Matheran - the red hill station

Other weekend getaways

Arnala Beach | Gorai beach | Jawhar | Karla Caves | Karnala Bird Sanctuary | Kashid | Konkan | Mahabaleshwar | Matheran

Other forts and trekking destinations

Jaigad | Karnala Fort | Korigad | Kothligad | Korlai Fort |  Pratapgad | Rajgad | Ratnadurga | Tikona | Torna | Vijaydurg

24th March 2012

Pioneers of the Matheran Railway - Photo courtesy Anand

Toy train of Matheran

          It feels good when a plan falls into place. This time it did, well, almost!!
          Our hotel was booked in advance, our toy train tickets were booked in advance, everyone gave their contributions on time (after endless reminders though!!), no last minute cancellations (infact there were additions, Ashfaque and Sauvagya) - unbelievable!! And to top it all, Randhir was joining us with his continuous blast of 'AAI CHAAVLI'.

          I had once heard an audio of Osho (Am sure most of you would have too!!) where he gloriously demonstrates the usage of the word 'F*CK', usage as a noun, as an adjective, as a verb, as everything!! Our friend Randhir uses the word 'AAI CHAAVLI' with the same enthusiasm. If you say anything to him, 'AAI CHAAVLI', if he's angry, 'AAI CHAAVLI', if he's sad, 'AAI CHAAVLI', if he's happy, 'AAI CHAAVLI' - 'AAI CHAAVLI' 'AAI CHAAVLI' 'AAI CHAAVLI'


          Our equation was simple, the 6:45 a.m. Karjat train from CST reaching Thane at 7:30 a.m. missed = toy train missed at Neral = dissapointment (as some of the guys were going to experience the slow speed jhugjhug gaadi for the first time). No one missed it though and we reached Neral on time. But there was a small problem...
AAI CHAAVLI kya hua...Kya problem...batao kya problem tha...nahi tumhe batana hi padega...
Kya driver daaru samajhke saari diesel pee gaya?
Kya toy train 12 dabbo ke jagah 9 dabbon ki chalayi jaane waali hai?
Kya Mamata Bannerjee ke white sari aur jordaar cheekhon se train bigad gayi - AAMI SHOTTI BOLCHI!!


          Go low on the melodrama you jerk, it was only that bhagya ne hammare saath khilvad kiya aur Sauvagya ko Durbhagya se next train ka hi tickets mil paaya. So we tried convincing the TC (Ticket collector) to allow him to come in the 9:20 train with all of us, but the righteous TC showed us the finger of law and order. Dissapointed, Andy and Sauvagya decided to take the taxi, but the Lord worked in a mysterious way and a guy came asking if we needed an extra ticket as his friend wasn't coming and we grabbed it like hungry lions and for those 3 hrs in the toy train, Andy travelled as Abhijit Raikar.


          Black clouds of smoke arose, the horn blew and our journey commenced in the cute little toy train. The train took a little longer than usual to reach the destination. The scenery was good but a little dissapointing to see the brown dryness engulfing the greenery as the train rose up and above to the hills of Matheran. I thought everybody would enjoy the ride like I always do, but i guess for Mumbaites like us who eat, sleep and breathe trains; except for the scenery it was just another train ride; maybe the continuous smell of diesel got on their nerves. 2 of the very enthusiastic guys even went off to sleep!! I enjoyed every bit of it though.

Toy train - Huffing and puffing to glory

Ganpati Bappa Mourya

          While we yelled at the top of our lungs when the train entered the lone tunnel, while we stood at the door and hung outside everytime the tracks and the train turned to get a better glimpse, while we cluttered to see a Ganesh Mandir on the edges of a secluded mountain (Kadyavarcha Ganpati - Nageshs' claim), while we strained our necks outside the tiny windows to capture the moments forever in photographs; the coochie cooing between Mahesh and Randhir never stopped - AAI CHAAVLI, ye kya hai?? Hum bane, tum bane ek duje ke liye?? Sheeeeeee!!

          There is a tall rock on which a beautiful Lord Ganesh is painted. Keep your eyes open for it, you will see it on the right side of the scenery. Juma Patti station came and we had malai kulfis. Water Pipe station came and we had nothing. Randhir complained of somebody pinching him all the time...AAI CHAAVLI knows who it was. The valleys got deeper and the mountains rose to greater heights as we neared Matheran.

          Landing at the station, we marched to our destination for the day and night, Hotel Sayeban, in the middle of the market, just behind the Masjid. We had 2 huge rooms for the 10 of us with a verandah too. Feeling hungry, we ordered for lunch (Andys only purpose of the trip!!) immediately and what a feast it was. The food was really yummy, with aloo mutter, chana masala for the veggies and chicken curry for the others. The daal along with the salad was superb too !! Sayeban is a nice and economical place, near to the station, near to the market with a kids play area and lots of swings to laze on. The meals are included in the price of the room. With the sumptuous meal down our tummies and the heat rising, some of the guys pushed off to sleep (what a waste!!) while the rest of us played cricket.

          We finally ventured out, starting with Khandala point, the nearest to the market area. The mountains and the valleys are always a pleasure to watch. A man with a telescope was probably making people watch others freaking out at the Bushi dam in Khandala. The next on the list was Charlotte lake. Not much of water in the lake, but we saw people (read couples) in abundance. Needless to say, we saw a lot of monkeys and they saw Randhir and said "AAI CHAAVLI, tu idhar kidhar". 


View from the Khandala Point 

Pisharnath Temple

Echo Point

Sunset at Cecil Point

          A visit at the Pisharnath temple was on the agenda. I had looked on the net for some info on the deity but found nothing. So, a little chat with the priest revealed that the idol (Shivling) is a 'Swayambhu'. A cow herself poured milk over the idol and that's how the Shivling gained prominence and a temple was built around it.

         

          Offering prayers, we left for the Lords point just behind the temple. From the Lords point you can see the 'Kalvanticha Durg' in the distance. Next was Echo point and boy, it was crowded!! All along we went asking for Cecil point but nobody seemed to know. Having boasted a lot about this pictureque spot, I was hell bent on showing my friends Cecil point but somehow was lost. The Echo point, a little ahead of the Charlotte lake, was swarming with activity. Aunties were hanging on chords doing valley crossing, yelling at the their best. In the near distance, you could see the Honeymoon point and further away the One Tree Hill point which was reserved by us for the next day. Gutsy people were doing the entire stretch (valley crossing) from the Honeymoon Point.

         
          It looked scary for the weak hearted like some of us. The search for Cecil (Cilya for the locals) point again begun only to realise that it was the nearest to Charlotte lake. This is really one of the best spots in Matheran and we spent watching the sunset at the edge of the mountain while a group rappelled below. Sight of every chick and hen made our jaws drop and periodic gasps of 'AAI CHAAVLI' came from Randhir. Bachelors broke free, married men were off the leash, eyes wandered, hearts thumped but it stopped at that dirty minds!!

Sunset at the Charlotte lake

          At the Charlotte lake, we saw a guy lifting his girlfriend for a pic and Randhir went 'AAI CHAAVLI, te bagh kaay kartayet'. We returned to the market area to have our tea and snacks and do a bit of shopping. There is a beautiful Ram Mandir have idols of Shri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Another temple of Hanumanji is exactly opposite the Ram Mandir. We took their blessings before returning to our hotel. 'AAI CHAAVLI' got a little excited yet again while we played cricket (ek tappi out) and hit the ball out of the hotel.

          As we had dinner of some mouth watering biryani, the topic of discussion were the couples hovering around. Mahesh knew exactly their plans, what they were thinking and saying even though they were metres apart from us - kudos to his hearing skills!! The sweet dish was 'Shahi Tukda' and it was awesome and we all had as many helpings as we could.
         
          Post dinner we went for a walk to the market and had paan. Back at the hotel, some of us played cards while others watched TV in the other room. Nishant, the sadist must have watched atleast 20 movies and millions of songs in a span of 2-3 hrs while we drank and gambled to glory. He didn't even miss out the Home Shoppe ads. And all this time Maheshs' attention was focussed on the adjacent room occupied by some other couples and he said he could hear voices which in the morning he confessed to be the sound of their AC - paaaathetic - Maybe he was missing Randhir who was busy with Nagesh...talk about swapping!!

          Finally we slept at around 3:30 am. Getting up after sleeping for a couple of hours, we decided against our plan to have an early morning walk through the forests to Alexander Point and then One Tree Hill point. We were more concerned about the Mega Block hitting the Central and Western lines and so walked to Dasturi Naaka at the earliest to catch a cab to Neral and then take a train back home. We saw some scenic spots, the scenery opening up as we walked to Dasturi Naaka. Some old local women carrying haystacks looked so surreal and made a picture perfect.
Don't forget to have wada paav just outside Neral station. It's good!!

          By the way Andy won all the money at our game of cards followed by Sushant!! Thanks guys, hope you enjoyed it.....Travel safe..Travel more!!

Jhugjhug gaadi in the forests

Living on the edge

Towards Lord point - Photo courtesy Nagesh

The gang at Echo point - Photo courtesy Anand

Having a gala time at Cecil point

Chain - Maheshs' idea

Rickshaw walla - Look at Nagesh ( Neo from Matrix didging bulets)

Train nahi to hum sahi

Rail rokko andolan

Mathera excerpts - Photo courtesy Anand

Posing - Photo courtesy Sushant

Krupya dokka baher kadhu naka

Toy train

Chatpata Imli

Off to the rising mountains

Twisted are the ways of the world!!

At Khandala point

Valley crossing at Echo point

Sunset from Charlotte lake

Motherly love

Having fun

Spread like an eagle - Cecil point - Photo courtesy Sushant

The tallest cricket ground

Scenic valley towards Dasturi Naaka

Tracks through green

Revisiting Matheran, 15th Apr 2011

Other weekend getaways

Arnala Beach | Gorai beach | Jawhar | Karla Caves | Karnala Bird Sanctuary | Kashid | Konkan | Mahabaleshwar | Matheran

Other forts and trekking destinations

Jaigad | Karnala Fort | Korigad | Kothligad | Korlai Fort |  Pratapgad | Rajgad | Ratnadurga | Tikona | Torna | Vijaydurg

Sometimes the most impromptu decisions turn out to be the good ones!! Tired of the failing plans of my RELIABLE friends at office, Thursday night I returned home and asked my folks to pack their bags as we were going to Matheran the next day.

The last time I had visited Matheran was with friends from my previous workplace. The trip was a very memorable one, more in terms of the masti we did than the sight seeing, but revisiting the same places this time, brought back all the memories and the pieces fell in place.

As usual, struggled to get up early in the morning and missed the train to Karjat that we had initially planned to take. Took the next Khopoli train, and managed to get in with my family with the same thoughts 'Saala itna public aata kahan se hai', 'Inko chutti ke din bhi aaram nahi hai', 'Chup chap ghar pe baithke IPL kyon nahi dekhte'.... Obviously 'Itna', 'Inko' includes me, us and the guy next to me had to have the same mentally traumatic questions as I stepped on his foot BY MISTAKE and said SORRY...

Reaching Neral was the easy part. As we stood in line for the toy train, came the shocker!!
"10:30 ka sirf 2 ticket bacha hai, aur 11:40 ka tickets to ye 6 logon me hi khatam ho jaayega. 12:50 ka tickets milega aapko". Which meant, landing in Neral at 9:30, we would need to stand in line till 12:15 to get the tickets and catch the train at 12:50 - way to go man!! phew!! We had the option to catch a cab and rush to Matheran, but with a kid, my nephew in the kitty, refused to turn down the huffing and puffing train.
The toy train is one of the best parts of going to Matheran, so if possible, try not to miss it. We reached Matheran in another 2 hours enjoying every bit of the train ride on the curvy tracks up the mountain. The scenery needless to say, was beautiful all the way. The valley below grew deeper and deeper as the train geared upway. Two halts at tiny stations called 'JUMA PATTI' and "WATER PIPE' brought the localites around selling jambhuls, lime water, cold drinks, bhel etc. The scene was straight from a faraway tale of an Enid Blyton book.

Bhartiya Rail - Toy Train

As we reached Matheran and tried to get out of the station, we were made to pay 25 bucks each for getting out of the station - Local Tax they say...arre idhar tak aaya to station dekhne thodi aaya...ghoomne aaya...so like all good citizens, we paid.

We took a room near the main market and near the Khandala point called 'Laxmi (something)' - okay kind of accomodation. Rested for some time and ventured out. Saw Cecil point (awesome panoramic view), Charlotte Lake, Lords point and Echo point. Sahil and my mom enjoyed on horseback as we tred behind them...

Ghudsavar

Cecil point needs a special mention here as it gives a very beautiful view of the the surrounding mountains, one casting a shadow on the other and relishing views of the valley below.
One can spend some time with kids on the Charlotte lake or spend some romantic moments on its banks if it isn't too crowded.
Didn't find the Lords' point to be that great. The Echo point is better - we reached their during sunset, watching the cliffs getting darker. Our shouts weren't answered though by the invisible sound duplicater...none of our (all present at the echo point) shouts echoed...where's the Matheran complaint register??

Cecil point

Spent the evening at the mall road/market and bought a cap, sword (khilona yaar) and a cane bag. Had dinner and pushed back to the hotel, did some jhoola jhooling in the yard and pushed off to a peaceful sleep.

16th Apr 2011
Next day, got up early as decided and left the hotel at 6:30. Missed the sunrise but spent a great time walking through the jungle and breathing the fresh air. Its a real pleasure to walk through these calm and serene jungles with a cool breeze brushing across, listening to the rustling of the leaves, calling of the birds, and the only other sound you hear are your footsteps....beautiful.
We visited Khandala point, Alexander point and were off to see the Cecil point yet again. One should not miss walking to the Alexander point, its really nice and if you have more time to spend, venture further to the Chowk point and maybe even further to the One tree hill point if your legs or the horses legs (read money in your pocket) allow you.

Checked out from the hotel at 9:30 am, had some breakfast and walked back to the station. The same story was about to repeat...we would only manage to get the train at 4:30 pm, so we decided instead to walk till Dasturi via the tracks (30-40 mins) and then catch a taxi to Neral, missing the toy train ride this time.

As I stepped into my home, I realised that for 2 whole days, I had not had a single thought about my work, office and all the little unwanted thoughts you burden yourself with all the time...maybe thats the magic of a getaway....reminds me of a Bryan Adams song...here's a part of it....C ya!!!!

I got my motor runnin' fingers drummin'

I never planned to stay

getaway ya know it's now or never

getaway nobody lives forever

we're only waitin' just to make you getaway

- Bryan Adams

Do's....

• Plan early and book early for the toy train and see that your travel to Neral and the toy train timing to Matheran fall in sync.
• Book your accomodation in advance if possible. However, you won't find all the available accomodations on websites, only the costly ones are listed. If you are looking out for cheaper accomodation, try the ones near the station which are offered by the localites...though it would be a bit far from the market and other points.
• Walk...enjoy the pleasures of nature with your own legs.
• Ride a horse....this is one of the places where you'll really enjoy it.
• Do visit the Alexander and Cecil points
• Things you will generally find in the market - Caps, Hats, lots of Chappals, bags, leather items

Dont's.....

• Don't leave a part of you in the forests....don't litter
• Don't venture in your best attires, they are gonna turn red...Matheran is full of red mud
• Don't have eatables in your hands when there are monkeys around...they might just give you the shock of your lives
• Don't expect things to cost the same as they do in the city...

Neral - Matheran toy train time table