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Away from the hustle bustle of city life, lies one
of the less publicized hill stations of Maharashtra,
Panchgani. It is also known as the “Mecca of Maharashtra”.
This hill station stands 38 meters below Mahabaleshwar,
at an altitude of 1334 meters. A 21-kilometer drive
from Mahabaleshwar to Panchgani is sketched by meandering
flow of Krishna River and the landscape of the coastal
plains.
A unique geographical feature of this hill station
is that it is shaped by flattening volcanic rocks. Panchgani
is named so because of the five hills that surround
it. The enchanting beauty of Panchgani can be enjoyed
by taking a pony ride around the town. The old buildings
of this region have the charm of British Raj. Panchgani
also houses as many as 20 boarding schools. The immaculate
beauty of this hill resort and fresh air acts as the
most magical doctor, which is said to have healed many
TB patients. The presence of valleys and steep slopes
makes it suitable for trekking too.
Places to visit
Apart from the Parsi and British styled buildings and
mansion, Panchgani offers the tourists a wide range
of look-out points, water falls and caves.
Table Land
It is a vast expanse of laterite rock. This plateau
is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. At 60
meters of height this plateau offers a thrilling view
of hills and caves. One can also see the magnificent
ruins of Kamalgarh Fort.
Devil's Kitchen
This famous cave of Panchgani has a mythological history
to itself. It is believed that the Pandavas stayed in
the cave for a while and used it for cooking their food.
Dhom Dam
Dhom Dam. 21 kilometers from Panchgani is famous for
water sports. It provides boat rides for tourists to
explore the beauty of Krishna River and the sprawling
greenery that surrounds it.
Sydney Point
This point offers the view of the sparkling waters
of Dhom dam and Krishna river.
Rajapuri Caves
These caves are situated 10 km away from Panchgani.
These caves house the famous temple of Lord Karthikeya,
(Lord Shiva's son) and local goddess Ghatjal Devi. A
local mela is also held here during the harvest season.
Shopping
The local bazaars on the streets are extremely quiet.
Panchgani does not offer any special items for purchase
but a stroll in the bazaar attracts the tourists to
various chappals, shawls, etc. The bazaars of the hill
station are famous for their evening food stalls.
Getting to Panchgani
Nearest airport is Pune
Nearest railhead is Wathar, 45 km from Miraj-Kolhapur
section of South Central Railway. However convenient
railhead is Pune.
By road, Pune-Panchgani is 98 km Mumbai-Panchgani via
Pune is 270 km. Mumbai Panchgani via Mahad is 266 km.
State Transport buses ply from Satara, Pune, Wai, Mahabaleshwar,
Mahad.
Where to stay
Though most of the tourists stay at hotels in Mahabaleshwar,
there are a few hotels and guesthouses in Panchgani.
MTDC Guest House
*Cliff Inn Resort, near Sidney point
*Comfort Inn Dhanhills, Kondiba Shinde road
*Blue Country Resort, Khingar road
*Hotel Millennium Park, near table land
**Hotel ‘Five Hills’s
** Has self-contained Standard/Deluxe/Suites (64 rooms)
and 2 dormitories.
* All hotels are economy grade hotels & offer simple
clean rooms at reasonable tariffs.
Best Time to Visit
September to May. Panchgani does not experience extreme
weather conditions.
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