WOODLAND IN THE HILLS

“Woods are lovely, dark and deep”

Once you visit Matheran, a beautiful hill station in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, you will surely recite these lines written by American poet Robert Frost.

Matheran, a forest area abounds in flora and fauna and is a perfect place for nature lovers. The quintessential hill station is one of the few places in the world where vehicles are not allowed.

 

Traffic, Noise, Pollution, Concrete Forest. Even the beautiful hill stations like Shimla, Mussorie, Manali, Ooty, Gangtok are victims of these four evils of human civilization. Last time when I went to a hill station we were stuck in traffic for almost 2 hours. I left wondering - can I find a tranquil zone in this country?

For the next few months I kept loitering in the beaches of South India but even expanse of sea could not fulfill my desire to be in solitude in the mighty mountains. Finally a like-minded friend of mine took me to Matheran- the most serene place I have ever visited. There is no commotion in Matheran at all because there are no vehicles allowed here. For walkers there cannot be a better place than Matheran. An amble in the wood takes you to a different world. For ailing tourists there are horseback transport or hand pulled rickshaws.

 

About 2,625 feet high on the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra lies Matheran. It is the smallest hill station in the country and an eco-friendly zone. The word Matheran means ‘forest on the forehead’. The exciting train journey to Matheran starts from Nerul. The toy train crawls to the hill allowing passengers to surrender their eyes to the scenic beauty of Western Ghats. The chug of train, curved track and panoramic view remind of Shimla-Kalka route though it is short and does not have any tunnel. As you ascend towards your way air glides and monkeys’ jump, your curiosity to see the hill station builds.

The first thing you notice when you step out of Matheran railway station is the market- a typical hill station’s market with open-fronted shops, talkative shop-keepers and road bustling with tourists and horse wallas.

 

A little about history

Matheran, which lies in Raigad district, became a popular gateway for tourists in summer during British era. Hugh Poyntz Malet district collector of Thane in 1850 was the first one to discover the hills of Matheran. Later Lord Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay laid the foundations of the development of a future hill station. But the credit of introducing trains to the highlanders of Matheran goes to a Parsi gentleman Adamjee Peerbhoy. It was the year 1907 when Railways set up the feet in the forest and built a station here.

Accommodation:

For accommodation there are a plenty of hotels here. We had booked a hotel which was actually a bungalow owned by a lady named Maria. Our stay in the place was memorable and I still wonder - was it because of warm hospitality of the owner or the charm of staying in a beautiful building of British architecture?

 

 

The forest on the forehead

The beauty of Matheran lies in the view points spread in 7 kms that give best glimpse of nature.  Some view points like Panorama Point has a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. We sat at the point for an hour to see the beautiful sunset. As the sun took his last breath and went to sleep, our eyes also moved from sky to plains below. The breathtaking view from the hilltop offers not just thrill but can cause acrophobia too. There are almost 35 view-points in Matheran like Louisa Point, One Tree Hill Point, Hart Point, Monkey Point, Khandala Point, Porcupine Point and Rambagh Point. After covering these points we decided to take a horse back to our bungalow. Our horses galloped through the deep woods much before the darkness tucked the whole area.

 Walk till you are one with the mountains

A visit to Matheran is incomplete if you don’t see Charlotte Lake. A lake in the middle of dense forest with no human activity is the life of Matheran as it provides the drinking water to the inhabitants. A morning walk to the lake can invigorate zombies even. The serenity and tranquility of lake coupled with green surroundings and an artistic bridge across the lake is an ideal place to enjoy the nature. The minute it rains, it becomes a monsoon mosaic. For adventure lovers valley crossing by a rope at Honey Moon Point can be life-time experience.  Dare to do it if like to you live life on edges.

 

Shopping

Matheran’s main bazaar is famous for two things: Chikki and leather articles. By late evening the bazaar is crowded with tourists who stroll, shop and munch the crunchy chikki.

 

Matheran is a perfect place for all those who yearn for solitude and silence.

The woods of Matheran epitomize silence. Though the place offers a lot more but it is the forest that is Matheran’s grandeur.

 

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How to reach:

 

Neral is the nearest town which is well connected to Mumbai and Pune. Neral is 90kms from Mumbai and 120 kms from Pune. A toy train runs from Neral to the main market in Matheran. Apart from the toy train, there is a taxi and bus service from Neral town to Dasturi Naka in Matheran which is 9 kms from Matheran main market. From Dasturi Naka one can hire a horse-back to the market.

 

 

Where to stay:

There are number of hotels in Matheran. Tariffs vary from season to season. During peak season the rates are quite high. Average tariff is 1000-2500 per night.

 

 

Where to eat:

Most of the hotels have food service. Matheran bazaar also has many eating points.

 

Best time to visit:

July  to Novemeber.

 

Warnings:

Monkeys are marauding. Be careful with them.

Forest is small but dense. Don't go alone at night, you may lose your way