| - Elina Mohanty
At a great height, surrounded by an expanse of agricultural
land and dotted by farmhouses, Karjat comes close to a fantasy
hilly town. Karjat, well connected by road and rail from Mumbai,
is one of the cleanest hill stations of Maharashtra. Well
known for trekking, Karjat is surrounded by steep slopes.
Karjat provides excellent roadways to the mesmerizing Western
Ghats. Tourists frequent Karjat because of its accessibility
and closeness to Ghats. Karjat’s scenic view makes it
a flawless beauty.
The entire area consists of mountains. These mountains are
easily connected by rail from Mumbai. Karjat is centrally
located with roads branching out to Murbad, Kalyan, Shahpur,
Kasara Ghat on one side and Khapoli , Khalapur, Neral, Ambarnath,
Badlapur, Panvel, Pen on the other.
Places to Visit in Karjat
Ulhas Valley
This valley glitters with large flowing streams of Ulhas
river. It offers breathtaking sights during the monsoons,
when the water falls gush through the thick greenery of the
valley. There are a number of tunnels in the Ulhas valley,
which helps the trains to pass through the valley.
Bhor Ghat
This ghat has a historical significance. It was the ancient
trade route connecting the ports at Choul, Revdanda, Panvel,
etc. on the Konkan coast and the hinterland on the Deccan
plateau.
Trekking Villages
Karjat is well known for trekking because of its hideous
valley routes and slopes.
Villages, where trekking is advisable are
Khandpe
Sandshi
Kondiwade.
All the villages are well connected by State Transport bus
services. All these villages are about 15km from Karjat.
Kondheshwar temple
This temple is located in Sandshi. The beautiful architecture
of the temple makes it a favourite tourist spot.
Bahiri Cave
This cave is famous for trekking. Its characteristic long
and strenuous streches makes it a challenging trekking adventure.
However it is advised that an expert should accompany a trekking
trip in this cave.
This cave stands facing the Ulhas Valley at an altitude of
600m. this cave is religious for many Hindu devotees. On the
day of Chaitra Purnima a fair is held in the area.
Nakhind
Nakhind is a hill, that stands at an altitude of 704m high.This
hill is marked by the flawless view of the ghats.
Chanderi
This magnificient massif stands at a height of 790m . Chanderi
is joined to a group of “four pinnacles” called
Mhasmal. A cave at the base of Chanderi is famous for one-day
trekking.
Bhimashankar Area
Located in the Sajyadri ranges, Bhimashankar is a huge massif,
with a thick reserve forest. It stands at an altitude of 1005m.
At the top of this massif, there is a huge plateau where the
Bhimashankar town and the Bhimashankar temple are situated.
Bhimashankar is a popular pilgrimage spot, since the Bhimshankar
templem dedicayed to Lord Shiva is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas
of Shiva. The highest point of the massif is Nagphani, because
it looks like the hood of a cobra from a distance. The Bhima
river originates from here and flows down towards the Deccan
Peth
An interesting conical hill, Peth offers a spectacular view
of a thumb like pinnacle. The pinnacle is a fort, and is known
as Kotligad. Peth oofers breathtaking views of the Konkan
Country side, Western Ghats and Matheran Ranges.
How to reach to Karjat
Nearest Airport to Karjat can be Mumbai as well as Pune
Karjat is well connected by rail. Local trains gofrom Mumbai
CST (Mumbai VT) to Karjat. It takes 2 hours and 40 minutes
to reach Karjat by a slow local.
By road, Karjat is 100km from Mumbai. State buses play from
Mumbai to Karjat.
Where To Stay
There are a few well-known farms and hotels in Karjat. One
amongst them is
Satya Health Farm
Best Time to Visit
Karjat is well known for trekking during the monsoons and
the winters. So the best time to visit can be November to
August.
| 