by Tata Corporation. Walking to the dam offers a nice view of the Tungarli lake; alternatively, one can also trek up to a hill from where a vast panorama of the Valvan lake, the dam, surrounding countryside can be enjoyed. It’s a great picnic spot, high above and beyond civilization’s reach (seemingly), with cool, lilting breeze rewarding and welcoming you for the trekking efforts; on the way up you will encounter rock-embedded-crystals lying around, a lake and a dam, so the journey is quite exhilarating.
Duke’s nose: A view-point of a cliff shaped like a duke’s nose!
Lonavala lake: On the way to INS Shivaji lies the expansive lake.
There are many other points, parks, etc. but Khandala and Lonavala for me are places where there is no need to discover a specific place to reach and admire nature’s beauty. Just roam around, drink in the cool mountain air, or the seeping monsoon breeze, and discover the hill-stations at your own pace.
4. Lohagad fort (Iron fort)/Bhaja caves:
Some 10 kms from Lonavla, on the way to Pune is the nondescript village of Malavli. It is from here that a road goes to Lohagad; a fort built by Shivaji, which history says was never conquered. A small trek through fields takes you to the base of the mountain on the top of which lies the fort at a height of 3450 ft. Like most places in this Deccan plateau region, monsoons are the best times to climb up, without an umbrella defending against the oncoming rain! The climb offers a beautiful view of the plateau, with the occasional train seen flying across the earth against the backdrop of fields and mountains. Rare birds and plants can be seen and heard by the more discerning trekker. The slope on which the fort stands is shaped like a scorpion’s fang. This is what made it inaccessible for the potential climber planning to attack and conquer this fort. There are 4 or 5 gates one has to pass through before entering the fort. Apart from a water tank and windows overlooking vast valleys and a wonderful view of Pawna dam, the fort area has numerous tombs and monuments, some of them with wonderful acoustic facilities. Singers/instrumentalists should not miss the opportunity of a concert up with the clouds in the Lohagad tomb.
On the way up one to Lohagad, one can view Bhaja caves in a nearby mountain. These are historical Buddhist caves supposedly built during Mauryan times. These too are worth a visit and certainly make for a great day trip.
5. Karla Caves:
Karla caves, some 7 kilometers from Lonavla on the way to Pune, are a series of historical Buddhist rock-cut caves of the period 2nd century B.C. Most famous is the Chaitya or prayer hall with pillars adorning both sides and a Stupa deep inside. To really test the commitment of a potential visitor, the cave is situated quite high, and can only be reached after a steep climb of 350 steps. (These steps, of course, begin from the car park area, which is reached only after navigating a steep road!) Commitment is helped by the row of shops that line the steps, and these end just before the entry gate of the cave premises (only because Karla caves are an ASI monument and shops are not allowed inside). Off late, a Hindu temple (of Goddess Ekvira) that lies inside the Karla caves area has gained fame, and the place is now crowded with devotees, thus adding a lot of ‘color’ and noise to the place. Whether welcome or not is left to the taste of the individual visitor. Enjoy awesome views of the fields below and the surrounding mountains, also take time to explore the numerous small caves around the main cave area. Follow the path along the boundary and see where it takes you (we had to turn back eventually; the path didn’t end at all, only got more dangerous!)
6. Tungareshwar Sanctuary Trek:
Located in Vasai, the 85 sq. kilometers Tungareshwar forest has been declared a Wildlife Sanctuary. This place has a trekking path that ultimately leads up to the top of the mountain at 2000 ft. Accompanying this path is the main waterfall, which is like a mountain stream that gently falls, and flows, then falls again. We have never walked till the end of the path, but as one walks on, the numbers of people keep decreasing, the forest keeps thickening, and the incessant noise of the crickets and the cicadas starts dominating. There is supposed to be an Ashram on the mountain top, but that’s all I know about it. Tungareshwar hosts a great variety of butterflies, moths, birds, trees and wild animals- as befitting a proud wildlife sanctuary. At the base of the mountain one can see a100 year old temple, and this Shiva temple is thronged with devotees.
7. Murud Janjira beach:
If you are in Mumbai, how can you ever forget the sea? One beach that should not be missed is Murud Janjira. Murud is a clean, not very crowded beach, (just) 165 kilometers from Mumbai. The 1st time we went to Murud was 22 years back, back then the beaches were extremely clean, we felt we were the only people in Murud, and we got lost in Janjira fort, which lies on an island off the coast of Murud. I have not been able to get back to Murud after that, but from what I hear, it has changed a bit; more people are aware of the charms of the beach, and more hotels have sprung up. But that has not affected the shell-lined beach, the ever-extending coastline, the rural charm of the villages too much.
When in Murud, visit Murud Janjira fort. That’s on an island off Murud beach, and unlike most Maharashtra forts, predates Maratha dynasty. Marathas, Portuguese, British – all tried to capture this fort, but failed. Cannons on watch-points still guard the fort, and the passages and halls are complex enough to get lost in. There are 2 water tanks and numerous tombs of the original Siddi rulers, who are said to have come from present day Somalia!
8. Bhandardara:
A hill-station by the lake nestled deep within Sahyadri Mountains.
Here there are no views overlooking vast valleys, but rather there is a beautiful and extremely large lake, which is the centre point of attraction. Bhandardara is 180 kms from Mumbai, and is easily motorable in 3-4 hrs. (The car journey, one of the most beautiful in the monsoons, passing lonely fields set against towering misty green mountains and quaint villages with innocent smiling villagers). If tempted for an overnight stay, the most picturesque place to stay would be MTDC resorts; accommodation here is in the style of individual bungalows, dotting the hill overlooking Arthur Lake, and hills beyond. During Monsoon season, (especially June-July) you can actually experience the South-Western moisture-laden winds rushing northwards, the winds so strong that one is almost swept away, and the entire night one can hear the incessantly whistling, roaring wind beating against the window panes. Also, the frequent thunder and lightning and rain grants the evening atmosphere an almost terrifying feel!
So what are the places to visit in Bhandardara?
Wilson dam: Bhandardara’s main lake, Arthur Lake is constructed with the same principle as the Periyar Lake in Kerala, construct a dam, flood the valley and create a reservoir lake. Hence the topology is interesting with lower half of mountains/hills submerged under the lake waters and only the upper hillocks emerging from the surface, appearing as mini-islands. The scenery is similar to Scotland in the opinion of some seasoned travelers. The 150m high Wilson dam, built in 1910 overflows during the Monsoons and this waterfall (called Umbrella falls) is used as a backdrop in many Hindi movies (and the locals seem to be quite proud of this!)
Randha falls: Tremendous waterfall, which hurtles vertically down 45 kms and smashes against the rocks below. Enclosed within the waterfall slope is the Ghorpada Devi temple, with an almost impossible route to reach the Gods. One gets an expansive view of the waterfall waters flowing peacefully over a great distance after descent.
Boating: Boating in the lake is refreshing, one can choose to alight at the opposite shore, and trek up to Ratnaghad fort.
Amriteshwar: An ancient temple dating back to 1100 AD.
Konkan Kada: Some 40 kms from Bhandardara, is the Konkan Kada. It has a vast panoramic view of Sahyadri ranges and valleys, and is quite lonely. Enclosed within a wildlife sanctuary, one climbs a constantly winding road to reach this high view point. During monsoons, this place sometimes gets so misty that one is unable to see anything. Even one’s parked vehicle or the road, or the cliff or beyond! 
.
Kalsubai peak: Trekkers can climb the highest peak in Maharashtra from Bhandardara.
9. Elephanta caves (and island):
Yes, some more caves, but this time on an island in the middle of the Oman Sea, which is assumed to be Arabian Sea by the ordinary visitor. Elephanta Island can be reached after a 1 hour boat ride starting from Mumbai’s most famous gate, the Gateway of India. This is another one of those of those Mumbai landmarks that lie physically close to Mumbai’s urban razzmatazz, though belonging to an ancient culture that existed much before Mumbai became Bombay as we know it!
Elephanta caves, listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, are ancient caves supposed to have been built between 9th and 13th centuries A.D. This cave temple complex is almost entirely dedicated to Lord Shiva, with various fine sculptures carved out of the cave rock, including the extremely famous Trimurti, with the three faces of Shiva.
Leading up to the caves complex are hundreds of steps, lined with stalls selling a lot of trinkets of various stones. I remember this, because my Mom once devoted almost the whole visit on these steps.
10. Malshej Ghat:
I have not been to Malshej Ghat and how I regret it. I have seen enough photos and heard enough ravings to vouch for Malshej as a must-not-miss place on the day-trips from Mumbai list! Come monsoons, and people in Mumbai start searching for the best way to drench themselves in the constantly obliging rains. And Malshej Ghat is an extremely popular choice. In fact, it has always been so talked about as the waterfalls place, that it invites skepticism from the slightly peace-loving nature lover set, who tend to turn their noses up and shake their heads at the thought of visiting a crowded, noisy, waterfall place at the bottom of most are seen delightedly shrieking human beings. But the place is beautiful!! Misty steep hills, thick extensive forests, placid lakes- all these too are a natural (and significant) part of the Malshej Ghat environment. Flamingoes and many other birds migrate to Malshej during monsoon time. All this – just 150 kms from Mumbai.
So come Saturday, pack your tiny bag, choose your mode of transport, and head away – for a fantastic day trip from Mumbai!!!!
Byline: Anuja hopes to be a writer some day; till that day, she plans to keep on writing. She lives in Singapore with her husband, and is a Software Engineer by profession.
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very intresting article — thank you.