Matheran
Pic:Ria Bhatnagar
When the happy, almost hypnotic winds sneakily gain access through the window slits and fill your world with wondrous prospects of the outdoors and with promises of unending fun, it is time to pack your bags and get ready to travel!
Matheran and the Wonders of Wilderness
“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” It is said that the best trips are always unplanned. Matheran, approx. 100 kms. from Mumbai, presents itself as a great place for the adventerous few.
Boarding the train from the CST station (Mumbai) to the Neral junction, in about an two hours, you will find yourself at the foot hill of Matheran. A Toy trains chugs all the way up to the hills and back since the climb to the hills is of about 20 kms. For the adventurous spirits, there is another option. Half way up the hills by a rented cab and the other half on foot can be just the tiny opening to a great start to the stay in the exciting hills.
The first pleasant surprise that one gets almost overwhelmed with is the pollution-free environment. The air seems almost freshly laundered and the sound of nature through the thick trees and rocks is almost surreal. Matheran is an eco-sensitive region declared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. It is one of the few places that has restriction on vehicles, a practice which helps maintain a healthy and clean environment.
As one walks through the eerily mysterious but fascinating winding roads, the wilderness of the place becomes more pronounced. It is not unique to find sign posts that read “Suicide is punishable by law”, depicting the serenity of the place obviously being abused by some.
A little warning and advice for travellers looking for lodgings
It is always wise to personally verify the lodgings or get bookings done online, at a standard, slightly more expensive place than opting for a hotel at the Neral station. Apart from the monkeys that practically rule the hills, frogs too seem to assume themselves as an indispensable part of the welcome party. Finding them stuck to room doors, bathroom fittings and lurking under beds is a common sight. A lot of people find themselves being fleeced by the booking agents who book rooms at the station by merely showing them pictures of the hotels, before they reach the hills. The hotels that one finally checks in are invariably far from being even habitable.
The world around is a painted picture
A walk of around 2 KM from the Post Office takes one straight up to the place famously called the Echo Point. This place gives a complete view of the hill station, with mountain ranges surrounding you from all sides. It sort of gives one a feeling of being in a tiny corner of a majestic soup bowl. As the name suggests, it’s almost like tradition to free your vocal chords and hear your thunderous echo back. Various tourist points too, can be seen from here, like waterfalls and the Lousia Point/ Lion’s head, which incidentally also resembles a phallic symbol from a distance!
A considerable walk ahead of the Echo Point and a sharp turn reveals the surprisingly beautiful and natural Charlotte Lake, which also supplies water to Matheran. Since the water is used for the purpose of consumption, boating, swimming, etc., is prohibited here. The banks created on the side of the lake allows one the opportunity to relax and watch the cool breeze brushe through the water, creating small ripples around. Small tea stalls that stock up biscuits, chips and sweets are seen in the corners with the happy clouds of swirling smoke rising from their tea pots.
The Charlotte Lake gives way to trekking for the restless few. What one finds most exciting is the complete lack of designated trekking spots and assigned sign posts pointing one in the correct direction. One is completely direction-less, in fact, and that invokes the feeling of adventure. As you climb up and find empty stretches of nothingness or a sudden shock of green with a wild variety of bright flowers, one really never knows what the next turn promises. With little surprises packed away in these untamed hills, you want to continue your journey, to reach to the very top.
The market area downhill is just the destination for everything you’re looking for. Be it restaurants, fruit or vegetable stalls, video game arcade, curio shops, etc., all cramped in not more than a stretch of 1 Km. It also has a horse stable for those who do not fancy walking all the way down the hills to where civilization exists.
Matheran is almost unreal, with curiously toy shaped huts sprawled across the far off hills, an unnaturally quiet atmosphere, and a constant flow of pure, unadulterated oxygen running through your rejuvenated self. The lack of commercialization, technology and even traces of humans just makes it the perfect place for a well-deserved, weekend getaway. With just a small bag of essentials, a little money and lots of adventure all packed away in your backpack, all you need to do is put on your travelling shoes and hit the road. As they always say, the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
