A Ride to Malshej Ghat

It was a rainy night yesterday. The roads were cleaner and the morning was fresh as dew on NH48. We started our ride to Malshej Ghat from Daman and soon we were riding on NH48. National highways come alive with an array of people riding for their destinations. Few in two and others in four wheelers. Few else relax in busses too. We get to meet people from all walks of life, just as everywhere

We took a pause for breakfast and restroom but as the hotel wasn’t ready with snacks, we moved on. We stopped at a hotel to have kanda poha with coffee and resumed our journey. The route was scenic. The roads of Ahmedabad – Mumbai highway were really awesome offering very smooth ride for us bikers.

Climate kept its promise as it was mostly cloudy and the hills were complimentary. Landscapes are far more captivating than cityscapes. I prefer eyeing mountains accompanied with age-old trees more than concrete jungle in the name of modern architecture.

My eyes smiled when we were entering in Maharashtra seeing the language getting change from Gujrati to Marathi script written on boards of the shops etc. The horizontal ‘la’ in hindi that changes to vertical in Gujrati, had turned horizontal again with full two joined circles! That’s the beauty of my Bharat, Incredible India! as we keep saying.

For next breather we halted at a small roadside shop, owned by a woman selling fruits and sugarcane juice. On asking the lady replied that it had rained early morning at 4AM so the weather still remains sticky. We used restroom and calmed down our tiresome body with a big glass of sugarcane juice and bought half a dozen bananas for further munching. By this time my body was down with fatigue of bike ride, but my mood was high and soaring in greenery around.

We navigated through Maharashtrian villages. Women walking in dhoti draped saari style effortlessly. Men were seen with shinning white caps. When you are in India, you will like this transition that too in the matter of few hours only. & when you are an Indian experiencing this, you will love it. Your eyes thank you for this variety of experiences.

After riding few more miles, we took a pause. I called home and Mahi attended his natures call! This too is an experience. Yes, our beloved PM Modi and the Modi government is working tirelessly to build toilets all across in needed areas of India. But when you are on roads and nature is calling you real hard, then you need to stop by & attend the call. By the time I was standing waiting for him to come, I was chilling with trees around and taking pictures. After a halt of 30 minutes, we resumed our journey. 

Soon after the landscapes got even bigger and brighter from what they were appearing till now. We were riding in between the mountains, which were now seeming a bit gigantic. My head started rotating in every possible direction I could manage without disturbing Mahi in the ride and of course myself and mobile from falling down. Fatigue disappeared and childlike happiness of getting to see the mountains from close took the front seat in my heart.

We were crossing a small bridge over Tansa river. Main river was flowing in the left side. The bridge was built on its right tributary which was completely dried. Obviously, it was May. To our right side was a huge pipeline network spread out in a very big region. It continued with us for a very long time. Having to see such gigantic and long network also adds to our experiences of a different kind. 

Later we had entered Tansa wildlife sanctuary. Being May, the sanctuary still managed to show her prettier side with more than half of it being green, offering us a pleasant welcome in Maharashtra. The curvy waves of dried river were clearly visible asking us to return back during monsoon. So, the jungle may offer the best it can.

We stopped for another breather. Mahi completed his Jungle loo! And we finished the bananas. Took pictures, making memories are obviously important part of the trips. Then we rode straight to the Malshej Ghat. I was constantly praying for heavy rains so that we could see the beauty of Malshej Ghat in its full flavours. But what we observed was, that everyone coming from the opposite direction were clearly dry. With hopeful heart we climbed the valley further.

Everything around was partially green, somehow trying to satisfy our hungry souls. It felt as if we were passing though Grand Canyon, desi way! The scenes were indeed panoramic. Undoubtedly, they would look heavenly in monsoon. And on the rocky terrain I was just imagining how the same scene may look in rains. Just then Mahi spoke subtly, we have reached Malshej Ghat!

I was taken a back! As what I had been watching in the videos or reels was a complete contrast to what was in front of our eyes then! Because of its extreme weather conditions the entire mountain ranges were acutely dry. Its just that when you see a woman beautifully adorning an intricately crafted attire with full aesthetics intact and having to see the same woman in her raw form. Both offers beauty, indeed. But you got to have those eyes to see, so only you can admire. Or else you may get disappointed with the later version of her.

Till now, we’ve only had heard about Malshej Ghat in monsoon. We happened to get a chance to view Malshej Ghat in summers too. It is a rocky romance! Mountian ranges that follow you are standing tall and are plain. I could not spot any sort of plantation there or in the vicinity. I breath dryness there. Passing through the sharp curve, where, during monsoon the place magically transforms into a place directly form heavens, we continued riding till further. As stopping by wasn’t allowed due to rock falling area cautions.

We rode further, as there was no point of doing anything at the Malshej Ghat thumb point or Malshej ghat view point. On our way further we spotted few room like spaces constructed on a small piece of hill, which later on reads – MTDC Resort, Malshej Ghat. It was barren out there. During monsoon, it would surely offer romantic views from 360 degree, due to its positioning.

We rode further and stopped by a very tiny shop that helped us to grab some munchies. We bought and thought to have them near the Pimpalgaon Joga lake side flowing just in front of us. The lake was beautifully large and offered good water. It was sunny so we didn’t get down near lake but parked Garuda under a tree and started having our munchies. The experience of a tiny picnic lakeside overlooking the mountains in front with a small village running its life is a charm.

Soon after 15 minutes the weather simply switched rainy. May be the prayers made hours before riding the valley were answered now. For a moment we thought to returned to Malshej ghat back to see downpours there. But we kept it for our next time to enjoy the beauty in its cent percent glory.

With in few minutes, the village disappeared and the mist of clouds began to envelope entire scene. We ran on our Garuda. But it had already started raining. We moved further on our route in rains only. We actually like it too. After crossing Joga Dam bridge we rode on NH46. 

Here the route seems newly constructed as they were oven fresh! Views were absolutely scenic and drizzles added to the charm of riding. We halted to admire the black beauty of the the mountain ranges we were riding and the valley views were super cool too. A happily serene evening was closing with these shots.

Now we were hungry enough to have a proper meal since morning. So we stopped at hotel Pranav on the way to relish our malai kofta with tandoori chapati. We resumed our journey from here at 5PM. We were riding through the villages of Maharashtra, which were green and pleasant.

Soon we entered the city Pimpri Chinchwad (near Pune) and the traffic crazily affected our speed. Spotting our bike with MP number plate, the traffic police halted us to see NOC for the motorcycle we were riding. But as we told them that we were on a road trip from Daman to Mahabaleshwar so that won’t be applicable on us. So, they left us surprisingly with a quirky smile.

As we moved further, the hovering clouds started pouring down heavily with all the thunder storm. We kept riding for 2 hours in the heavy rains. Then Mahi stopped under a flyover to check our laptop was in the rucksack. Everything was fine except my tense mind. Seeing heavy rains my brain started giving me negative notions for continuing our ride ahead in the dark of the rainy night.

Mahi was willing to reach Mahabaleshwar in this thunder stormy night with heavy rains. But seeing my tensioned face he booked a hotel there itself for halt for the night that day. We retired in Hotel Stay Prime on AH47 – Asian Highways47. I felt it was a good decision to fuel ourselves for next day.

We took warm bath and kept the wet clothes hanging for drying and sipped our coffees. Soon we were slept. We were up by 6 and flagged off from Pimpri Chinchwad for the final phase and the craving destination – Mahabaleshwar.