This was an unplanned and unexpected trip and as such it gave us a unique experience.
It was monsoons and Malvan had no tourists. Most of the places were shut. We took an auto from the Chipi airport to Wairi and checked into a small hotel. The bed and the curtains were damp and it was rainy. There were huge amounts of mosquitoes in the eveing. But we love the local food. We stayed the night. Next day while we were breakfasting and the daughter was in the room with her ipad a huge Langur entered the room from the window. This scared the bejezes out of her. That and the damp bed made us look for another place. We found a resort which was a bit more expensive but had direct access to the beach. The room was really good. Dry and not at all musty. We were the only ones. :)
As soon as we had settled down we had hired a scooter. The best and most economical way to travel around is on a scooter. One day we visited Dhamapur Temple and lake. What a fantastically peaceful and beautiful place. One day we rode down to Bhogve and Nivti. A lot has changed since I visited these places on our second bike trip in 2009. So many commercial properties. On the Bhogve beach we saw many dozens of fishermen (or youngsters) with modern fishing poles.
We rode around Devbag, took walks on the Wairi/Tarkarli beach, ate fish thali at Atitithi Bamboo in Malvan.
A quiet, nice time with family.
The way this happened was quite amusing: I was travelling to Chattisgad and then Hyderabad and was supposed to return to Pune. But HYD-PNQ flights were very expensive. I was casually browsing and noticed that Fly91 had some great monsoon deals. The flight from HYD to Malvan and then from Malvan to Pune came to a fraction of the cost of the HYD-PNQ flight. So spontaniously I booked myself on the HYD-Malvan flight. Then booked Jo and the daughter on the PNQ-Malvan flight. We planned to stay for a few days and fly back to Pune. All our flights together cost only a 1000 bucks more than my single HYD-PNQ flight. :-)
There is a quiet serinity to the whole place. The ancient building (some from 1890s) and the ancient forests took you back in time.
March 2025. This was our last trip to the Mahabaleshwar MTDC. Now it is gone. Sold to some private contractor.
Over the years we have come here often. Starting from 2007. In the early days it used to be boys trips to the dormitories on week days or in the off-season. We used to have all the space to ourselves. We have had many a great time. One such epic trip from 2009 is documented here
We used to roam the points. Talk nonsense. Come back to the market to eat - chinese from Bahadur's cart, makkai pattice, strawberry and cream at Bagicha. Then head back to the MTDC for long sessions of daaru and jua and warewolf.
Then family trips. Me and Jo once randomly came and stayed here while returning to Pune from the Konkan -- we took the scenic route. We will miss you MTDC. Truly so.
The cottages nestled amongst the trees. This gave a vibe found nowhere else on the hill-station.
The ancient trees, all garnled and twisted
Politics and purposeful neglect. That is the story here.
The Market
After day long trips to the surrounding countryside to visit the points, the tired junta gravitate towards the famaliar hustle and bustle of the market. Here we find food and above all - shopping!
Strawberry seller
The ubiqutious Vada Pav
One of the food carts.
Buddhi ke baal
A local woman selling combs.
Kid's footware
Big lady-kid's footware
Shopping is the passtime. There was a time when places like these offered unique wares and local art. Now everything is made in China and available everywhere.
All photos shot on the Sony A7RIII with the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1 lens
A fast trip to this remote land in April. My mama and Unnu came down from Solapur. Mama had worked in this area about 15 years back. He wanted to revisit memories. This is the site of a earthen dam project which was abandoned.
The landscape is still pristine. Till the tunnel was made, this was inaccessable wilderness.
There is this desolate kind of settlement on top for the people displaced by the dam. Sort of a new village. Mama went looking for a person who had worked with him all those years back -- and found him! We explored the dam site a litte more but it was sweltering hot so we decided to head back. The road to Kumbhe forks near Nizampur on the Pune-Mangaon road. Food was to be found near Mangao so we headed in that direction. The journey back via Tamhini was beautiful as always. Every time I visit this landscape I am in awe. So magestic.
After a lightening visit to Bhigwan at our friend Sandip Nagre's Agnipankh Flamingo Point we were heading back home. We decided to stop over at the Bhuleshwar temple. It was my first time. I had heard of this place a few times. Even Jo had visited it when she was staying at Urli.
It's a beautiful place. Perfectly period. These are strewn all over our land. They are testament of a time gone by. A time of much glory. It's peaceful. I just wish we would take better care of our history. The hill on which the temple resides is barren. It could be very beautifully wooded.
