| - Elina Mohanty
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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