Friday, March 29, 2024
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Let’s go places

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So often we hear friends say they are going out of town over the weekend. Especially if there is a festival and you get three days at a stretch. And if you’re taking a yearly holiday from office for a fortnight you can explore the vast treasure trove of places in India. Almost or very often your friends inform you that they’re travelling to Lonavala, Khandala, Mahableshwar or Goa for the weekend but recently I heard of so many unheard places which you can visit. On the Mumbai-Pune road there is a place called Sandhaan Valley where you can sight a swing of fireflies in the late evening. There are snake shows for schoolchildren, information about flora and fauna and they also arrange sizzling barbeques. There are arrangements for camping, rappelling (climbing steep rocks with a rope) and stargazing. Officials provide tents with airbeds, not only individual shelter but one that can accommodate eight in one big tent, arrange campfire, also provide dry toilets in tents with water, lake crossing @ Rajmachi Jungle trail and a Night Treasure hunt. They also have Water sports and guided tour of planets.

Another place that few of my colleagues and I had not heard of was Saputara. Situated in a densely forested plateau in the Sahyadri range, holds the distinction of being the only hill station in the Dang district of South Gujarat State which means you take the Mumbai-Ahmedabad road and can reach the destination within five hours.

The name Saputara literally stands for ‘abode of serpents,’ a fact that is highlighted by the presence of an image of a snake on the shores of the Sarpagana river, which flows through the town. This image is worshipped by the region’s tribal folk, especially during major festivals such as Holi. Adding to Saputara’s mystique is the legend that Lord Rama spent 11 years of his exile in these very forests. This being a hill resort the temperatures here are moderate to cool. From Sardar Shikhar point you can see the sun spreading its beautiful soft morning rays on the greenery. The Lake & Boating Club, right in the heart of the valley, is in the extremely calm Saputara Lake. It is 70 feet deep and spreads in the vast valley surrounded by the hills. Row and paddle boats are available for hire. Several types of amusement facilities for children are available near the lake.

The Rose Garden contains different types of roses which offer scenic places for tourists to laze in, while walking around this fragrant garden. There are so many enticing places to visit here that tourists from all over the world come here and spread the word so our office staff members being impressed have decided to visit the place over the next weekend. Other places include Ratangad a hill fort located in the Sahyadris, near Bhandardara dam is known for trekking activities. The fort, initially ruled by the Mughals, was conquered by Shivaji Maharaj who loved it like a jewel! It is known to be more than 20 centuries old and is the origin of the enormous river Pravara, also known as Amrutvahini. It boasts of clear views of the Kalsubai peak and the Kokan-Kada (where the Sahyadris descend steeply into Konkan), thus becoming a trekker’s and photographer’s delight. So look up and you will want to visit other places close to Maharashtra and Gujrat. Happy Exploring.

Allka V Aswani

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