My TripAdvisor Review No.146: Sutarwadi Lake, Kolad, Raigad District.

“Beautiful Lake surrounded by Green Hills.”

Reviewed 3 days agoNEW

Sutarwadi Lake and Dam is a calm and serene water body ringed by emerald green hills of the Sahyadris all around it. It is located in the village of Kolad in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.

There are a number of farms and resorts surrounding the Sutarwadi Lake. One can stay at one of these resorts for a few days and enjoy a quiet getaway from the city life, observing the bird life and serenity around the lake.

The Kundalika River, famous for white water rafting expeditions and camps, is nearby. One can combine the adrenaline rush of white water rafting with a soothing stay next to the Sutarwadi Lake.

The best time to visit Kolad is during the monsoons, between July and September.

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Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.145: Restaurant at Hotel Aryaa Regency, Ozar, Maharashtra.

“Good Clean Restaurant.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

We stopped at this restaurant when we visited the Vigneshwara Ganesh Temple at Ozar. The restaurant is located in the Hotel by the same name. The premises were very neat and clean and the service was prompt.

We ordered some South Indian snacks and found the taste of the food to be very good.

Later we checked out the rooms in the hotel and they were neat and clean and reasonably priced. We decided we would stay here the next time we visit Ozar.

• Visited July 2015
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My TripAdvisor Review No.144: Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar, Maharashtra.

“Dedicated to the Elephant Headed God, Lord Ganesha.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

The Vigneshwara Temple is one of the most beautiful temples dedicated to the elephant headed god, Lord Ganesha. It also forms part of the Ashtavinayak yatra of the eight naturally formed idols of Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra, around Pune. Ozar, where this temple is located is about 90 km from Pune.

Lord Ganesha defeated the demon of obstacles, Vignasura, hence the name Vigneshwara.

The temple is clean and serene, with high walls surrounding it. The river Kukadi flows nearby and one can enjoy an evening boat ride on the river. There are lodgings available near the temple, for an overnight stay. Ozar itself is a small rural town where one can enjoy a quiet getaway.

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Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.143: Dhom Dam, Wai, Maharashtra.

“Huge Lake with Boating Facility.”

Reviewed 3 days agoNEW

The Dhom Dam is a huge lake formed by the dam on the Krishna River. The waters of this lake flow down from the hills of Mahabaleshwar. The waters of the lake and dam can be observed from many of the lookout points in Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, in the Krishna Valley.

However, if you want to enjoy the boating facilities you have to go down to Wai town, which is about 30 km from Mahabaleshwar and 12 km from Panchgani. Once you reach Wai ST stand there is a right turn to Pasarni Road. The boat club is located at the village of Boriv, 9 km from Wai ST stand.

The lake is very serene and peaceful and boats are available during the evenings for joy rides. It is also a good place to enjoy sunsets.

There are some lodges and camps near the Dhom Lake where you can stay the night, and enjoy morning walks around the lake.

Visited November 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.142: Srushti Resort and Agri Tourism, Wai, Maharashtra.

“Back to Nature.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

Srushti Resort is a wonderful farm-stay located just about 100 km from Pune at Wai town, on the Mahabaleshwar route. We spent a very serene and peaceful couple of days here away from the noisy crackers and polluting fumes of Diwali celebrations in the big city.

Our room was in a cottage surrounded with chickoo and mango trees. The room was spacious and very clean, with minimal furniture. We had 3 beds and an open granite shelf to keep our stuff, a coffee table and 2 chairs, and a small TV with cable connection. The toilet, bath and towels were clean and we were given an individual soap, but no shampoo and toilet paper. We did not need an ac but the room had a good ceiling fan, which was required during the day. The best part was the small sit-out patio where we could have our morning and evening cup of tea, watching the sunrise and sunset, surrounded by the chickoo trees.

We were served dinner in their outdoor thatched gazebo. The food was a simple but tasty Maharashtrian thali with one dry and one gravy vegetable with chapattis, rice, dal, papad, home-made pickles and chutneys, curd and shrikhand. The food was cooked by Mr.Ramesh Pisal’s wife, though he admitted to helping her with the cutting and chopping!

By the time we finished dinner the climate had become chilly and they offered to light a bonfire for us, but we decided to retire to our room for the night.

The area around the resort is good for walks along the road besides the Sonjai hills. About 2 km away is a cave temple situated on the top of a hill. If you have a car you can drive to the Dholya Ganpati temple, the Mandhardevi temple, Menawali Ghat, or the Dhom Dam for a boat ride. On the way back to Pune next day we stopped at the Mapro Food Court on the Wai–Surur road (not the one at Mahabaleshwar) and had their pizza and strawberry with cream, just 5 km from Wai.

We had a serene and peaceful break at Srushti Resort, that too at very reasonable rates, as compared to the exorbitant rates charged by the Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani hotels in peak season.

Room Tip: Ask for the room with Western style toilets if you cannot use the Indian style ones.

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• Stayed November 2015, travelled with family
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My TripAdvisor Review No.141: Ranjangaon Ganpati Temple, near Pune, Maharashtra.

“Maha Ganpati among the Ashtavinayaks.”

Reviewed 5 November 2015NEW

This temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh is about 50 km from Pune on the Pune – Ahmednagar highway. It is the largest Ganpati amongst the eight Ashtavinayaks and hence is known as the Maha Ganpati. As you travel towards Ahmednagar this temple can be seen on the right hand side of the highway at Ranjangaon. There are some hotels nearby where you can put up for the night, as well as at the Ranjangaon MIDC area 7 km further ahead.

There is sufficient parking area in the temple premises, and many shops and eateries as well. There is a small garden nearby as well.

There was an orderly queue of about 25 people to enter the sanctum, and it was well regulated with metal barricades. Security is stringent and photography is prohibited in the temple. The atmosphere is peaceful and serene and we had a good darshan. Different types of ‘prasad’ can be purchased from the special authorised counters outside the sanctum. After darshan we had the ‘modak prasad’ made from a coconut and jaggery mixture encased in pouch of refined flour, which tasted quite delicious.

We had tea at one of the restaurants outside and returned to our hotel at MIDC Ranjangaon.

Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.140: Shree Chintamani Temple, Theur, Pune.

“Ashtavinayak Temple near Pune.”

 

Reviewed 3 November 2015 NEW

The Ganesh temple at Theur is the Ashtavinayak temple closest to Pune city, just 25 km away. It is the 5th temple to visit if you are doing the ‘yatra’ in the traditional sequence.

There are two approaches to this temple from Pune. One is from the Pune - Ahmednagar Road, turning right after Wagholi, via Kesnand and crossing the Mula-Mutha River Bridge at Theur. The other one is via Hadapsar and Loni Kalbhor on the Pune-Sholapur highway. One has to take a left turn to Theur village about 1 km after Loni.

There is a large paid parking lot next to the temple, from where it is a 250 metre walk. You pass many fruit vendors, small restaurants, and prasad stalls from where you can buy the flowers and coconut offerings to Lord Ganesh. The atmosphere inside the temple is serene and peaceful and we had a good darshan.

Later we visited the museum next to the temple, which has a token entry fee of Rs.10. This museum has nice sculptures and paintings of Lord Ganesh. There are even miniature models of all the Ashtavinayak Temples on the top floor. The museum is worth a visit.

Photography is prohibited in the temple as well as the museum.

Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.139: Tamhini Falls, District Raigad, Maharashtra.

“Nature's Beauties.”

Reviewed 30 October 2015 NEW

The waterfalls of Tamhini Ghat are a sight to behold during the monsoon season, between July and September. Being a hilly region the rain water trickles down from the top of the mountains in the Sahyadri Hills (Western Ghats of Maharashtra) forming huge waterfalls as the streams cascade down the slopes towards the plains of the Konkan region.

A lot of weekenders from Pune and nearby suburbs drive to Tamhini to enjoy these beauties of nature in the rainy season. To avoid the crowds it may be better to visit the falls on a weekday. The two lane road is good in parts, but patchy and pot-holed in some sections.

Tamhini Ghat is a 50 to 60 km drive from Pune, and may take about an hour or two depending on the traffic. You have to follow the Paud Road route from Chandni Chowk in Pune. After passing Pirangut and Paud villages you will come to the Mulshi Lake. Travel further down the ghat to reach the Tamhini Ghat. Soon you will start seeing small waterfalls trickling down the hillsides. There are many small eateries along the way where you can stop for a snack and a cup of coffee. About 15 km after Mulshi Lake where the road takes a bend there is a small natural platform which forms a kind of look-out point from where you get an amazing 360 degree view of the hills with waterfalls all around you.

The falls were not gushing down due to less rain this year (2015), but they still looked refreshing after the recent rains.

If you carry on further down the road you will reach the ‘Orchard Resort’ where you can stop for a meal or overnight stay, or carry on towards Kolad or Mangaon towns on the Mumbai – Goa highway.

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Visited August 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.138: Shri Varad Vinayak, Mahd, Khopoli, Maharashtra.

“Talk to Lord Ganesh Yourself.”

Reviewed 30 October 2015 NEW

Shri Varad Vinayak Ganpati Temple is one of the eight Ashtavinayak Ganesh Temples in Maharashtra. For a pilgrim doing the complete conventional ‘yatra’ this temple would come 4th in the sequence.

This temple is located in the village of Mahd, near Khopoli on the old Mumbai – Pune Highway (NH4). It is not to be confused with the town of Mahad which is on the Mumbai – Goa Highway. Mahd is about 6 km from Khopoli, 63 km from Mumbai and 85 km from Pune. One can exit at Khalapur if travelling via the Mumbai – Pune Expressway.

What is different about this temple is that a devotee can perform his own puja, and pay his respects to the Lord Ganesha himself. There was no rush or pushing from other pilgrims when we visited and we could pray in peace.

Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.137: Shree Vighnahar Ganpati Temple, Ozar, Pune District, Maharashtra.

“Remover of Obstacles.”

Reviewed 27 October 2015 NEW

‘Vighnaharta’ means Remover of Obstacles in Marathi language, and that is the name given to this Lord Ganesh at the temple at Ozar. Lord Ganesh got this name when he defeated ‘Vignasura’ the demon of obstacles.

We paid our respects at this temple after visiting the Girijatmaj Ganesh at Lenyadri. Both these temples form part of the Ashtavinayak yatra of eight Swayambu (self apparent) Ganpatis in the Pune region of Maharashtra. Ozar is about 85 km from Pune, and Lenyadri about 100 km. We had spent the night at Lenyadri, and drove down to Ozar the next morning. It was a very pleasant drive of 15 km through green fields of tomato, banana, jowar, bajra, sugar cane, and other crops. We passed a few villages and experienced the rural life of the farmers.

At Ozar there is an entry fee of Rs.20 for each vehicle. There is sufficient free parking for many vehicles in the parking lot next to the river. The temple is next to the Kukadi River, and boats are available near the embankment for pleasure trips. The temple was brightly painted and there was an orderly queue for darshan. The temple is surrounded by a fortified wall from all sides.

We had a good darshan of the Lord.

Around the temple there are some Bhakta Niwas lodgings for the pilgrims to stay. There are some private hotels too.

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Visited July 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.136: Junnar Caves, Pune District, Maharashtra.

“Ancient Buddhist Caves.”

Reviewed 24 October 2015 NEW

These are a series of ancient Buddhist caves dating back to between the 1st and 3rd century AD, found near Junnar town in the Pune district of Maharashtra. Most of the bigger caves are found in the Lenyadri hills about 5 km from Junnar. One of the caves in this series has the famous Ashtavinayak Ganesh known as the Girijatmaj Ganesh. A lot of Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims trek up the 300 steps leading to these caves. Many of these caves are used by Buddhist monks for prayer, meditation and even as dwellings.

The other caves are found in the other hills surrounding Junnar. There are some in the hill of the Shivneri Fort, but these are not easily accessible to the normal pilgrim. You have to be a seasoned trekker to visit these.

Junnar town is about 100 km from Pune city. The route from Pune is via the Nashik highway. You have to turn left at Narayangaon and follow the state highway till you reach Junnar. There are a lot of hills and green forests surrounding the town. The River Kukadi flows near Junnar, and there are a lot of green fields on the banks of the river.

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Visited July 2015

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