Mahabaleshwar: An amazing treat for Eyes and Soul

If you want to reach at the top of the world 
and touch the sky 
you must go to Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar (in Satara district) is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of the world, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during British Raj.

The Vast green plateau of Mahabaleshwar is bound by valleys on all sides and reaches a height of 1,438 m (4,718 ft) at its highest peak above sea level, known as Wilson/Sunrise Point. It provides so many panoramic views of hills, mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, springs along with greenery all around. Apart from views it is also blessed with pleasant climate as it is never too hot because of the heights and never too cold bacause of the nearness to the arabian sea. Along with favorable climate, it is endowed with dense forests that produces many commercial as well as various medicinal trees and plants. The fertile soil and suitable climate of Mahabaleshwar leads to rich growth of strawberries and mulberries. All these qualities of this place drew the English and others to Mahabaleshwar like honey bees to sweet nectar. Now it has become an attractive popular hill station of world renown.

It is named after Lord Mahabali, which means The God of Great Power. It was founded in 1828 AD by Sir John Malcomm and was established as a health resort in 1829 AD by Maharaja Pratap Singh of Satara and later It served as a jail for Chinese and Malaysian convicts from 1834-1864. It still bears the traces of British Raj as most of the points are named after them.

We went to Mahabaleshwar on 29^th april, 2012 for 3 days which were a bit hot days and made are roaming a bit difficult. We went there by our car. The distance from Pune to Mahabaleshwar is around 120 kms and it took around 3 hours to reach there. It is around 4500 feet above sea level.

Going to Mahabaleshwar is favorable in the months October to December but it is almost shut during monsoons as heavy rainfalls can lead to unwanted accidents.

Points: Mahabaleshwar is known for its points where a person can stand and enjoy the entire scenery. There are many worth seeing points which provide unique view to the tourists many of which are named after British people. We go to these places after hiring a taxi in Mahabaleshwar.

We hired Taxy from a Travel Agency in Main Market Mahabaleshwar.

These points are:

Old Mahabaleshwar: It is situated around 20 kms from Mahabaleshwar. There are a number of beautiful temples perched on the top, filling the air with the power of divinity. If the new Mahabaleshwar is known as the 'strawberry country' inviting traveler to taste the red berries and the famous chikki, the old Mahabaleshwar is a sacred venue dotted with temples. Some of the famous temples are: 
 

Mahabaleshwar Temple: Mahabaleshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the important pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

Central Hall(CCTV: Lingam)

This temple is divided into two areas, the inner room i.e. the sanctum sanctorum and the central hall. Swayambhu, which is the 500 years old self-originated lingam, is enshrined within the sanctum sanctorum. This self-originated lingam is in the shape of Rudraksha and is called Mahalingam, which is considered to be superior to the twelve Jyothir Lingams. The temple is the land mark of Mahabalewshwar. It is visited by locals and tourists.

The temple is situated in the Old Mahabaleshwar. It was built in the 16th century by the Chanda Rao More dynasty. The temple is encircled with a 5 feet high stone wall. The Mahabaleshwar hills were named after Lord Mahabali which means great strength.

Outside view of Panchganga Mandir

Panchganga Mandir: Along the side of Shiv temple there is another holy temple called Panchganga Mandir. According to Hindu mythology water from five holy rivers (i.e. Koyna, Krishna, Venna, Savitri and Gayatri) show their token appearance here and gets joined in a stone carved cow face(Gaomukh). From the Gaomukh the holy water falls in the cistern below. The confluence of five rivers has given the name Panchganga where Panch means five and ganga means holy river. Thus the place being called Panchganga Mandir.
This famous mandir was built by Raja Singhandeo who was the king of the Yadav of Devgiri in the 13th century. In the 16th century the temple was renovated by the Maratha Emperor Shivaji.

Shri Krishnabai Mandir: With a walking distance of 10 minutes there is one another temple called krishna temple. This is also an old temple. The carving is in the stones. This is not so famous but good to see. One can also enjoy the grand view of krishna valley from the temple.

Temple from the back side

Front view of temple

Inside view of Temple

Krishna Valley seen in front of temple

Pratapgarh fort: Pratapgarh Fort is the place from where the history of the Maratha Emperor Shivaji took the decisive turns. The fort stands as the witness of historic Battle of Pratapgarh, the belligerents of which are adilshahi forces of Afzal Khan and Maratha forces of Shivaji. In this battle the emperor Shivaji killed his rival Afzal Khan.

Fort seen from a distance

The fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656, which is now a popular hill station in the area. The 45 minutes journey to it offers commanding views of Koyana Basin and surrounding hilly terrains. The fort from a distance gives the appearance of a round topped hill. The wall of the lower fort forms a sort of a crown.

Inside the fort there are many worth seeing points which are described at http://chaytime.blogspot.in/2012/06/legend-pratapgarh-fort.html

Arthur Seat point: With one stop one can cover 5 points. These are Arthur Seat, Hunter Point, Echo Point, Tiger Spring, Window Point. All these ponits are on one hill and one has to cover all these points by walking along 1.5 to 2 KMs on the hill. At the entrance many guides may approach. It is advisable to hire them as there are no signs or boards to guide.



 Arthur’s Seat which is 1470 meters high, is said to be the queen of all points.It is said that it got its name after the british person Arthur Mallet who was the first man to come here and build a house. The wind under the hill here is so powerful that it returns everything that is flung.

View from Arthur Seat

It is over the desolate deep valley Savitri that gives captivating sights. Dense forest underneath is known as brahamaraniya. One can see breathtaking views of the mountain ranges all around. The clouds that we can see here really gives us feel like heaven. Telescopic view of mountain ranges can also be seen from here.

Standing here one can also see Window point which is just below it.Window point is natural rock formation in such a way that it resembles a window and thus got its name.

Deep valley

Sahyadri ranges seen from the Hill

Lady serving the Spring water to tourists

If you go by the steps you reached at Tiger's spring which is a natural spring. The popular belief is that the spring water is having some devout powers. It is also believed that the spring used to serve as the source of water to the animals especialy the tigers in the jungle. Viewing the luxurious valley beneath from this lovely stream is really picturesque. This pretty, scenic stream is located just about a kilometer away from the Arthur point.

Spring

When it was a wild Jungle, tigers hide themselves here and there near this spring and kept watch at it. The moment any animal came there for water, they hunt them. That's why, it

is also known as the Hunter point.

Even at present a lady sits there, with some glasses to serve that water to the tourists.

At the entrance of the hill one can also enjoy street food at many food stalls.

Dhom Dam seen from Kates point

Kate’s Point is along the Duchess Road. It is at a height of 1,290 meters. The view from the point is clear and splendid. It offers breathtaking view of krishna valley & deep waters of the Dhom dam. The peaks of Kamalgadh, Pandavgadh and Mandardeo can also be seen from Kate’s point.

The point got its name from Sir James Malcom's daughter Kate, who developed a liking for the place. She usually came here to make paintings of the surroundings. 

Close by to the Kate’s point is the Echo point. 

Deep valley seen from the point

Left side view  from Kates point

Elephant’s Head Point/Needle point is one of the best points to be visited in Mahabaleshwar. The kates point when seen from the southern side (with just 5 minutes walk), the natural rock formation resembles an elephant’s head and trunk. Thus the point got its name as the Elephant’s Head Point.

Same rock formation can also be viewed as a hole in the needle. Thats why it is also known as Needle Point.

The point renders breathtaking views of the surroundings. The mountain range of Sahyadri is also visible from this point which provides fantastic view to watch.

The Venna Lake is spread over an area of 28 acres and its average depth is 10 feet. It is located on Mahabaleshwar-Panchagani road and is around 2 KM from S.T. Bus stand. The lake is fed by repeated springs. The area encircling the lake is full of flowers and greenery. The lake was constructed by Shri Appasaheb Maharaj, who was the Raja of Satara in the year 1842.
The Venna Lake is one of the major tourist’s attraction as it has fantastic boating facilities at reasonable prices and a horse ride next to the lake. The area of the lake is busy till late night.

A number of small eateries line the banks of the lake.

Strawberry Garden

 Strawberry and Mulberry gardens: There are many Straw berry and mulberry gardens many of which are open for tourists also. One going to Mahabaleshwar must also visit at Strawberry farms to enjoy the real flavour of the fruit. It is said that the climate of Mahabaleshwar is ideal for Strawberries and Mulberries.

Mulberry Tree

Strawbwrries over the Plant

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Bombay Point /Sunset Point/ Mumbai Point is well known place from where people can view the sunset over the valleys below at Mahabaleshwar. People pack here to get a glimpse of the gray and orange skyscapes as the sun sets. Tourists visit this place to see the varied shades of the setting sun The place has a large open space with a bandstand. It is an ideal place for late afternoon picnic. The point got it’s name as it was on the old road to Mumbai. There is a lovers point to the left of the Mumbai point.

Lodwick Point: With the stopage at sunset point, close by is the lodwick point where one can reach after walking along serpentine paths for about one kilometer. It is a vantage point, which is situated about 5 km west of Mahabaleshwar. It is one of the most beautiful point of Mahabaleshwar. This point was rechristened in the honour of General Lodwick, who was the first British officer to climb the hill. To honour his achievement, his son erected a memorial pole of about 25 ft. At the base of this monument, the head of the General is sculptured in marble. 

Serpentile Path Over narow Hill

 

 Wilson Point/Sunrise Point is a vast plateau. It is named after Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor of Bombay from 1923-26. One can view the sunrise from the three masonry round platforms. The platform is perfectly located at 4735 feet above sea level and is the highest point in Mahabaleshwar. The Wilson Point is a vast barren rock with three watching towers at different spots. The point is a tourist attraction with its beautiful views of  sunrise along with feeling the cool and fresh breeze. Standing atop the Wilson Point, tourists can view picturesque views of Old Mahabaleshwar and many other places all around. Earlier known as Sindola Hill during the colonial rule, Wilson point is the only location in Mahabaleshwar from where both sunrise and sunset can be seen.

M.G.Road: It is the main market of Mahabaleshwar which is in the center of the town, from where one can purchase everything of his liking from fancy locally-made walking sticks to snacks and the specialty of the region Kolhapuri slippers. There are a variety of local brands of honey available in the bazaar.

Panchgani: Panchgani, on the way to Mahabaleshwar, attracts many tourists throughout the year. The fresh air and invigorating climate of Panchgani made it a good place for convalescence, especially for those suffering from tuberculosis as Dr. Rustomji Bomanji Billimoria set up a tuberculosis sanatorium there in the 1940s.Thus Panchgani became famous as a health resort.

Panchgani was almost entirely an educational centre as British settled three schools in 19th century. These boarding schools were modelled on the English Public Schools of that time, and were affiliated to Cambridge University.

On the way to Mahabaleshwar we also visited many famous places in Panchgani. These are:

Vast Tableland plateau

Tableland has the credit of being Asia’s second longest mountain Plateau. This is a wide expanse of laterite rock and this place offers the grandeur view of Panchgani hill station itself. There one can also enjoy the acts of so many monkeys. It has been the location for many Indian Movies, recently the location for the acclaimed movie "Taare Zameen Par" and Agent Vinod. There are also Rajpuri caves as well as the place known as Devil’s Kitchen which were closed at that time. One another famous temple dedicated to lord Kartikya(Son of Lord Shiva) is also situated in Rajpuri caves.

Playing Monkeys

View from Tableland

View from Sydney point

 Sydney Point is a renowned picnic spot lies in Panchgani. It offers panoramic views of Dhom Dam and the lush green Krishna valley. Parsi point is another breathtaking beautiful spot near Sydney Point from where views are same as that of Sydney point. This is a spot in Panchgani which is blessed with all worthy natural beauties. One can spend many hours in this calm and cool ambience enjoying the fragrant breeze emerging out from the hilly ranges.

Serbaug: Sherbaug is another said to be a picturesque and naturally well designed landscape where we could not manage to go. Serbaug thrives with a wonderful children’s park, a beautiful rose garden, home to many kinds of bird fauna, various kinds of rabbits, turkeys and swans along with various artistic and sculptural activities for cildren.

Beautiful Garden at Mapro

Mapro Gardens: On the way to Mahabaleshwar, a must visit place is Mapro Gardens. Here one can have Yummy ice creams, shakes, sandwiches, pizzas, and french fries with so many flavours. Here one can buy crushes, toffees, jams, syrup, honey. One thing good about the place is one can taste things before purchasing, so its not a blindfold purchase. It's colorful and clean so it is fun for a short time. There is also Great Garden area with beautiful variety of flowers. Chocolate factory process explanation is an addon.

Specialty of Mapro garden is Strawberries with Cream which is must to taste.

Stalls  for acceptin orders to eat

Strawberries with cream

Cocoa Beans

Chocolate Fountain

R K Palace: At Mahabaleshwar we reside at R.K. Palace which is situated in the main market. It is an average hotel in all respects.

Rahi Shivsagar Hotel: For food we approached Rahi Shivsagar from where we got good food at reasonable prices.

So at last It can easily be said that all together its invigorating climatic conditions, tempting strawberry and mulberry farms, huge and green mountains, serpentine paths, the amazing views of the valley, and several look out points make Mahabaleshwar a treat for the eyes and soul.