Malshej Ghat Tour Guide

The Junnar region of Pune District this flamingo haven is at an altitude of 3,500 ft above sea level. Somewhere downs the state highway to Malshej ghat, Mumbai and everything it stands for vanishes and the show begins to unfold. You enter a short regular looking tunnel little expecting the light at the end of it to fall on waterfalls cascading down as if the set designer of the ghats was suddenly over come with recklessness and decided to se how mch beauty one placecould handle. The drive up is beautiful enough but when you get your first view of the backwater of Pimpalgaon Joga Dam the picture has the kind of ethereal quality that makes your breath catch in your throat.

Te beauty of the drive to Malshej at this time takes a shout heart to bear. Wet bark along the road and valleys that make a long curve towards distant hills all maintain their won peace soaked in an August rain that’s sometimes gentle and sometimes harsh. Having survived and beauty of the drive the magic of Malshej will have already triggered off a million expectations in you. Relax for your shall continue to bask in this blessed state.

Water Rises

A gentle rain blows in a tired breeze as we alk to the edge. As we look down into the valley the drizzle changes its route radically. It begins to rain upwards from down under as thouh the valley is pushing the rain out to spring clean our probing faces. It’s one of those moments you carry with yourself for a long time. Perchad on the very edge of a plateau the mtdc hotel managed by a private party is gifted with the best location Just 160 idd ft frin uts restarant in the hotel’s very backyard is land’s end. The plateau ends its life suddenly and the next piece of land emerges hundreds of feet below.

Falls

In the monsoon Malshej announces its mood through a series of waterfalls. One or two fall generously right on the state highway. A splendid idea will be to get under one of the thundering falls. Soon after the initial stabs of ice-like cool the water makes friends with you. Afterwards warm up with hot bhajias and tea that a lone adivasi boy from the valley dishes up for you right one the roadside.

Flamingoes Touch Dwon

Malshej is also home to a variety of nature’s amazing creations including the gaint Indian squirrel. Droves of pinklegged European flamingoes touch dwon about 4 km away from Flamingo Hill Resot for about a month between July and September every year to escape the biting winters in their faraway homelands. They come here to breed in the marshy backwaters of Pimpalgaon Joga Dam.

Harishchandragad and Konkan Kada

About 7 km from Flamingo Resort does the grand hill fort of Harishchandragad top the base of a mountain that rises about 4,670 ft in the air. The trek to the top is ough and certainly not for the uninitiated. Atop the fort is a huge plateau and Harishchandreshwar Mandir. The Mangalganga stream flows here, which you can follow down to the Kedareshwar Caves. After a grueling climb to the fort you are treated to some incredible views. From behind the temple you have to climb over a hillock to get to a point over looking the aweinspiring konkan Kada a fantastic horseshoe shaped valley with sheer cliff faces. Eddie courrents created by the cliffs create a boomerang effect throw a light twing over the edge and watch it come back to you.

The trek to the fort should be done in at least two days. The route to the top can be confusing. Go with someone experienced or take a villager as your guide. It’s not a climb we recommend you do alone.

Around Malshej Ghat

Lenyadri Shri Girijatmaka 35 km

Lenyadri Village in Junnar houses a holy Ashtavinayaka. The first sight of the Lenyadri Vinayak Temple perched high on a Sahyadri peak is phenomenal. What you see from ground level is an entire face of a mountain in which Buddhist monks carved caves dating back to the 3rd century for their monasteries. One of the caves came to be the home of the Girijatmaj Ganpati. You have to walk up 307 winding stone steps to reach the cave. A waterfall that cascades down from the mountain peak above hides the temple inside. You pass through this natural curtain before entering the temple, which has been declared a national monument.