The path less traveled - Matheran

A forest Trail

 Matheran  ( A forest atop a hillock - Marathi) 

Matheran is probably the most special of all hill-stations in India . 
Nestled amidst the sprawling Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats in India , Matheran is a shady hamlet overlooking deep gorges.

The moment you set your foot at Matheran , time stands still . It seems to be completely cut off from the rest of civilization . I doubt whether the place has undergone any changes at all , in the past 30-50 years ( of course except the mushrooming Hotels , Lodges and Resorts in the "Market Area" of the town ).

Ok now time for some history lessons . Matheran was originally built as a Holiday Home for britishers during the colonial era , where they could escape the sweltering heat of the neighbouring Mumbai and Kalyan areas , and escape into the wilderness . The task of building a winding rail road to the top ( which was nothing less than an engineering marvel in those days ) was entrusted to an Enginner by the name Abdul Hussein Peerbhoy who built the one and only narrow-guage railroad to the summit . This track is functional till date , and is considered to be the 'must-experience' thing , if you are visiting the hill station.


If you recall , i had mentioned earlier that Matheran was unique in its own way , among the rest of Hill-stations in India. The reason for that is Matheran , presumably , is the only Hill-station in India where Vehicles/Automobiles are banned . 
Once you enter the gates , you have to explore the entire territory on foot ! 
For those of you , who are not very excited with the idea of exploring the winding forest trails of Matheran on foot ... worry not ! They have got horses to make life easier .
In fact , you will find more horses than men once u begin from the gates .

You don't have a Asphalted road once inside . Its just a clayish road strewn with small brown stones , that will lead you everywhere inside through the forest.
You will be greeted initially with roadside shopkeepers selling all kinds of stuff from Fruits to munch on while exploring ,  to caps for warding off the sun , juices , shoes and what not .
Neighs of horses trying to accommodate a weary tourist on their back ( sometimes even two at a time ! ) , horse owners soliciting tourists , bargaining and offering "5 points for 300 /- " is a common sight . Oh and "points" refer to strategic and scenic spots on the edge of the forest from where u get a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley below.
Apart from horses , you can also avail the services of a pull-rickshaw like the one below.

Hand-Pulled rickshaw ...Your leg giving up ? Hire one of these Chauffeurs .

But once you are through and leave the "Market Area" behind , you are greeted with dense untouched forests  and , nothing but the sounds of leaves rustling in the cool mountain breeze enchant you .
They say , the journey is more fascinating  than the destination . I think the secluded and winding forest trails of Matheran do complete justice to this phrase .
Personally i have enjoyed the walk through some of the many paths inside the forest ( like the one in the picture below ) than the scenic view of the valley below  , at the end of it .Somehow you feel your mind emptied of mundane thoughts , you are conscious of nothing but just the forest breeze refreshing you with each step you take , and the sight of the road ahead of you flanked by dense green foliage .
Ostentatious and massive-looking roots of age-old trees , twisting and turning and making their way amidst rocks , sometimes force you to wonder how old these forests are.And for how long they have stood the test of time , and witnessed the world around them changing hues .

A captivating section of forest path , cutting through the edge of a cliff.

Each "point" offers almost a panoramic view of the valley below from different angles .
You can witness nearby mountain peaks , and lakes underneath scattered across the mountain ranges . 
It is astonishing to know that almost each of these mountains belong to the same Western Ghats range that extend a whopping 1200-1300 kms long western coastline of India . 
That means hypothetically if you were to walk from one mountain and continue to the next , you would end up  reaching the southern most region of India ( yes you read that right " hypothetically" !).
No wonder the Western Ghats have been accredited the UNESCO world heritage site for bio-diversity .

Magnificent View of Valley ....En Route to Panorama Point ( Mentioned below in FACTSHEET )

Yet another Valley View .. a Hazy Afternoon.

A monkey perched on the edge of a valley , overlooking a dense forest.

I would recommend Matheran strongly to anyone out there , who loves to escape into raw    untouched nature . It is thrilling and instills a sense of adventure .
And most of all it comes as a breath of fresh air , to all of us who are too busy in our own little universes.

Time for some more pics and finally FACT-SHEET for fellow nomads !

A bright Blue Bug ..basking in the hot afternoon sun.

Valleys....Valleys ...Valleys

If you notice ..you can spot the Toy-Train chugging along cliff edges..worth a journey that one !

FACT SHEET :

How to get there : 

                            Step - 1 : Reach Mumbai.
                            Step - 2 : Hire a CAB directly to Matheran .

                                        :  Or Use the Local suburban trains to alight at NERAL station                     adjoining Karjat Station.From NERAL you get countless Share Taxis to the top .

                                        :  From NERAL , if you are lucky and on time , you might get the Toy - Train to Matheran . Though i have never got the opportunity to board it , i have been told it is a "MUST" if you ever visit this place . Thoroughly enjoyable train journey. 

Where to stay:

                                         Too many options available to stay at Matheran . My personal recommendation would be MTDC Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation  cottages called " Shruti Villa" . Specially convenient if you have drove your way to Matheran . As the hotel is situated just next to the parking spot.

What to see: 

                                         Points , Points and Points ! . There are too many views that Matheran can offer that includes , Hart Point , Sunset Point , Alexander Point , Louisa Point , Chowk Point .. and the list goes on and on .

                                         You could always get maps for free from shops in the market area . The Maps will give you a fairly good picture of where you are , and where all the points are relative to your position .

Must see :

                                        Again points you don't wanna miss . Panorama Point and One Tree Hill Point .

Where to eat :

                                       1. MTDC Resort Restaurant ( for simple indian food ..nothing flashy)

                                       2. Hotel Lords ( for Typical Parsi food )

Meet you fellow travellers with my experiences of a new exotic destination. Till then ...PEACE .