Matheran - The Woods on a Hill..
Literally the woods on a hill, Matheran is the quietest possible getaway from Pune and Mumbai thanks to the ban on all vehichles apart from ambulances in Matheran to help maintain and preserve this eco sensitive zone. Matheran enjoys cool climate through out the year which makes it popular especially during the summers. Commuting on hand pulled rikshaws and ponies in itself is a unique experiance that only Matheran offers!
Matheran gives an impression and paints a picture of an erstwhile town. Probably this is how towns of yester years would have looked like, With paved walkways and shops and most of the activity centered towards the bazaar peth area. It is easy to imagine old Britishers before independence in their hats and dresses going to the church in hand pulled rickshaws. It might not have been much different, minus the hotels and the shops that have come up in Matheran now!!
Matheran Hill Railway
A visit to the Matheran railway station is warranted for the uniqueness of the place. Nowhere else in Maharashtra apart from Matheran would you see the narrow gauge railway station. Built in 1907 by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy from Neral to Matheran, the Matheran Railway covers a distance of 20 km. The train is very slow and is recommended only for the uniqueness quotient!
Matheran is located almost midway between Mumbai and Pune. A deviation on the old mumbai - Pune highway leads to Matheran. The nearest main railway station is Karjat while Neral is the closest railway station from where you could take the narrow gauge train to Matheran. It will take close to two hours to cover the 20 odd kms from Neral to Matheran in the toy train. The train service is limited to weekends.
The walk up from Dasturi Naka to Bazaar peth, a 3km walk throgh thick woods in itself is a great experiance. There were a few government buildings, a hospital and an old church ahead of the bazaar peth. The temple of the Pisaran devata, the gram devata is near the Lords point. There are sign boards giving directions and distance to over three dozen view points in intervals especially at crossroads.
Olympia Race Course
Olympia Race Course in Matheran hosts horse riding events in Matheran during the summer vacations and is one of the major attractions of Matheran in the summers. With professional participation watching the race in Matheran is a thrilling experiance.
Sightseeing in Matheran..
Distance from Major cities..
