A TRIP TO TUNGARESHWAR AND CHINCHOTI WATERFALLS

Date: 29th July, 2007

Vasai and its nearby precincts wear a different colour during monsoons. Just two days prior to this trip the rains had started their second innings in Mumbai. Although it was good news as I had plans to visit the ‘Chinchoti’ waterfalls, however heavy rains might have caused serious problems.

Early morning on a Sunday I reached the platform by 5 am. I was to catch the 5:33 Vasai shuttle. I had read about the Tungareshwar hills and the presiding deity, Lord Shiva. The temple was to be the first destination followed by ‘Chinchoti’ waterfalls. It was nearly 5:50 am when the Push-n-pull arrived. It left in 2 minutes flat. I occupied the window seats fortunately. I was reminded of the time when my neighbour, Santosh and I had once traveled by this very train to visit his friend in Vasai. At that time Vasai was not as well developed as it is today. It was more than 10 years when that trip was undertaken.

As I glanced outside, I could see that the rains were still on and were making me a little nervous. As the train was running behind schedule, I could see so many wonderful landscapes which were not visible in my last trip. The train reached Vasai Road station by 6:48 am. I got down on the east side and enquired with a newspaper wallah as to how I could get to Tungareshwar. He told me if I was going alone the Rickshaw wallah will charge some 12 Rs up to Tungareshwar Phata. From the phata I could hire another rickshaw up to the temple. Buses did ply up to Sativali, which was some 4.5 kms from the ST Bus stand. From Sativali, I had either to catch a rickshaw or walk the 3 km stretch to reach the temple. I headed towards the rickshaw stand after purchasing a Times edition from the newspaper wallah. There were some three more youngsters, whom I had seen in the shuttle also going to Tungareshwar. So I joined them and we reached the phata by 7:10 am. I crossed the Western Express Highway and made way towards the temple path.

By around 7:30 am I reached the Sitaram Bapu Mandir. After seeking Sitaram Bapu’s blessing I continued on the way to the Tungareshwar temple. Midway by around 8 am I had tea. It was a nice experience sipping the hot tea and enjoying the sight of a stream flowing by. After having tea, I trudged along the scenic path. I had already crossed two streams until now. The tea vendor had mentioned that there were in all three streams to be crossed. And I would reach the temple in 15 minutes time.

However I reached the temple by 8:35 am only. The setting of this temple is so very divine. Stairs leading to it, a huge tree providing a cover, a stream flowing behind and the mountain ranges covered by mist in the background made for a perfect picture. I paid visit to the Gokarna, Kodiar & Hanuman Mandir. The priest at the Kodiar temple told me a little bit about the significance of the temple. He told me ‘Kodiar’ means ‘Kho Jaana’ (meaning getting lost). He told me the goddess at the Kodiar temple was an avatar of Ganga. Her vehicle was a crocodile. She was also known by ‘Rajmatha’. And she belonged to Kutch.

As I was nearing the end of my Tungareshwar trip I was curious about how to get near Chinchoti. But no one within the temple premises had heard about Chinchoti waterfalls. With the thought that a youngster might know about this waterfall I enquired with a lad sitting on a bike. He told me that since I was new to the area and all alone I had a good chance of getting lost in the forest. So he suggested that I got back to Tungareshwar Phata and then took a rickshaw up to Chinchoti, which was a stop on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. Jayesh, for that was his name showed me a nice picture he had taken from his camera phone of the falls. Agreeing to his advice, I made my way back to the Phata. It was 9:10 am when I started the trip towards the Phata and by 10 am I had crossed the Phata and asked a rickshaw-wallah if he would take me to Chinchoti. It is better to be in a group sometimes I concluded as the rickshaw-wallah charged me a hefty sum of 40 bucks. I reached the spot by 10:10 am. The rickshaw-wallah pointed towards a group of trekkers and told me to follow them as they were headed to the waterfalls.

I am yet to witness such a lovely village ahead of the path leading to a waterfall. Paddy fields immersed with water and lush green mountains behind the village are still embedded in my eyes. I soon was one with the group of youngsters. We reached the waterfalls by 11:30 am.

The falls had a unique feel. Jayesh had remarked that Lonavala was pale in comparison. I couldn’t disagree. Lunch was done by 12 pm. By around 1 pm, the number of people reveling increased, so I decided it was time to leave. I bade the Andheri group good bye and made my way downwards. A security personnel also came along with me. As we started conversing he informed me that he was a Beat Officer. His name was Sampad Patil.

Patil informed me that his duty was to cover the nearly 450 hectare area and look out for any signs of tree-felling, poaching, etc. The staff has to compensate their wages with the amount of stolen goods in case there is a theft of firewood etc. He also remarked that there was a way from the Tungareshwar temple to the Ashram on the top which passed through Chinchoti but known only to locals and forest guards. All the way along I was thinking of which could be the nearest possible railhead. As Chinchoti came enroute Bhivandi Phaata, Bhivandi Road station was accessible by road too. Sampad Patil told me to catch a 10 seater from Chinchoti and get down at Bhivandi Naka, from where I could get to the railway station. We reached the base by 2 pm. Sampad gave me a ride up to the road leaving for the Phata. I reached the phata by 2:15 pm. It was 2:35 pm when I got into a 10 seater and the journey began. I reached the Bhivandi Phata by 3:20 pm. From there a rickshaw dropped me off at the Bhivandi Road station. The station wore a deserted look. It was 3:30 pm. I purchased a ticket up to Khopar. The train was to arrive by 4:10 pm. However it was 4:20 pm when it finally arrived. I got down at Khopar by 4:40 pm and walked back home remembering the pleasant journey.

Reaching There:

Rickshaw from Vasai to Phata: 10Rs per head
Rickshaw from Phata to Chinchoti: It cost me 40 bucks so roughly 10-15 per head.
10 seater from Chinchoti to Bhivandi Phata: 15 Rs per head
Rickshaw from Naka to Station: 6Rs per head roughly.

When To Visit:
Monsoons

Things to remember:
The forest area is prone to wild cats. Some two three have been spotted. Although they don’t come near the motorable road from the Phata to the Ashram try to remain in a group. Just before you embark for Chinchoti please mark a personal mail to me.

A TRIP TO KOTHALIGAD (PETH) - A TREK FOR STARTERS!

Date: 25th December 2007

After nearly a month long gap since the last trek, which was to Peb, I finally planned a trek to Kothaligad or Peth.
So, by around 6:20 am I was at the platform awaiting the Karjat local. From Karjat there is a lone State Transport (ST) Bus at 8:30 am that I was planning to catch so as to reach Ambivali. From Ambivali one has to trudge along the nearly an hour long mud path to reach the base village Peth.

I got a window seat in the Karjat local by chance and was enjoying every bit of the chilly morning. The train reached Karjat by 7:55 am. The ST bus depot is to the right side of the platform. I reached the bus stand by 8:10 am. I enquired with one of the ST depot official as to when the Ambivali bus was expected. He said it was scheduled to depart by 8:30 am and the Bus was already in the depot and he pointed towards it. I got into the bus and placed myself comfortably besides a window seat. After some time the conductor came inside to inform us that there was going to be Bus change as the one we were seated in has to undergo some repairs and a new bus will be arriving soon. The new bus came by 8:27 am. And our journey began by 8:30 am.

En route there was a Ganesh Mandir at a place called Kadav. It was 9:33 am when I got down at Ambivali. From here I walked along the opposite direction of the bus I was traveling in and took the small tar road going to the left side. Further ahead the road split itself into a mud path and a tar road. A local mentioned that the mud path will take me straight to Peth village, so I trudged along the mud path. I came across as many as three Land fillers being put to use. It seems that work is going on to connect Peth village to Ambivali through road. I maybe exaggerating here but it might happen that our very own Peth could become as well known and accessible as Malang gad.

I reached the base village by 10:26 am. I enquired for a place from where I could have lunch after the trek got over at the first visible settlement itself. I found one and told the lady to prepare a meal for me in an hour or so. I then started the actual trek to the top. I reached the top by 11:05 am. The Main Entrance still retains all its grandeur. I went around the pinnacle and found the lone cannon. Then I retraced back my steps and had darshan of ‘Bhairoba’. Further ahead there is a huge cave. As there was light coming inside the cave I decided it safe to venture inside a little bit. I could see some nicely carved figurines of dancers on the two pillars. There are two more chambers inside, but as they were too dark and I didn’t have a torch I just peeked inside and returned. I returned back and after passing the Bhairoba Mandir I noticed step leading to the topmost point. These are unique steps in the sense that they look so different from normal steps. I however skipped going to the top and returned back.

There is an underground water source which I also skipped as I was feeling a little bit hungry. I began my trek downwards. I must have covered a quarter of the distance till Peth, when I found a group of four middle aged trekkers resting. They enquired if someone was there on the top or was I making a solo trek. I told them I was indeed on a solo trek. They mentioned that they were on a 4 day trek from Bhimashankar to Rajmachi. They had started trekking Bhimashankar on Friday followed by Padargad the next day and were climbing Kothaligad today and intended to reach Rajmachi base by the night. I wished them luck and started my trek downwards.

It was a loss of some 10-15 minutes there but I did get to know which mountain ranges were the Bhimshankar, and where was the Padargad and also that just some 1.5 km from Ambivali were the lesser known ‘Pandav Leni’ and a talao. By around 12:20 pm I reached Peth and found the lady awaiting me. It was a very heavy lunch. She mentioned that all the preparations were from their cultivation itself. They kept whatever was needed by them and sold of the rest. Lunch over I took leave of the lady. It was 1:05 pm when I started trekking downwards.

By around 2:15 pm I reached Ambivali. I enquired for some ‘Khava’ from a shop near the bus stand. I had heard that Milk and ‘Khava’ are very famous items here. I purchased ½ a kilo of it and got back on the road so as to catch a Vikram. I thought I might as well give the ‘Pandav Leni’ a visit and started walking towards Jambrukh. However midway through I shelved my plans on seeing a Vikram approaching and got into it. It took us to Kashele in half an hour’s time. From there I caught another Vikram going to Karjat and reached the station by 3:30 pm, just in the nick of time to catch the local. I reached home by 5pm.

Reaching there:

Karjat is on the central line. Some one hour from Kalyan. From Karjat there is an 8:30 am ST (I think there is only one bus going towards Ambivali) till Ambivali. Bus fare up to Ambivali is 23 Rs.
The return bus is at 5pm from Ambivali. Vikram’s fare comes out the same as the Bus fares.

From Ambivali one has to walk along the mud path.

When to visit:
Monsoons

Important information:

One can keep the rucksacks, bags etc at the Peth village. Do remember to inform the villager to prepare food for you if you aren’t carrying anything along with you. Khava and milk are very famous items here. Khava is cheaper at Peth village. So ask for the same as soon as you sight any villager.

A TREK TO VIKATGAD AKA PEB

Date: 28th October 2007

Vikatgad or Peb is located near Matheran. One can reach this fort in two ways. Although the approach from the north side, viz Mamdapur is a bit difficult, there is a somewhat easier approach from the south side. While going I decided to traverse along the Mamdapur route and return back from the south side. The day being a Sunday it was very much likely that there would be lesser number of trains running. So by 5:30 am I found myself at the platform to catch the 5:32 Khopoli local. However due to some erroneous calculations I was able to reach Neral by 7:40 only. There was no 7:30 mini train service that day and the next train was scheduled to arrive by 8:50 am. I decided to walk along the path to Peb.

As mentioned in one of my friend Kaushal’s write up I came across a taxi stand. After crossing the nullah I took the first left turn towards Peb. I came across the Highway, crossed it and took the mud path to the left. There was some construction work going on near the village Mamdapur. Walking along I came across a ‘waadi’. From here onwards I tried to follow the towers. I crossed the dry stream and reached the second electric tower by 8:40 am. Slight ahead I took a wrong turn to the left and was instructed to go back by some villagers. I lost out some 10-15 minutes there. I lost track once more before finally reaching a rock patch.

As I couldn’t find any path I called up Swapnil, one of my friends who had been here before to check if I was on the right track. Swapnil told me to look out for a hook on the rock patch. On first glance I could not find any hook and was of the opinion that I had lost my way. But finally I spotted the hook. I was wondering how I am going to climb this patch. I first threw my bag to the other side of the rock patch and literally pulled myself up. It was 10:45 am. I started moving ahead and came across another rock patch. However this one was not to be climbed upon. I took the path going to the right. I soon reached the cave where there was the Swami Samarth Mandir and Shivaji’s bust. The gate was open. I went inside and had darshan. I came out and sat in front of the gate facing the mountain ranges of Nakhind, Prabhalgad and Chanderi to the left. To the left was Matheran. In front were Rajmachi, Bhimashankar & Kothaligad. All the while I was of the opinion that I had reached the ashram. However Swapnil told me that I was at the cave and the ashram was still ahead when I called upon him again. I could not find any other path than the one I had traversed. So I was a bit restless. I explored the area but could not find any path towards Matheran. I made a trip back to the larger rock patch but it proved futile. So I returned back to the cave. I glanced at the time. It was 11:30 a.m. I had my lunch there itself.

After the lunch I explored the path through which I had reached the cave. I found out a path going towards Matheran side. It was covered with dry grass and hence I had missed it altogether. Going along the path I reached a point where I came across the first of the four steel ladders I climbed in all. On climbing up the ladder the path ahead seemed a little rough, as the deluge of 2006 seemed to have have washed away a major chunk of the path. Somehow I covered the rock patches and was back on the normal path. After walking for some 10-15 minutes, I saw a person on top giving me directions when I had taken a wrong turn. By around 12:15 pm I reached the ashram. I went past the Ashram to the topmost point in the south direction. I didn’t go near the fortifications however. I believe this is the same spot where the ‘Padukas’ are kept. I returned back to the Ashram and quenched my thirst with a glass of water from the Ashram. Here the person attending to the Ashram showed me the way that goes towards Matheran and also informed me that I could fill in water from the water kept at the Shiv temple which was down below. I visited the temple and filled water from the steel bucket. It was around 1 pm when I started to trek down the route to Matheran. I encountered two steel ladders mid way soon. By around 2:10 pm I climbed the last steel ladder in the path which took me to the open area near the Railway track. From here I walked along the railway track towards Dasturi Point. I reached the taxi stand by 3 pm. By 3:40 pm I was at Neral Station and by 5:30 pm I reached home.

A TREK TO MANEKGAD

Date:30th September 2007

On a Sunday morning getting up at 4 am after a tough week was not an easy task. Nevertheless, I had been planning to trek to this fort since long. My self and Dinesh gathered at Diva station to catch the Diva – Madgaon Passenger which leaves at 6:20 am. We got down at Panvel station by 7:15 a.m. We had to catch the 7: 45 ST Bus to Vashivilli, which was the base village. We reached the bus stand by 7:50 a.m. There when we enquired about the bus to Vashivilli, we got to know that it was scheduled to arrive by 8 am. However it was 8:15 when it finally arrived.

The journey was pleasant running along the Mumbai-Goa Highway. We reached the village by 8:45 am. After taking the first right turn towards the mountain ranges we enquired with a villager for the route to Manekgad. He advised us to hire a villager as we were first timers and pay him something suitable. We agreed to hire a guide. Our guide was Manohar Waghmare. He informed us that we could reach the top in two ways. One which was a little difficult but a shorter route where there was a narrow stretch where one had to put only one foot at a time and the drop would prove fatal. The other route, the easier one was the longer one and would take 3 hours to complete. We took this route.

Around 10:30 am we came across an open plateau where we decided to have breakfast and refresh ourselves. All along the path we had come across many a village folk making the regular trips. Manohar informed us that there were lots of folk coming here for trekking this fort. This was news to me as I was of the impression that this fort was lesser known. We reached the top by 12 p.m. There a lone buffalo greeted us. Just before the Ganesh Patti or the Main Darwaza to the left we sighted a water tank full of moss. To the left of the Ganesh Patti there were some steps going down-hill. We could see the pinnacle of Karnala from the top. However Malang gad was not visible due to the dense fog. We went the south most point of the fort where a huge rock was there. We rested a while near this rock enjoying the beautiful landscape. We could see many chemical factories and industries down below. Some had shut down while some were coming up. I took some snaps of the valley below. We then moved in the north direction.

There was a Shiv pindi located in this direction. Just before this Pindi we encountered two more water tanks comparatively smaller than the one at the entrance. Manohar told us that there were some more idols but the villagers had taken them downhill so as to provide them with a better place for residing. We returned back to the Ganesh Patti. We moved towards the cliff to have a nice view of the valley down below. We saw two eagles hovering around below. Unfortunately due to the limitations of my traditional camera I was not able to take any snaps of the eagles. We decided it was time to return. It was around 1 pm when we started our descent down. We saw a group consisting of two foreigners coming towards us. It just affirmed my belief that the foreigners took more interest in such expeditions than us locals. By around 2:30 p.m. we reached a spot which had a water source nearby and decided to have our lunch there. It was around 4:30 pm when we finally reached the base. From here we finally walked towards Vashivilli Bus stop. As there was no signs of a bus we got into a 10-seater by 4:45 pm and reached Panvel by 5:40 pm. We caught a bus to Dombivli by 6 pm and reached home by 7 pm.

Reaching There:

Diva to Panvel Train fare – 8 Rs per head (From Dombivli to Diva fare is 4 Rs)
Or Else take a Bus from Dombivli to Panvel. Bus fare is 19 Rs.
Bus from Panvel to Vashivilli – 13 Rs per head

When to Visit:
Monsoons or post monsoons. This area has a different look during monsoons.

Important Information:
If going for the first time hire a guide and fix a price at that moment itself. Take water along as none of the tanks hold potable water.

DADIMAA AND PANCHPEER

Date: 12th August 2007

Long before the monsoons, myself and Praveen had attempted trekking to these two points. They are located very near to Haji Malang or Malang-gad. However we were able to reach only up to the point where the path diverges, with one leading to the Dadi maa and Panch Peer Peaks and the other to Malang-gad. I came to know later that we had hardly covered a quarter of the actual distance. We were ill-prepared in the sense that we had not taken anything for lunch and these two points were less frequented. Moreover the heat was unbearable then.

I had therefore resolved to trek to the top. So on Saturday night after leaving my work-place I made for my friend's place at Kalyan for an over-night stay. Early next morning I left Raju's house by 6:50 a.m. It was 7:10 when I reached the Kalyan Bus stand. The bus arrived in 2 minutes time. It was 7:15 when the bus departed. It was around 7:40 when I got down at Kasauli. After getting down at the bus-stop one has to take the road on the left side leading to the village. There was mist all around the mountains and the village was very picturesque. On the right side of the path I took after passing Kasauli village were three waterfalls at different spots while there was one on the left. The one on the right side looked quite near. I was making my way towards it when a women coming from behind told me that there was no proper path leading to the water-falls. A little bit disheartened I trudged back to the path I had taken earlier. As I was admiring the beautiful streams which were crossing the path I was on, I was completely unaware that a herd of cattle was advancing behind me. I let them pass by. The cattle made the path even more difficult to walk upon. The herd was making puddles large enough so as to add to my woes.

It was 9 a.m. when I saw a drop water-fall at a close distance. And by around 9:25 a.m., I reached the open area where there is a diversion of paths. This was the same place where I and Praveen had returned back from. It was 11'o clock when I sighted a 'Dharamshala'. Here I encountered a difficult stretch where I literally crawled my way so as to avoid sliding down the waterfall. On reaching the ‘Dharamshaala’ I enquired with a chap how far the peaks were. He said it was some 30-35 minutes from here. It was around 11:30 a.m. when I reached the point where there was a board which indicated that Daadi maa was to the left and Panch Peer to the right. On the other side of the mountain I could see Badlapur town. I made my way towards Daadi maa. However strong winds and rains made me take cover behind a rock near the board. I though that it was better to get down to the 'Dharamshala' as the path ahead had no supports and the winds had no intention to stop. I returned back near the Dharamshala. I saw some 4 boys having lunch inside the Dharamshala. I recognized Chand whom myself and Praveen had met last time. Chand invited me inside to have lunch. I had a hearty meal of Dal and Rice.

After lunch we had herbal tea. Chand informed me that they (Himself and his wife
Reshma) had to some times make 2-3 trips up and down the mountain to get basic necessities like grocery milk etc. Money was difficult to come. People trekking these ranges would drop by and share the food that they had brought along. If it was raw vegetables and rice they had been bringing Chand and his wife would cook the same at that very place. I came to know that the 4 lads were also getting down the mountain so I decided to go along with them.

It was 12:30 p.m. when we took leave of Chand. While getting down, I enquired with the youngsters what their names were and what they did. I came to know that Sonu used to sell Kachoris at Ulhasnagar. Then Ganesh was into repairing clocks and watches. The other two Pradeep and Datta were into machine repairing. They said that they used to trek the peaks regularly. In fact they had intentions to come back the next week. It was around 3 p.m. when we reached the village. However we had to wait for an hour before we could get a bus to Kalyan. I was at Raju's house by 5p.m. Although I didn't reach the Mazhaar I was glad to have reached the top.

Getting There:
Fare up to Kasauli from Kalyan - 9 Rs.

When to Visit:
These peaks can be visited all year around although it is very pleasant in the monsoons. Carry a stick around so as to avoid slipping.

Important Points: One can stay overnight at the Dharamshalas atop. Panch Peer involves some 5 or more Mazhaars so staying overnight is a good option.

Rest of the photos are uploaded at : http://picasaweb.google.com/n.ramaswamy/DadimaaAndPanchpeer

INDEPENDENCE DAY TRASH DASH

Date: 15th August 2007

Attending the flag hoisting ceremony in the building had been a routine every 15th August. This time around I decided to join some people from a group called NOET (Natura Outdoor Education Trust) for a session of rappelling followed by a clean up drive. I registered myself over the phone. Avishkar Tendle, the organizer of the event told me to gather at 7:00 a.m. at Sanjay Gandhi National Park Gate.

On Tuesday night I stayed at my cousin’s place in Kandivli. The next morning I caught a rickshaw by 6:40 a.m. I reached the gate by 7 a.m. I called up Avishkar to inform him that I had reached the meeting place. A female voice, which was Maria's as I later came to know, answered the phone and told me that they all will be reaching the place in 10-15 minutes. I went inside the main gate. There was a person standing inside with all necessary gear needed for the session. I asked him if he had also come for the NOET clean up drive to which he replied in the affirmative. He later introduced himself as Deven Bhatt. He informed me that he was into diamond business.

Further he stated that he had a previous rappelling experience at Manali. He lost his left leg due to a torn ligament. His travels had taken him to Kerala too. But trekking was not possible now. Hence he was forced to go to places by vehicles. As we were conversing, a stout bearded man in his late 30's, whom I later came to know as Mihir, called up people who had gathered for the I Day Trash Dash. Some 10-15 people gathered around him. After briefing us about the programme, he led us to the ticket counter. We made our way towards Gandhi Smarak. From the ticket counter to this point the path was so full of flora and fauna that I wished I had been to this place more often. While walking I got into conversation with two senior persons in the event, one Mr. Alok Nath was an accountant with Free Press Journal and Mr. Philip, who was into individual research. It was around 9 a.m. when we all reached the Gandhi Smarak. Here Avishkar introduced himself and briefed us about NOET.

NOET has been doing this event since last year. Then we gathered around for a round of introduction. The group consisted of enthusiast right from the age of sixteen to the fifty five year old senior. Most of the youngsters belonged to a dance troupe. Amongst us there was Sanjay, a cancer patient whose very presence lifted our spirits. After the introduction, we gathered around for a game called Aa Saa Ko. The game is like this: The first person would keep his/her hand so as to look like a salute either using the right hand or the left one and say ‘Aa’. The person next to him/her to whose direction his/her hand is facing is supposed to keep his/her hand next to his/her stomach with the palm facing upwards and pointing towards right or left direction and say ‘So’. The person next to him/her to whose direction the palm was pointing then clasps both his/her hand and points towards anyone in the circle and says ‘Ko’. The person receiving the ‘Ko’ then continues with ‘Aa’. Two winners emerged
. Soon Avishkar called us for the rappelling session. Avishkar briefed us about the accessories involved which were a harness loop, chest loop, a carbiner with strength of 27KN and an 8 connector with strength of 30KN through which a cornamental fibre rope will pass through. Gaurang, another member of NOET was showing us what all could happen if things go wrong like if we didn’t loosen the rope enough, if we didn’t keep the legs apart.

The height of the rock which we were going to rappel was 40 feet. I was second to go. Initially I was a bit nervous. As soon as I started getting down I thought I was going to loose my grip and grabbed the rope tighter. Milind, the instructor told me to loosen the rope. He also told me to keep the legs apart. Half-way down I got a hold and was comfortable much before I got down on my feet. Later I realized that in fact one can leave both hands and descend. By 10:30 we were all through with the session. Rappelling done we got ready for what Avishkar termed as ‘riskier than rappelling’. He told us that in our enthusiasm to pick up loads of trash, one should not put his/her hands into holes as they might be home to some reptiles or creepy crawlies. Human wastes like Bottles, Chocolate Wrappers, plastic covers and other such non bio-degradable wastes had to be picked up. Last year somebody had individually collected 35 kilos of waste. This time around there was prizes to be given out by the sponsors ‘Nature Valley’.

It was 12 pm. Avishkar gave us 2 hours time to gather as much as we could. By around 1:45 p.m. I could pick up half a bag of trash and decided to accumulate the same. When it was weighed it came around 3 kilos. Somebody had already brought 16 kilos. Avishkar extended the time limit by 10 minutes more and finally some body brought 42 kilos of waste. A music band ‘Asmaan’ had come over specially to distribute the three prizes. First runner up was Pronita. Second runner up was Arvind and the winners were Ravi and Rohit. Every participant received two packs of Chocolate from Nature Valley. We were done by 3:05 p.m. I left the park with a thought of a day well spent for a social cause by all the participants.

A TRIP TO MAHIM KELVE

Dates: 14th and 15th July 2007

I had recently read ‘Bhatkanthi’, a book in Marathi on adventurous journeys by Milind Gunaji. I found a mention of Mahim Kelve Beach in that book. I discussed the plan of going to this place with the office staff. We decided to stay at Palghar on Saturday night i.e. 14th and venture out the next day. There were no bookings done and we were prepared to spend the night on the Palghar platform.

Others joining me were Dilip, Dinesh, Ganesh, Mangesh, Navnath, Sakharam and Satyavan. When we were ready to leave the work-place, Sanjay, a colleague of mine asked me if we had made arrangements for the stay at Palghar. I said that we were going to stay at the platform itself. Sanjay said that if we wanted he could make arrangements for our stay overnight at Palghar. His maternal uncle stayed in Palghar. Sanjay could possibly co-ordinate with his Uncle and make arrangements for the stay. He told us to leave while he made the arrangements. Thanking him profusely we left for the Bus-stop. We had to reach Borivili Station first in order to catch the 124 Down Ahmedabad Passenger train.

By around 9:15 p.m. a somewhat empty contract bus bound for Borivili came. We hopped into it and occupied most of the vacant window seats. We reached Kandivli by 9:45 p.m. Midway Sanjay called to inform us that he had made bookings for us at Laxmi Guest House. Three rooms along with extra beds had been arranged.

There was traffic near Thakur Village and it was around 10 p.m. when we finally reached Borivili. There were some Volvo buses lined up near the stop where we got down. However on enquiring with the drivers, we came to know that most of them were going to Surat, Vadodara etc with no halts at Palghar. We then made our way towards the ST Bus stand, where we were told that there were no buses leaving for Palghar for that night. So we made our way towards the Railway station as our last resort.

We reached the station by 10:45 p.m. The passenger train was scheduled to arrive by 11:30 p.m. We purchased tickets and decided to have dinner at some hotel nearby. But finding a hotel was quite a task at that time and we had to dash off after a hurried dinner to the station.

The train came by around 11:35 p.m. The general compartments were full in no time. We stood besides the door as there was no place more comfortable. We passed through Vasai Road by 12:10 a.m. When we reached Virar, the last station in the suburban section it was 12:30 a.m. We reached Kelve Road station by 1:00 a.m. Here the train was put into siding and some 4-5 express trains passed by. It was 1:40 a.m. when we got down at Palghar station. We asked a RPF personnel at the platform about Laxmi Guest House. He told us that it was nearby and at a walk able distance only. The Guest House was on the first floor. It was around 2:00 a.m. when I stood near the Hotel entrance door and rang the bell. The door was opened by a fellow, who could have been around 40 years and was probably accustomed to find people coming out so early in the morning. We paid the advance amount and got into our respective rooms. There was a television set in each of the three rooms. We decided to catch up with the latest news before we dozed off. There was nothing much in particular and we switched off the TV and plunged into deep slumber by 2:30 a.m.

I was awake by 5:30 a.m. Had a bath and awoke others. By around 7:00 a.m. we checked out of the hotel. Before leaving I enquired with the hotel owner how far the Kelva Beach was and what was the comfortable means of transport. He said that although there were buses plying between Palghar and Kelva Beach, the 10-seater Vikram was a better option. We descended the stairs of the building and made our way to the main road. There was a 10-seater waiting outside. It was 7:45 a.m. and we were way behind schedule. So we hopped into the 10-seater. We passed through a lovely route which made each one of us feel that we were far away from the hustle bustle of the city and amidst some sleepy town.

We reached the Beach by 8:10 a.m. It was one of the best settings I had seen of a beach. A large number of cypress trees lined in front of the sea were a treat to watch. As it was low tide the sea was at quite a distance from the beach. Most of the members in the group rushed into the inviting sea. We were frolicking in the sea for some 2 hours. We saw a fortification (Later I came to know this was called ‘Alibaug’ fortress) at a distance towards our left hand side in the south direction. We decided to explore it.

This fortification was at a sufficient distance. We walked for more than half an hour to reach it. At close quarters it looked like a part of some fort which had chambers on the inside. There is no proper entrance to this structure. One has to make use of the stepping stones and enter the fortification through one of the opening. Inside there was plenty of vegetation. There was a small tank as well. We took some snaps inside the fortification. While we were enjoying the new found place some one from the group informed us that the place was getting surrounded by water from all sides. We got back to the shore quickly without wasting further time. It was a lucky escape.

Next we decided to offer our prayers to Shitladevi temple. The temple is wonderfully built and maintained. Having visited the temple we made our way to a hotel to have lunch. I opted for the tender coconut though. It was fresher than the ones I could have anywhere else back in Mumbai. I sat besides a tree and relished the Masala Chana having a nice view of the sea. It was around 2:30 p.m. when we made our way to next destination, Mahikavati Mandir. We also decided to cover Shirgaon fort also. We reached the Mahikavati Mandir, which must have been hardly some 4-5 kms. from the beach by 2:50 p.m. It was unlike other temples. It had a room where a family was staying between the entrance and the place of worship. As we had kept the meter running we didn’t have time to enquire about the significance of the temple. The place of worship was pretty old. We had darshan and returned back to the waiting Vikram. By around 3:20 p.m. we reached Shirgaon fort. It is situated near a school. Almost in ruins, we found some children playing cricket there inside the fort. We climbed the fort from the south side. There was a watch-tower on this side with no supports. As soon as we climbed up the stairs it offered a breath taking view of the sea and the village. Just behind this tower was a chamber which had a lot of vegetation. As we moved towards the east side along the narrow path I found some six-seven chambers down below. I then returned back to the chamber behind the watch tower. In this very chamber there is a secret entrance on the west side. We ventured inside it. However it was too dark to find out where it led to. So we returned back to the chamber and walked towards the south side. There was one more watch tower. However due to the dense growth of wild grass we found it difficult to get to the top and skipped it altogether. We then started moving towards the west side. There was a watch tower here too retaining all its grandeur. We made our way to it through a very narrow path. I thought this might have been the place where many of a ruler would have brought his beloved during the moon-lit nights and had enjoyed some romantic moments. We returned back to the North end and descended the stairs. With a heavy heart we left the fort and made our way to the Main Road. It was 4 p.m. We caught a 10-seater up to Palghar from there. One of the passengers, an elderly woman enquired where we were from. We told us that we were all were from different parts of Mumbai. I enquired where Alibaug was (I was still not aware that the small fortification by the beach from which we had luckily escaped was called Alibaug). She told us that there was only one Alibaug and that too was located near Mumbai. She said that she had been to Alibaug from Bauchaa Dhakka’.

Soon we reached a place called Chunnabatti. We just thought what a coincidence it was that there were three places near Mumbai which had similar names of places in Palghar: Mahim, Alibaug & now Chunnabatti. It was around 5:20 p.m. when we reached Palghar and had tea. We then made our way to the ST Bus stand. Here we caught the last bus going to Thane. We must have traveled for some 30 minutes when we reached Manor. An article on Manor in the internet had mentioned about Manor’s beauty. Just then I saw a mini dam like construction on the right side of the road. The Board placed nearby read ‘Soorya River’. I am looking forward to make a trip to Manor soon.

We passed through Virar, Boisar, Versova, etc. We could see many a Jain Mandirs constructed on the hilltops. I concluded that this entire stretch between Thane-Palghar is worth visiting especially during the monsoons. It was around 8 p.m. when we reached Thane Bus stand. On reaching Thane railway station we all parted ways and returned back to our respective homes.

Getting There:

Fare for the ticket from Powai to Borivili was 10 Rs. per head.
From Borivili to Palghar ticket for passenger train was 14 Rs per person.
Rooms we got for 80 Rs. per person roughly.
Fare from Palghar to Kelva Beach: 10 Rs. per head
Fare from Kelva Beach to Shirgaon fort (via Mahikavati temple): 20 Rs. per person for singular trip
Fare from Shirgaon fort to Palghar: 5 Rs. per head
Fare from Palghar to Thane: 70 Rs. per head

Best time to Visit: Monsoons if you want to enjoy the route. If you intend to go to the Alibaug fortress it is best to know the tide timings.

Important Information: It is very difficult to find a pure vegetarian hotel near the Beach, so best option is to carry food along. Coconut is a lot cheaper here. It is available for as low as 10 Rs and nice too.



Hotel Accomadation: Swad Resort for A/C, Non A/C Veg and Non Veg Food. Mukund Aba Wadi, Shitaladevi, Kelve Beach, Taluka Palghar Dist Thane - 401401

Contact Nos: (O) 952525 222471, 952525 699673 (R) 2898 0504
(M) 9860599097 9324045345