The summer capital of the Bombay presidency, the little town of Mahabaleshwar,
situated 1372 ft above sea level, was founded in 1828 and is the highest point
in the Western Ghats. A relaxing place to diddle away a weekend and an ideal
destination in summer. A typical colonial town, in spirit closer to Blighty
than Maratha land, with plenty of bridle paths, boating and golf facilities,
fishing spots and trekking trails. The town is full of lookout points (Bombay
Point, Elphinstone Point, Babington Point, Kate's Point) that provide fetching
views of the plains and the sea hundreds of feet below.There are also some pretty
waterfalls to visit. By far the best pastime to engage in -- eating strawberries.
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The
town's strawberries are probably the
tastiest in the world. Rummaging around
all the old British buildings and cemeteries
makes an interesting diversion too. An
evergreen vast plateau with long beautiful
roads, horse rides & foot paths along
forest, the must tries are honey & chikki,
channas, and the juicy strawberries,
rasberries, gooseberries & mulberries. |
| Established as a health resort in 1829
AD by Maharaja Pratapsinha of Satara (1818
to 1839), it was a jail for Chinese & Malay
convicts from 1834 to 1864. Many of the
prisoners stayed at Mahabaleshwar after
they were released. The jungle of
Mahabaleshwar produces many commercial
as well as medicinal trees & plants. |
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The wild life is limited to foxes, jackals, & wild boars. Deers & bisons
are found in the Brahma aranya area. Panthers are rare. The famous bird in the
Urdu poetry, Bulbul is found everywhere in the plateau. The best times to visit
this hill station are October, Diwali & X'mas holidays & summer.
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Hotels
are open round the year even during the
rainy seasons. Besides some of the fun
things that one can do if you are tired
of being cooped indoors is visit the
Sir B. D. Petit library, play at the
Hindu Gymkhana or the Mahabaleshwar Club. |
Horse riding, photography, walking, bird watching
and boating in the famous Venna Lake are various
interesting options! With a vast number of
points, the famous Wilson's Point, Arthur's
Seat, Sunset Point and the Lover's Point remain
must visits for the first timers! A gujju
thali at Hotel Rajesh or even a stay at the
Valley View Resort, Belmont Park Hill Resort
or Lake View is definitely recommended by those
who have frequented this place!
Most hotels are closed during the monsoons, an
off-season period when Mahabaleshwar is inundated
with 6 meters of rain.
Getting There :
Mahabaleshwar is easily accessible from
Pune by road and is a 3-hour drive and
120 kilometers northeast of Pune. The MTDC
runs luxury buses to Mahabaleshwar regularly
from Pune. 4500
feet above sea level, Mahabaleshwar is
easily accessible only by road .
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