Bhandardara
2 Days 1 Night
Total Expense: 500
Wandering is in the instinct of human being. Although we love to settle at one place, our inner being keeps pricking us to go out, roam, move out, see something new.
When similar feeling arises in more than one soul a group is formed. This time we were group of six and place was Bhandardara. Bhandardara is a beautiful monsoon retreat.
Extremely pleasant to eyes are the lush green hills, hundreds of smoothly flowing small streams, asking you to remove your sandals and dip you feet to feel the running water soothing your mind. Rural folks busy in their daily chores, some busy with their oxes in small patch of land on corner of a hill, some herding cows with hand built bamboo raincoat on their head.
It was friday night we decided to left Mumbai and catch any Igatpuri bound train. Actually, it was not any train we had already researched for the train matching our time and comfort. All of us assembled at Dadar railway station. Train was late and was bit crowded than our expectation. From Mumbai to Igatpuri it does not take more than 3 Hours (~180 Kms), caught train at 12 AM and reached around 4 AM at Igatpuri station. Obviously it was dark there we passed 1 hour at railway station before moving out to bus stop which is at a walkable distance 5-8 minutes from station.
It was our second time at Bhandardara. The bus depo was completely renovated, we could not make out if it was the same depo we had visited last monsoon. But keeping our expectation alive only depo had chnaged not the hardcore red devils and their drivers.
Ate some snack which we had brought, and caught hold of first bus to Bhandardara at 5:40 AM. Bus fare was same around 24 rupees per person and it took 45 minutes to drop us at Bhandardara. Bus ticket is completely worth if you are on a window seat, scenery passing through eyes is just amazing.
Just where the bus stops at Bhandardara there lives a google famous Bhajiya wala uncle. He will tell you that his shop is shown on google map and visitors coming to Bhandardara already know him. Without waiting for a second we city dwellers ask from a fast food centre, but this is not the case with Bhandardarans. At first instance you will think that fast food centre is closed or lagta hai sab saaman khatam ho gaya hai iska. He will ask you to sit and enjoy meanwhile he will prepare garma garam bhaji or vada pav. This feeling alone is enough to fill mouth with juicy water.
You should ask for special daal ki chatni alongwith bhaji pav, yellowish chatni just awesome. After breakfast we went to Arthur lake or Bhandardara dam for which the road goes behind from bus depo.
As we were visiting here in early monsoon, dam was almost waterless. We were a bit disappointed, but not discouraged. We knew this is not only place to visit here.
After a good monsoon, water level rises so much water overflows over the wall (leftside in image). There is road over this wall and only heavy vehicles are allowed to pass over this road in such conditions. In good monsoon the scene is enchanting.
As the water level was less we did some amateur rock climbing across the lake towards right-end of the lake. All over there was nothing but greenery.
2 Days 1 Night
Total Expense: 500
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| Album cover |
Wandering is in the instinct of human being. Although we love to settle at one place, our inner being keeps pricking us to go out, roam, move out, see something new.
When similar feeling arises in more than one soul a group is formed. This time we were group of six and place was Bhandardara. Bhandardara is a beautiful monsoon retreat.
Extremely pleasant to eyes are the lush green hills, hundreds of smoothly flowing small streams, asking you to remove your sandals and dip you feet to feel the running water soothing your mind. Rural folks busy in their daily chores, some busy with their oxes in small patch of land on corner of a hill, some herding cows with hand built bamboo raincoat on their head.
It was friday night we decided to left Mumbai and catch any Igatpuri bound train. Actually, it was not any train we had already researched for the train matching our time and comfort. All of us assembled at Dadar railway station. Train was late and was bit crowded than our expectation. From Mumbai to Igatpuri it does not take more than 3 Hours (~180 Kms), caught train at 12 AM and reached around 4 AM at Igatpuri station. Obviously it was dark there we passed 1 hour at railway station before moving out to bus stop which is at a walkable distance 5-8 minutes from station.
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| People hustling at Igatpuri station 4.30 AM |
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| L2R: Ashish (Dyxi), Adity (Mard), Rajkumar (Genda), Shivkumar (Kilwish), Me(Ajgar), Saurabh (Inu) |
It was our second time at Bhandardara. The bus depo was completely renovated, we could not make out if it was the same depo we had visited last monsoon. But keeping our expectation alive only depo had chnaged not the hardcore red devils and their drivers.
Ate some snack which we had brought, and caught hold of first bus to Bhandardara at 5:40 AM. Bus fare was same around 24 rupees per person and it took 45 minutes to drop us at Bhandardara. Bus ticket is completely worth if you are on a window seat, scenery passing through eyes is just amazing.
Just where the bus stops at Bhandardara there lives a google famous Bhajiya wala uncle. He will tell you that his shop is shown on google map and visitors coming to Bhandardara already know him. Without waiting for a second we city dwellers ask from a fast food centre, but this is not the case with Bhandardarans. At first instance you will think that fast food centre is closed or lagta hai sab saaman khatam ho gaya hai iska. He will ask you to sit and enjoy meanwhile he will prepare garma garam bhaji or vada pav. This feeling alone is enough to fill mouth with juicy water.
You should ask for special daal ki chatni alongwith bhaji pav, yellowish chatni just awesome. After breakfast we went to Arthur lake or Bhandardara dam for which the road goes behind from bus depo.
As we were visiting here in early monsoon, dam was almost waterless. We were a bit disappointed, but not discouraged. We knew this is not only place to visit here.
 |
| Bhandardara dam. Wall to the left is gate of the dam. |
After a good monsoon, water level rises so much water overflows over the wall (leftside in image). There is road over this wall and only heavy vehicles are allowed to pass over this road in such conditions. In good monsoon the scene is enchanting.
 |
| Cracks on dam floor |
As the water level was less we did some amateur rock climbing across the lake towards right-end of the lake. All over there was nothing but greenery.
Enjoying for more than 4 hours we returned back to bus depo and then started descending towards the garden where water is released from the dam in controlled fashion making an artificial waterfall called Umbrella Fall. Photos will do justice with garden and stream originating from water.
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| Bhandardara Dam- Largest earthen dam in Bharat |
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| River bed aside dam |
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| Bridge over this river |
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