Kondana Caves Trek

Kondana Caves is around 15 KM from Karjat in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it offers the ancient lifestyle of Buddhist followers.

We started our journey from Mumbai  in the early morning to explore the Buddhist caves.  We all gathered at Karjat Station at around 7.40 am and took a Rickshaw to the base village.  Around 8.30 am, we reached the base village - Kondivadi village.  After having breakfast, we started our trek. This route in monsoon season is truly exciting. You get to see streams, waterfalls, lush green paddy fields on the way.

There was a light drizzle and streams and waterfalls occasionally crossing our paths are a rejuvenating experience. After one hour trek, we reached in front of the caves and the first sight was mesmerizing.  A waterfall crashing into rocks below from atop offers a spectacular sight. There were lots of people when we reached the place.



Kondana Caves are very famous Buddhist caves. These caves enclose sculptures, vihara, chaitya and stupa. Legend says that there was a natural disaster in the form of an earth quake  in early 1900 by which many stupas, front entrance and floor of the caves were damaged. Sculptures and stupas are specimens of the ancient period Buddhist architecture.

There are 4 caves in this complex of which the second cave was beautifully carved with a stupa inside it.

Next to it is another cave which can be reached by climbing steps. It has many rooms inside. We quitely sat down for some time in one room and I loved being in that place, breathing in the fresh air. There are two other caves, but nothing much to see inside. 

Apart from architecture and the lush green that the monsoon provides, you can spend your time getting a cold fresh water massage as you stand under the cascading waterfall.  A couple of minutes under this awesome waterfall is enough to refresh.

After having packed lunch, we started our descend. The descend was obviously faster.

There is a river flowing parallel to the road on which you would be trekking and there are hills all around which would be covered in lush greenery in the monsoons. Although it was a slightly rainy day, we had several “wow” moments. A couple of minutes in these flowing waters is enough to wipe off every thought from our mind, leaving behind just a sense of peace and joy - definitely worth the trip.

By around 4 pm , when we reached the base village, it had begun to drizzle.  It was a memorable and rejuvenating trek.

How to reach: Drive or take a train to Karjat station, and then drive about 30 minutes to Kondivadi village, the start point of the trek.

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Anjaneri Fort (Birth Place Of Lord Hanuman)

Anjaneri Fort is located about 20 km from Nashik Trimbakeshwar Range, Maharashtra, India.

As decided, all of us met at Kasara station at 7.40 AM. After having breakfast we started towards Anjaneri in a private jeep. Enroute we had a pit stop near Vaitarna Lake.

Vaitarna Lake

After 2 hrs of  journey,  we reached the base village called Anjaneri Village.  We travelled by jeep till the base of a mountain from where the trek starts. But this is not Anjaneri mountain. There is another mountain after crossing the first one.  These two pinnacles are called as ‘Navara’ and ‘Navari’. After a small introduction session, we started our trek. Initially the trek has steps.

Then we reached a six inch wide path  full of stones which was very dangerous.

Then the path of trek goes between two hills .

We found two caves between the two hills.

After crossing the first mountain and 1.5 hours of trekking, we reached a plateau where Anjani Mata Temple is situated.  Legends says that it is the birth place of Lord Hanuman.  There is a temple dedicated to his mother Mata Anjani and it is the only temple for Anjani Mata in the world.

Anjani Mata Temple

After taking rest and photographic sessions, we continued our trek. After  about 20 minutes, we reached a vast plateau. It was raining heavily so we didn't get a chance to click any photo. The clouds covered the whole area and we were unable to see any natural beauty around the plateau.

We walked through the vast area and the clouds were floating at a touching distance. We could see lots of Chavar floweres (Hitchenia caulina)  blossomed.

After few more minutes walk, we reached one more big temple of Anjani Mata.

There is a small home nearby and they were selling tea and snacks. This is the only facility available at the top of the fort.

There is another cave where Lord Hanuman was born. While descending there is a small path which leads to the cave.

Soon we reached the cave.

Birth place of Lord Hanuman

Enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The sky high mountains and tranquility will mesmerise you.

From the top, you can watch the beautiful view of the lake shaped like the footprint of Lord Hanuman.

Soon we reached the base of the village and started our return journey. The  journey was actually a pilgrimage with trek experience and was truly thrilling.

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Karnala Fort Monsoon Trek

My first trek of this monsoon season.  Karnala is about 13 kilometers from Panvel city, Navi Mumbai, in the Indian Sate of Maharashtra and the fort is located within Karnala bird sanctuary.

How to reach Karnala:

Reach Panvel by train/Bus and take an auto in Mumbai-Goa Highway route to Karnala bird sanctuary.

Once the site of Buddhist rock-cut caves that were used for meditation, Karnala Fort later played an active role in guarding the coast under Kanoji Angre and the Marathas. The dense forests around the fort were a favorite haunt of the late Salim Ali who helped establish the Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

Entry fee of 25 Rs per person is charged before entering the area. They will charge Rs 100  for small camera. The entry guards checked the number of bottles and plastic covers carried which if found missing while on one's return- there might be a fine of Rs. 200/- . Entry time is restricted between 7 am to 5 pm.

The trek begins at the entrance of the bird sanctuary. 

After 10 min walk we reached  bird sanctuary. This small sanctuary is home to lot of birds, monkeys, mongoose and other small animals. The best and amazing to watch was the peacock who had spread its beautiful feathers and was giving different poses.

peacock spreading feathers

After an introductory session we started to climb the fort. A sign board on the left side of the road indicates the direction to the Karnala fort. The fort is nearly 1500 feet above mean sea level and takes about one hour to reach the top.  Beware of snakes in this area especially in monsoon .

Karnala fort also called Funnel Hill or The Thumb Fort because it shape. Karnala fort actually consists of two forts one at a higher level and other lower. The higher level was used as watchtower when the fort was occupied however now it is in a ruined condition. It is also called Pandu’s tower. Soon we reached the entrance of the fort .

Entrance of Karnala fort 

Main door

Inside the fort, there are few water tanks around the pinnacle and ruins of some buildings.  From the top of Karnala, you can see a vast area below. 

To the northeast, you will find Haji Malang, and just below before that, Prabalgad and Matheran.

To the east, in the distance, is a hazy view of Bhimashankar.

To the south are Rajmachi and the Duke’s Nose, to the Southwest is the Mahal Mira hill range while to the west is the metropolis of Mumbai.

The fort is famous for its strange thumb shaped pinnacle and the bird sanctuary that is setup in the forest . 

It was a nice experience to see the  rainy clouds covering the mountain and  we enjoyed the heavy rain, cloud and cold weather. Around 4 pm,  we reached back to the entrance. Local transportation can be hired from outside the sanctuary gate to get back to Panvel city.  

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Madh Island- Weekend getaway from Mumbai

It was a bright  sunny Sunday. As planned, a group of enthusiastic photographers travelled to Madh Island to explore its surroundings. For most of them it was a change from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai life. 

We took BEST bus from Malad Railway station. The bus ride took about 45 minutes. All along the way to Madh, one can see enormous development everywhere and high rise buildings. Madh is spread over a large area and the scenic beauty started to appear when the bus crossed the city boundary. The trees on the road side had lost none of their natural charm. We got down from the bus at Madh Church. Since it was Sunday, there was a  huge crowd of devotees around the church.  We decided to come back to the church after breakfast. Had Maharashtrian breakfast of  Misal Pav- a mildly spiced usal made from matki (moth bean), sev, a spicy rassa and soft, untoasted pav. We all enjoyed the breakfast.

Soon we came back to 'Our lady of Sea' church. By that time, the church hall was empty. What attracted me most was the phrase  'If you want peace!!!Protect creation '  written on a borad, which was place at the entrance of the church. As we entered, the building reminded me of  all the conservative churches I have been in. It was very beautiful inside. And we spent enough time inside the church.

Our Lady of the Sea church, Madh Island

Madh Island consisting of fishing villages and farmlands. Fishermen dwell in this area and one can get sight of their houses. We could see busy men and women knitting fishing nets and curating their catch from the sea.  I watched fish  kept to dry on 15-foot tall wooden racks to dry in the heat for a longer shelf life.

We wanted to see other important areas of Madh. We walked towards Kali Mata mandir. The narrow roads are blessed by Gulmohar Tree cover and  the heat is broken by these vividly flowering trees.

Another attraction on Madh Island is the 'Madh Fort'. The fort is situated close to Aksa beach.  And I walked around the fort. The fort is surrounded by local fishermen communities. I could see fishing boats reaching the jetty with  basketfull of fish.  Beside this fort, is a small temple of Lord Shiv known as Killeshwar Mahadev Temple.  We then decided to explore the fort from the other side. We climbed the rocks around the fort to reach the entrance of the fort.

The fort was built by the Portuguese as a watchtower in the 17th century and now under the control of the Indian Air Force. Prior Permission is needed for accessing it. Bollywood movies and serials have also been shot at this magnificent venue. The fort itself is a  fascinating place. Several episodes from the  popular TV series C.I.D have been shot here.

Madh Fort

There are quite good views of Mumbai skyline from the fort.  If you have good eyesight you can have a tiny glimpse of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Madh Island Beach is one of the most famous beaches of Mumbai. The beach is clean with less crowd around.  Overall it is an ideal destination for those wishing to get away from the busy life of the city.

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In Search of Mumbra Devi's Best View

The month of May... the hottest month of the year. It was hot and sunny, but pleasant. There were few travel plans for this month. So I decided to be a part of a photowalk to Mumbra Devi Temple, Mumbra - a suburb of Thane district, in the Indian State of Maharashtra. One has to take a  slow train to get down at Mumbra station.  Fast trains  run in different routes. Mumbra Devi Temple is situated in Parsik Hill.  As the train approched Mumbra, I could see the Mumbra Devi temple.

As per our itinerary, all of us reached  Mumbra Station East at around 5:00 pm. We started our walk from Mumbra station and we took the lane just opposite to the railway station and it goes upwards to Mumbra bypass. We walked through the narrow street lined with shops . The street was crowded.

We have to cross the old Mumbai-Pune highway to start our ascend to Mumbra Devi Temple.  One has to climb numerous steps in order to reach the  temple and it is said that temple is situated at a height of 210 meters appx above sea level.  From Mumbra bypass, we  began walking uphill through steps. When we began  to climb, I felt that the temple is near and can be reached easily. But soon I realised that it is situated at  a great height  and  we took around one hour to reach the top.

It was around 6 pm, when we reached the top. The temple was made in rocks and now concrete structures are built. The main temple has a mural of 10 faces of Mumbra Devi.

One can see whole plains from the temple. You will get the view of Ulhas river, Mumbra creek, Diva and Kalyan. After pooja and taking the blessings of Mumbra Devi, we waited there till sunset.

Since I do not have DSL camera, I watched others setting their cameras in tripod. After  Sunset, once all the lights  are switched on, one can witness the beauty of the Mumbra by night. My friends were busy to take the beautiful images with long exposures.

It was around 8 pm, when we started to descend towards Mumbra station. Once we reached  Mumbra station, we had cold drinks and bid adieu and returned to our home.

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Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai

The main dome

I’m really excited to be heading to so many beautiful places in Mumbai that I have never visited. Global Vipassana Pagoda is one such place.

Opened in 2009, this temple is relatively new. It is situated in Gorai - a 15 minute travel by road from Borivali(West), and is dedicated to the teachings of Gautam Buddha-peace, harmoney and meditaion. It was an interesting journey to Pagoda from Gorai jetty .

Visiting time is restricted between 9.00 am to 7.00 pm. I'll let the pictures explain you about Global Vipassana Pagoda.



The entrance

The pagoda's stores the antique artefacts of Buddha, which are believed to emit positive vibrations. Hundreds of people come here in search of peace. 

Gong Tower

Bell Tower

Ashoka Pillar

There is one Lilly pad pond near to the Ashoka Pillar. There are many places around the main pagoda to see and visit video & photo gallery and painting gallery.

God and Goddess of Sky

Buddha Statue

Also , adventure lovers can visit  Esselworld and Water Kingdom that are at a walking distance from the pagoda.

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Midnight cycling from Bandra to Juhu Beach, Mumbai

This was my third Midnight Cycling in Mumbai and second through the coastal route. I had  earlier a 35 km ride from Colaba to Haji Ali and a 35 km ride from Nariman Point to Bandra. And this time 30 km ride to and from Bandra Station to Juhu beach and is ideal for enthusiasts, novices and families alike.

Bandra Station, Mumbai

At 10.00 pm Saturday night, as planned, I reached Bandra station and collected my cycle from a nearby shop. There was a large group of cyclists ready to leave as they awaited few of their members. Most of them were busy with selfies and I also joined  them. As all the members collected their cycles,  we left from Bandra  by around 11 pm after a set of instructions given  by the group coordinators.

The route mainly follows busy roads of Mumbai city.  We passed through Lilavati Hospital and Mount Marry church. I got a magnificent view of the Bandra-Worli sea link road while passing through  Lilavati Hospital road. 

Soon we reached Bandra Band stand .  It was around 2 am Sunday and we had a long halt for about half an hour. I saw Mumbaities enjoying even in the midnight -  friends, lovers and  families with their small babies were seen  roaming, enjoying sea waves and the weather. We spent around half an hour with selfies, group photos and snacks.

Then we moved to Juhu Beach through Carter Road - Pali Hill - Zig Zag Road. We assembled in a small ground near Citizen Hotel and spent half an hour for photos, chatting etc etc.

Then we cycled  back to Bandra Hill Road and returned our cycles. After saying goodbye to each other, I reached Bandra Station by around 4.17 am. And my train to Churchgate was at 4.17 am.

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Alibaug - Weekend Getaway from Mumbai

Mumbai is becoming warmer day by day and monsoon seems to be far away. I was looking for a place to chill out near Mumbai. While discussing the potential places around Mumbai, my friend suggested Alibaug which is approachable either by road or by a ferry from the Gateway of India.

We started  our journey from Gateway of India at around 11 AM. Took a Apollo catamaran ticket for Rs.110/- from booking stalls opposite to Gateway of India.  It took one hour to reach Madwa Jetty from where we had to take a bus that was arranged by the ferry transporter themselves. The area was packed with families and group of friends on a weekend getaway.

It took another 30 minutes from Mandwa to Alibaug.  Alibaug Beach is walkable distance from Alibaug Bus Stop.  So we decided to walk. The town reminded me so much of my hometown Kerala with amazing tall Coconut trees, Mango trees etc. etc.

We reached Alibaug beach by evening and the good thing was that it was low tide. So we could go to the Kolaba Fort by walk.  Among all the beaches, this one has the blackest sands.

Walking across the dry sea

During high tide, one can prefer Horse- carts, that is available for hire.

EXPLORING KOLABA FORT

History says that Mr.Kanhoji Angre, the most notable admiral of the Maratha navy,  was in charge of the offshore 17th-century Kolaba Fort.  It was from here that Angre launched several attacks on approaching British and Portuguese ships.

And we climbed to the top of the fort to witness the glory. We walked on the fort walls, and the view from there was breathtaking.

Reservoir of fresh water 

                             

 Another entrance to Kolaba Fort

Another attraction in the Fort is a functioning Siddhivinayak Temple, apparently dating back to Angre’s time.

Beautiful temple of Shri Ganesh

We were lucky to witness some special moments in Kolaba Fort. We found one shooting going on inside the Fort. It was really a bonus to our trip.

LEISURE TIME

We left the Fort at around 6 PM and this is  the time for a bath before leaving the place. It was an absolute treat diving in the sea with crystal clear water.

There are also many water sports activities available. A range of activities such as banana boat rides, stand up paddle boarding, and bumper boat rides are on offer.  Those who likes water sports activities, this place means heaven for them.

What else near Alibaug Beach:

1) Sagargad is another hill fort not too far from here, which is in ruins but worth visiting.

2)  Religious locations in Alibaug include Kanakeshwar Devasthan temple and Vikram Vinayak temple.

3) Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary is less than 30 kms away from Alibag .
4) Alibag has many beaches in its vicinity that include the Versoli Beach, Nagaon Beach, Akshi Beach and Kashid Beach.

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