Yatri Yadien: Satara

Showing posts with label Satara. Show all posts

August 18, 2017

My TripAdvisor Review No.225: Sajjangad, Satara.

“Fort of the Gentleman Saint.”

Reviewed yesterday

NEW

‘Sajjan’ literally means Gentleman and ‘Gad’ means Fort. This rugged fort atop a hill near Satara is also the ‘samadhi’, or the final resting place, of the Saint Samarth Ramdas Swami. Sant Ramdas was one of the teachers of Shivaji Maharaj and his teachings are followed by many people even today. The Fort and Samadhi are looked after by the Ramdas Swami Sansthan. They have daily prayers and bhajan singing and they distribute free food as Prasad between 12 noon and 1 pm to all the devotees. They have a ‘Bhakta Niwas’ where the devotees can stay free for one night inside the fort.

Sajjangad is located about 12 km from Satara on the route to Thosegarh waterfalls. It is on top of a hill and there is a steep incline on the right hand side as you are going from Satara to Thoseghar. We had to park our car at the base of the fort and the parking charges are Rs.50 (more if you staying the night at the Niwas). Free parking is available outside the gates. Then you have to trudge up about a hundred steep steps and enter through the fort gates till you reach the top. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your fitness levels. If you are not fit enough or have luggage to carry then you can hire some men to carry you on their shoulders in a palki or chair.

The views from the top are very beautiful especially in the monsoons, when ever thing is painted in different shades of green. The backwaters of the Urmodi dam made the scenery even more enchanting. Our only regret was that we could not make it in time for the Puja and Prasad. We had some wada paos and onion pakoras at a food stall near the parking lot.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1162199-d3836190-r514308886-Sajjangad-Satara_Satara_District_Maharashtra.html#

August 16, 2017

My TripAdvisor Review No.224: Thoseghar Waterfalls, Satara.

“Magic of Monsoons Hidden in the Sahyadris.”

Reviewed yesterday

NEW

The Thoseghar waterfall is a beautiful picnic spot tucked away in the Sahyadri Hills of Maharashtra. It is about 140 km from Pune and about 25 km from Satara, off the Pune Bangalore National Highway. After turning right into Satara drive upto the Shivaji Circle and then take the Adalat Wada Road till you reach a junction where a left turn goes under a small tunnel. After crossing the tunnel take the right turn on to the Thoseghar Road. The falls are 25 km from here along a very scenic ghat road. Sajjangad Fort is about 10 km from here on the way. The road to Kaas Patthar and Lake is on the right turn before crossing the tunnel. One can combine a visit to Thoseghar falls, windmills at Chalkewadi, Sajjangad Fort and Kaas Patthar if one leaves early morning from Pune to get back by nightfall.

The drive from Satara to Thoseghar was beautiful and very scenic. The climate was cool and cloudy with light drizzles and mist all along the green hills on both sides. The road was narrow but in reasonably good condition. There were direction boards to guide us to the destination. We parked our car in the pay and park area and had to pay a nominal entry fee of Rs.10 per head and Rs.10 for four wheeler parking. The place is well organized and looked after by the Satara Forest Department. They have built a well paved pathway down to the viewing gallery from where we got a clear view of the three waterfalls. Washroom and drinking water facilities are also available near the entrance gate. The walk down takes about 10 minutes and anyone in reasonably good health can do it. There are some small snacks and drinks stalls nearby, though regular restaurants are a little further up the road.

One can take a picnic basket and enjoy the surrounding greenery and forests, but please throw the litter in the bins provided by the Forest Depatment. Enjoy Nature in all its glory.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1162199-d3913336-r513165140-Thoseghar_Waterfall-Satara_Satara_District_Maharashtra.html#

November 20, 2015

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.

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Ask EkMusafir about Dhom Dam

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g297653-d4088560-r327363860-Dhom_Dam-Panchgani_Maharashtra.html#

October 18, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.133: Dholya Ganpati Temple, Wai, Satara District, Maharashtra.

“Maha Ganpati at Wai, a Must Visit en route to Mahabaleshwar.”

Reviewed 17 October 2015NEW

This Maha Ganpati temple, also known as Dholya Ganpati, because of its large size, is situated on the banks of the Krishna River at Wai. Wai is a temple town, about 35 km from Satara, en route from Pune to the famous hill stations of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. It is just about half a km from the Wai ST Bus Stand. There is ample parking available near the temple, if you are coming in your own vehicle.

The Lord Ganesh idol here is very large and brightly painted, and looks very cheerful and happy. It will make you happy too, just to look and pray to him. After the darshan do take a walk around the idol (parikrama) to get his blessings. There is strict security and you are not allowed to take any snaps of the Lord Ganesh.

After emerging from the sanctum, walk behind to see the streamlined shape of the temple. It is designed in the shape of a fish to reduce the pressure of the flowing waters if there is a flood.

Next to the Ganpati temple is the Kashi Vishweshwar temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a beautifully carved Nandi bull and a nicely decorated Shivling.

This temple is a must visit for the spiritually inclined visitors of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani.

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Ask EkMusafir about Dholya Ganapati

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1162199-d3326964-r319560520-Dholya_Ganapati-Satara_Maharashtra.html#

October 10, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.129: Kaas Lake, Satara District, Maharashtra.

“Serene Waters.”

Reviewed 9 October 2015NEW

The Kaas Lake is about 2 km further down the road which takes you to the Kaas Plateau. At times you may find the Plateau overcrowded with people mesmerised by the beauty of the flowers on the Kaas Patthar. Then the better alternative would be to drive down to the Lake.

You can get a bird’s eye view of the lake as you are descending down from the Plateau, and you would want to stop and take a few snaps from up here. As you descend further you will find the car park to the right amongst some buildings where you can stop for a cup of tea and some refreshments.

Park your car and walk down to the lake to enjoy the pristine beauty of the cool blue waters of this serene lake. You can even bathe in these waters, but do remember that this lake also supplies water to the city of Satara. If you missed the flowers on the plateau you can also find many of them here. You can even sit down with your picnic basket amongst the bushes and trees near the lake, but do remember to clear your trash, and some more which other thoughtless picnickers would have left behind.

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Ask EkMusafir about Kaas Lake

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1162199-d3268810-r317309813-Kaas_Lake-Satara_Maharashtra.html#

October 9, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.128: Kaas Plateau, Satara District, Maharashtra.

“Kingdom of Flowers.”

Reviewed 8 October 2015NEW

The Kaas Plateau is gaining in popularity as a tourist attraction day by day. In 2012, Unesco recognised Western Ghats (Sahyadri Mountains) of India as a World Heritage Site, and Kaas is one of the 39 sites in the mountain chain that was given this status.

Flowers start blooming on the rocky plateau after the onset of the monsoons from July to early October, and the plateau becomes a riot of colours. You can see purple, yellow, pink and blue flowers spread out as far as the eye can see. The sight is indeed beautiful and mesmerising.

We took a day trip starting at 10 am from Mahabaleshwar and going down the Medha Satara ghat route to Kaas. We reached Kaas at 12 noon, after covering a distance of about 80 km. We did it on a week day because we had already heard that the narrow road near the plateau gets jammed due to the weekend crowds from Mumbai and Pune. The route itself was very scenic affording beautiful views of the hills, valleys and lakes in the hilly areas. Even though there were sparse flowers this year we quite enjoyed the drive.

There are plans to restrict the entry of visitors to the plateau on a daily basis. In future you may have to pre-book your trip through the website maintained by the Forest Department. But as of now you can pay for your entry on arrival, at Rs.10 per visitor and Rs.40 for your car. Once you arrive on the plateau you have to step down and walk past the fenced enclosures to the open areas beyond. People are advised not to litter and trample on the flowers or you may soon have some floral names on the list of the endangered species of living things!

One can easily spend an hour or two walking along the laid out pathways leading into the bushes and small trees, admiring the natural beauty of the flowers and greenery. The Kaas Lake and the nearby hills covered with mist and cloud on a rainy day add to the magical surroundings. All in all it is a place worth visiting at least once, on a weekday in the months of July to October.