Khandala Hill Station

About:

The district of Thane to the North East of Mumbai offers a unique hill station of Jawahar. A distance of 125 miles from Mumbai, the hill station is closer to Nahsik though. The area was a major tribal kingdom of Maharashtra. You can get the feel of the tribal life by visiting few protected tribal villages of the region and those with nimble fingers can learn a trade or two.Not for nothing is it named the 'Mahabaleshwar of Thane district,. In beauty and climate it is no less. Dadara Kopra Falls, Hanuman Point, Warli and the Palace of the Tribal King Jai Vilas are a few of the interesting places worth a visit. At an altitude of 518 m. the temperature in Jawhar stays between 25°C to 30° C. Jawhar is famous for the vibrant Warli paintings. It invites you to forget your daily grind and all the turmoils that go with it.

The tranquil hill station in the lap of the Sahyadris is one of the lesser known and therefore quiet hill stations near Mumbai. Pull off from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway after Sanjan and drive through tree-lined roads till you get to Jawahar 35 km away. The cool breeze and the densely forested slopes calm your senses as soon as you pull into this hill station, dotted with waterfalls and places of interest. The monsoons are the best time to visit Jawahar when a thick fog envelopes the village and the surrounding hills.

Jawhar is the centre for the exquisite Warli paintings, the strongest reminder that this hill station was once a tribal kingdom...

Location info:

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History:

Nearby is Shirpamal, where Shivaji Maharaj camped on his way to Surat.

The native state of Jawhar was originally founded in 1343 AD. As a princely state, it became a part of Bombay Presidency during the British Raj. The last Princely Ruler of Jawhar at Indian independence was HH Shrimant Raja Patang Shah V (Yeswant Rao) Mukne

Interesting things to do:

Interesting things to Visit:

Rajmachi Park:
On the way to Mumbai from Lonavala there is a beautiful garden before the beginning of the Ghat. It gives a spectacular view of the surroundings. On the East Side two towers of the Rajmachi Fort can be seen and at the bottom is the huge valley. There is a restaurant here and a temple close by. The Ghat begins from this point so many people come to enjoy the view. There is children's park here and there are regular bus services from lonavala bus station.

Ryewood
This is a big and beautiful garden situated near Lonavala. This garden covers a lot of ground and it is full of majestic tall trees. There is an old Mahadeo temple in this park. There is history behind the name Ryewood. An English officer Mr. Rye stayed in this place for quite some time. Hence this woods are named after him. The name may also have come from the Marathi words "Rai" which means thick forest. Earlier it was under the care of civil dept. In 1959 it was transferred to the State Government's Forest Department. This garden has plenty of place for children to play.

Duke's Nose
This place is named after Duke Wellington whose pointed nose this cliff resembles. It also looks like a hood of a snake, which is why it is also called as "Nagfani" (Hood of Snake). This point can be approach from INS Shivaji and Kurwande Village. Watching the nature's beauty here is an unforgettable experience.

Shivaji Park
This ground which was known as a playground which was converted into a garden in 1956 there is statue of Shri Shivaji Maharaj in this park. As it is near located near the city many people visit this park.

Lohagad Darshan
In this small garden located in Bhangarwadi, there are plenty of toys for children to play there is also a big statue of Savarkar here.

Amruntanjan point
At the beginning of the Khandala Ghat, and at the end of the first slope there is a huge hoarding of Amrutanjan. There is a lot of flat space around here and the view of the valley and Dukes Nose is breath taking beyond this one can also see the city of Khopoli

Kune Falls
This water falls where water comes down from a height of more than 100 feet is majestic in appearance one can have bath in the water that flows through the valley. This place is between Lonavala and Khandala. This fall can be seen in Khandala Ghat while coming from Mumbai. It runs for many days long after the monsoon is over.

Tiger's Leap
This is a special spot in this area. If one looks at the valley carefully from this spot it appears as if a tiger is leaping into the valley, that is why this name. This spot is a furlong away from INS Shivaji. It gives a fascinating view of the valley. There is provision for viewing the valley from the safe confines of a big hole. A stone thrown down from here ricochets at many places and gets destroyed here. Making it as an another unique experience.

Sakur Plateau
On the way to INS Shivaji there is a turn and a zigzag road. At a distance of approximately 4 miles and at a height of 1000 feet is a plateau. This plateau is on the way to village Ambavane. Thick forests occupy it and it's sparsely populated. Tungi, Korigad, Lohagad etc. Forts are very close from here.

Monkey Hill
All the trains coming down from Khandala halt here for brake testing. There is a huge flat land to south of the railway tracks. This place is exactly above Khopoli town and it can be approach from Khopoli as well as Borghat reversing station. It is a favourite picnic spot.

Reversing Station
This old place belonging to the railways now remains unused. This spot is outside tunnel no. 26. On the rail route and one can see the advertisement boards of Amrutanjan and other Products. At the bottom one can see Khopoli and the surrounding regions. During the night, this place illuminated with hundreds of lights becomes alive and gives a fascinating view. The division of Lonavala and Raigad District starts from here.

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Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation:

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation runs a resort at Karla, and another at Rye Woods, Lonavala.

The Dukes Retreat

Hotel Vallerina

Hotel-La-Revival

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