Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake

After another comfortable night and good, hot showers in our hotel, we got dressed and decided to go and meet the day—our last one in Mahabaleshwar. Having passed several times by Café Peter at the corner of the street in which our hotel was located, we figured it would be a good place to have a hearty breakfast. And we were not mistaken. Café Peter was wonderful!

Breakfast at Café Peter:

Given that Mahabaleshwar is all about strawberries at the moment and given that Café Peter serves wonderful Continental food, I was pretty certain we’d get excellent waffles with strawberry compote at this place. How delighted I was, therefore, to see a sign advertising their Strawberry Waffles and, of course, without any hesitation that was what both of us ordered.

The waffles were large and crisp and covered with sliced strawberries in a lovely flower-petal fashion that made it look too good to eat. It came with a small pot of strawberry flavored whipped cream but no maple syrup. I asked for some honey and was quite delighted when they could provide it. It made an extraordinarily hearty and most delicious breakfast with hot chocolate (for me) and coffee (for Llew). We took our time over breakfast as we realized that we had up to 2.00 pm to fill as that was when we intended to start our return journey to Bombay.

Strolling Down the Hill to Find Stone Cottage:

The first item on my agenda was an attempt to find a house called Stone Cottage as I remembered my Mum telling me that she and my Dad had spent some wonderful summers there before I was born when they were guests of my Aunty Anne who used to rent the place for a whole month at a time. I had passed by a hotel yesterday called Stone Villa Hotel and I felt sure that this place was, at the very least, in the vicinity of the cottage.

Here, too, my instinct served me well. Just one cottage before we reached the hotel, we passed by a house called Stone House—it was, in fact, adjoining the hotel property. I felt certain that this was the place in which my parents had spent those summers in the 1950s. I requested the watchman to allow us to saunter around the place and came to the conclusion that part of the property (that which was covered with fruit trees more than half a century ago), had been sold to the hoteliers who now run the hotel next door. At any rate, I was very pleased to take pictures of the place and to walk in the footsteps of my parents’ youthful days.

Shopping in Mahabaleshwar Market:

Having accomplished this mission, we made our way to the market to do some souvenir shopping. The shops were just opening for the day and, in no time, at all, we were able to buy boxes of fresh strawberries, mulberries and raspberries plus two walking sticks. These too were bought out of nostalgia as my parents had bought twin sticks over seventy years ago—they happen to be sticks which I now own. I decided that I would buy two similar sticks and I was thrilled to find them and add them to my collection in my umbrella stand—similar sticks just seventy years apart! And, of course, we could not leave Mahabaleshwar without buying strawberry jam and fruit gummy sweets and armed with all these buys we called Ravi, our driver, to the market so that he could help load our buys into our car.

Back at our hotel, I was further delighted to find that the shoemaker had, true to his word, sent a person to deliver my pair of brown tan sandals. I was even more pleased to find that they fit me perfectly and were exactly as comfortable as I had hoped they would be. All these purchases went into the booth of our car before we made our way back to the market.

Visiting Nells Hotel and the Church of the Holy Cross:

were two other places I wanted to see before we left the market area: one was Nells Hotel in which my parents had stayed when they had last visited Mahabaleshwar together with my brother Russel and my daughter, Chriselle in 1991 or 1992. They had described it as a lovely place, perfect for young families with whom it was very popular at the time.

Nells Hotel is right in the heart of the market—so, very convenient for families who do not have a car at their disposal. However, it looked pretty run down from the outside and I had the feeling that it no longer operated as a hotel. The face was badly in need of maintenance and there was no one around from whom we could make any inquiries.

Just next door to Nell’s Hotel is the only church in Mahabaleshwar. It dates from 1831 when it was first established and is called the Church of the Holy Cross. It is cute and small and well-maintained. Imagine a small country church somewhere in the English countryside. This little church reminded me of those. Llew and I paid a short visit inside as the church was open and found out that there are regular Sunday services conducted inside.

A few minutes later, we were back in our car heading down the hill towards Venna Lake for the last item we wished to accomplish and the last experience we wanted to have.

Boating on Venna Lake:

Boating on Venna Lake is one of the most popular activities in Mahabaleshwar and although we were there, off-season, there were loads of people making their way down to the pier and at least a dozen boats of various kinds on the water. We opted for a thirty-minute boat ride with an oarsman as neither one of us fancied getting stuck in the middle of the lake as a result of our poor rowing skills!

Accordingly, we were in a private boat with a lovely rower called Ismael (for Rs. 600) who chatted away to us throughout the ride and filled us in on the history of the hill-station and the changes that have been wrought over it by time. The quiet serenity of the lake (but for his occasional chatter) is a good enough reason to spend a morning messin’ about in boats and I would highly recommend it.

I must also say that, apart from boating, horse-riding is a popular pass-time in the hill-station and that there is a dedicated segment of open land, adjoining the lake, where riders can have a turn on a horse—either with or without an attendant. My cousin Blossom informs me that her brother, my cousin Brian, who became a very competent polo player, learned his horse-riding before reaching his teens, right here in Mahabaleshwar. I thought that was an interesting aspect of family lore. Llew and I did not do any horse-riding as I was not too impressed by the fact that it was only in that little segmented area that one could ride. In Matheran, another Maharashtrian hill-station, where I have actually ridden a horse with my friend Nafisa, just three years ago, the horses take you all over town as well as into the jungle—a really splendid experience (even if it results in a sore backside for the next three days!).

Return Drive to Bombay:

With the last item on our agenda successfully accomplished, Llew and I were ready to hit the road and get back to Bombay. We’d had a really terrific three days and we were so pleased that our little break from the city had proven to be so successful.

We left Mahabaleshwar at 2.00 pm and enjoyed the drive down the mountains back to the plains. There is not much to say except that Poona was still dizzying with its suburban high-rise development and once past it, we were in the thick of slowly increasingly Bombay traffic. We stopped a little ahead of Lonavla to get an early dinner at a Burger King (lovely to have the occasional burger) and then we drove straight back home. We reached Bandra at about 8.15 pm which was a perfect time really as our journey was wonderfully comfortable and relaxed and we could go straight towards an early night.

Thanks for following me on this short expedition to Mahabaleshwar. These brief excursions have certainly whetted my appetite for more exploration in venues not too far from Bombay and we are already thinking of our next one. vUntil our next trip, thanks for armchair traveling with me!

Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’

Friday, January 12, 2024:

Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’

We devoted the day to exploring Mabi’s highlights and after a very restful night and a very modest breakfast of idlis with sambar and chutney (provided by our hotel from the South Indian restaurant next-door), we told our driver Ravi (who stayed with us for the duration of our stay) that we were all set to drive to the first site on our agenda: Shivaji’s hill fortress of Pratapgad.

The Hill Fortress of Pratagpad:

Pratapgad is the most famous of the Maratha leader Shivaji’s many hill fortresses. It is located 24 kms (roughly 12 miles) away from Mahabaleshwar and it took us 45 minutes to arrive at the spot after driving around more hair-raising hair pin bends up and down the mountain slopes that offered stunning views of the plains below. Pratapgad is renowned for the great victory that Shivaji had over the Moghul leader of the Bijapur Sultanate, Afzal Khan (a general of the Adil Shah dynasty) on November 10, 1659. Shivaji’s victory established Maratha power in the Deccan and prevented what is now the state of Maharashtra from coming under Moghul rule. This is the main reason why Shivaji is such a celebrated hero among Maharashtrians. Apart from the stirring history (which, in itself, is a very good reason to visit this venue), its setting is simply glorious. The fort is constructed on the very summit of one of the highest hills which afforded the Maratha armies a powerful vantage point from which to be warned of marauding enemy armies. It’s thick black basalt stone bricks which form the main construction material have stood the test of time quite brilliantly. As in all hill fortresses, you can drive up to the base where you can park your vehicle after which you are expected to climb up at least 200-300 steps. I do believe that Lohargad Fort which we climbed last month during our visit to Lonavla was far higher and involved much more climbing. By comparison, Pratapgad seems less challenging. At any rate, I was very grateful for my hiking boots which provide superb ankle protection from twists and sprains and also allow me to grip the rugged ground while providing tremendous security.

Once we were at the summit of the fort, we realized that there were a few spots to traverse. Guides are available at the base and they state that they will take you to 13 different spots once up on the summit. However, their commentary is either in Hindi or Marathi and we preferred to use our notes to help us negotiate the area.

As in the case of all tourists, we passed by the main gates that have large wooden doors plus canons to denote forms of defense. As we climbed every higher, we loved the bracing quality of the mountain air and clean, unpolluted freshness. We followed the saffron flat that took us up a wide and steep set of stairs to get to the very top where we were, quite delightfully, treated to a young boy who mouthed a lengthy tribute to the great Maratha leader. He was obviously on a school field trip and had been well-trained by his elderly, male teacher who looked deeply pleased with himself and with the tremendous talent of his pupil. Understandably, he got a great ovation when he finished. With this lovely bit of theatrical performance done, we followed the teacher with a few of his pupils to the opposite set of stairs which led up to a temple. There we found a small souvenir shop where I was actually able to buy a magnet of Mahabaleshwar—much to my delight. Cold drinks and snacks were available in the little eatery at the top and a temple bell kept ringing every time someone entered it. We spent about 45 minutes at the summit before we made our way down again. I have to say that the place was mobbed. It happened to be a holiday weekend and the number of school children that were on field trips was quite amazing. Overall, Pratapgad was an excursion that is certainly well worth taking and I was glad to receive a lesson all over again that brought back to mind my history lessons of my school days.

On to the Lingmala Waterfalls:

I do not remember visiting the Lingmala Waterfalls but since it is now touted as a chief attraction in Mahabaleshwar, I told Ravi, our driver, to take us there next. He used his GPS to drive us back to the town which we crossed in order to find this place. All along the drive back, we were fascinated by the views of Pratapgad mountain that seemed to follow us almost until we arrived at Venna Lake.

The Lingmala Waterfalls are apparently seen at their best during the monsoon season or just after. At this time of the year, it is barely a trickle as it is watered by the river that cascades over a towering cliff to empty into the gorge below. Once you park your car in the parking lot, you are asked to pay Rs. 100 per visitor to get to the site from which you can actually see the falls. It involves a long hike of at least half an hour each way, but the path is beautifully constructed out of local red laterite stone and you pass by wild vegetation that makes you feel fully enveloped by the arms of nature.

About ten minutes into our hike, we arrived at the lower level of the falls which involve two streams that are not very high but offer good photo opportunities. A further half hour later, we did arrive at the spot from which you can actually see the falls that cascade abut 500 meters into the green valley below. Sadly, the natural landscape is today dotted with luxury hotels such as the Courtyard by Marriot which, in my opinion, robs the scene of quiet serenity that one hopes to find in the hills. We did not spend too long at the viewing spot—just took some pictures and then started the long hike downhill.

Once we had finished with the fort and the falls, we were ready for some lunch and we found it in a very small eatery en route, where we opted for the Prawn Thali. This turned out to a mound of rice, two chapattis, prawn curry and about five fried prawns. Really nothing to shout about, but it satisfied our hunger that had built up steadily after our grueling physical exertions of the morning. After lunch, we drove back to our hotel where we decided to take a short nap of about an hour before setting out again, This way, we avoided the sun at its hottest and also got the physical rest we needed.

Off to see the “Points’-- Wilson, Echo, Sunset, Lodwick and Arthur’s Seat:

Other than Pratapgad Fort and the Lingmala Waterfalls, Mahabaleshwar is renowned for its stirring mountain views that are best seen from various ‘points’ as they are called in India’s hill-stations. We instructed Ravi to take us to a few of these points and the first one we saw was Wilson Point which turned out to offer nothing to write home about.

We then followed signs and arrived at Echo Point which was quite similar. It was not long before we realized that if you’ve seen one point, you’ve seen them all. That was when we decided to go to Lodwick Point as I had seen pictures of it and it seemed to be distinguished from the others by the presence of a monument that seemed to marks its history.

Accordingly, we followed directions (most of the points are well signposted) and arrived there to find it quite a popular site. Apart from its views of the grand majesty of the mountains, touched appropriately by the setting rays of the sun, we saw large bands of monkeys here. They provided lovely entertainment as we watched their antics. We found them to be much less aggressive than monkeys in most other venues—but, of course, they are still wild animals and one has to be cautious around them.

It was also at this site that I found the father-son team that made the most beautiful footwear, much of which was exhibited even as they actually worked together on crafting pairs of sandals. I could not resist trying them on and ended up buying two pretty pairs—one in red leather and the other in tan brown. However, as he did not have my size in the tan color, he offered to deliver the pair to my hotel by 11.00 am tomorrow. I was thrilled as I really did like the design very much.

This purchase was accomplished, of course, only after we had actually walked along the long and well-marked path that took us to the actual lookout point where the monument to General Lodwick is located. From the plaques that recount the history of his exploration, we learned that he was the first European to set foot in the hills of Mahabaleshwar in 1824. His reporting about the salubrious climate of the venue, led to the establishment of the Mahabaleshwar Sanatorium—a place that was popular in the early 20th century when tuberculosis was raging on the plains. It was also interesting to note that the original monument that had been set up in colonial times had been struck by lightning, but that the efforts and donations of Mahabaleshwar’s hoteliers had led to its reconstruction. This little tidbit of history was a wonderful means by which to understand how and why the hill-station developed into the popular holiday resort it was in the mid-20th century when most Bombayites could not afford to travel overseas and sought venues close by to take a break. Many corporations invested in holiday homes for their employees so that thousands of people flocked to Mahabaleshwar in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although the place has fallen somewhat out of fashion (with the affluent looking for far more fancy sites in which to take their vacations), it is still popular among lower income families who enjoy the scenery and the modestly-priced restaurants.

Off to Visit Arthur’s Seat:

With Lodwick Point well explored, all that was left for us to do was to get to the most popular of the ‘points’ in Mahabaleshwar—Arthur’s Seat. I had presumed that the place was so-called because one of the mountains possibly resembled a seat. However, it turned out to have a rather tragic story associated with it. It turns out that one of the officials of the British Raj, Sir Arthur Mallet, lost both his wife and daughter when they drowned in the River Savitri that flows through the hamlet. He chose this point to sit and meditate over his loss as it offered a good view of the river flowing away into the valley below.

Situated at a height of 1470 meters, as in the case of the other points, here too, there is a great deal of walking and climbing past the car park to get to the viewing platform that juts out into the valley. To our good luck, we arrived at this point, just as the sun was setting behind the Western horizon and we were treated to a quite arresting sunset as twilight descended over the hills. In this spot too, the place was inundated by school children on field trips. They come in large coaches that are parked a distance away—so that as you climb to the look out, you pass by hundreds of noisy and highly excitable school kids. It was all fun and I enjoyed their energy as we made our way to the spot where we stood to take pictures against the mountains and the slanting rays of the just-set sun.

After sunset, however, darkness descends pretty quickly in the mountains and the vendors lose no time in packing up their wares and dismantling their make shift stalls that sell strawberries, cucumbers, mulberries, raspberries, gooseberries, etc. We too hurried forward and we did not fancy the idea of having to negotiate the hairpin bends of the mountains in the darkness with just the headlights of our car providing illumination. About a half hour later, we were back in the market area and were through with our sightseeing for the day. It is amazing how much we managed to see and how much ground we covered.

Dinner at The Sizzler Place:

All that was left then was for us to pick a place for dinner and we decided to go to The Sizzler Place which is reputed to offer the best sizzlers in Mahabaleshwar. It is right in the market, exactly opposite the bus depot which was less than a ten-minute walk from our hotel. We dismissed our driver, Ravi, for the evening and told him that we would go out and get some dinner and return to our hotel on our own. All that was left was for him to get his own dinner and then meet us tomorrow morning after breakfast.

The Sizzler Place was also empty when we got there (about 8.00 pm) but it filled up by about 9.00 pm as Indians clearly eat their dinner late. We started off with a Corn Coriander Chicken Soup that was very good indeed before opting for a Lamb Sizzler which came with the works. There was a large helping of mashed potatoes ad a good sized helping of a variety of grilled vegetables and plenty of meat for the two of us to share the dish quite comfortably indeed. With the accompanying sauces—barbecue, pepper and mustard—we had a truly scrumptious and very filling meal and decided again to forego dessert as all we could think of was walking back to our hotel and having a really good night’s sleep.

Our second day in Mahabaleshwar turned out to be just wonderful and we were thrilled, above all, with the lovely weather and the low-key charm of the place.

Until tomorrow…

MEASURED STRIDES IN MAHABALESHWAR: QUEEN OF MAHARASHTRA’S HIL-STATIONS-

MEASURED STRIDES IN MAHABALESHWAR: QUEEN OF MAHARASHTRA’S HIL-STATIONS--JANUARY 2024 By Rochelle Almeida

Thursday, January 11, 2024

I had long desired to make a trip to Mahabaleshwar as I had been there just once—for the first and last time when I was about 13 years old. Some of my memories were vivid, the majority were as hazy as the fog that envelopes the Sahyadri Mountains in whose folds the little hamlet lies tucked away. So, not only did I want to retrace some of my own childhood footsteps, but I also wanted to introduce my husband, Llew, to a part of Maharashtra with which he is unfamiliar—its glorious mountains and their gracious majesty.

Departure at the Crack of Dawn and Journey to Mahabaleshwar:

Accordingly, after having made accommodation and private transport arrangements, we were all set to leave Bombay on Thursday, January 11, 2024, for a three-day break in the arms of Nature. Our driver, Ravi, arrived at 5.15 am (15 minutes behind schedule) to pick us up in a private SUV, an almost new and very spiffy car, for a journey that was supposed to take us approximately seven hours, depending on traffic. I have to say that we really did luck out and, in fact, reached there in under six hours with one pit stop just past Lonavla at McDonald’s for breakfast burgers and hot chocolate/coffee at about 7.30 am.

The drive was just delightful and with our personal music on our ear-buds and the serenity of the passing scenery outside the window, we really did not find it long, irksome or tedious. Just past Lonavla, we went through the exciting tunnels of the Sahyadri Mountains (also known as the Western Ghats) and spied the peculiarly-shaped mountain that juts out into the horizon that is known commonly as the Duke’s Nose! Past the Sahyadri Mountains or the Western Ghats, we were back on flat plains again until the drive changed course after Poona with its astonishing residential high-rise developments that brought us into another set of mountains known as the Eastern Ghats. From this point on, we were in the heart of rural Maharashtra’s affluent field and farmland with well-irrigated sugarcane plantations and cornfields as far as the eye could see. It was extremely clear that agriculture is a thriving occupation in these parts and that the soil lends itself well to produce.

A little while later, we began our climb into the mountains that would form the final leg of our drive. The road is narrow and constantly winding, its hairpin bends providing stunning views as the car climbs ever higher and the anxiety in the pit of one’s tummy grows proportionately with the height.

Strawberries Everywhere:

We drove past Panchgani, the neighboring hill-station which is on the same road as Mahabaleshwar. Just a little ahead, we stopped at Mapro Garden Center where we treated ourselves to the strawberries and cream for which the place is famed. It turned out to be an absolutely gigantic glass coupe of freshly sliced strawberries served with scoops of strawberry ice-cream and freshly whipped cream for Rs. 395 each. The restaurant overlooked strawberry gardens and the hills just beyond and was filled with flower beds, cascading waterfalls and nurseries laden with potted plants that one could buy and take home. All along the main road from Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar, we passed by vendors selling mounds of strawberries as we had arrived bang in the midst of the strawberry season when these deeply-prized jewels are packaged and sold all over the country.

Arriving at our Hotel:

About a half hour later, we arrived at our hotel—Sai Deep Residency—which we had found through bookings-com which is the website I have used for at least 15 years when attempting to find accommodation in different parts of the world. It turned out to be right in the heart of the bazaar—so while it was a convenient location, there was nothing picturesque or pretty about it. In fact, it was a very modest place for which we paid a very modest sum of money. However, our room on the first floor was spotlessly clean as was the en suite bathroom. The reception staff and the one cleaner who seemed to look after everyone’s needs were both courteous and eager to please and they did everything they could to ensure that we were comfortable. As we’d be using the place only to sleep at night, we were honestly not too bothered about how spartan it was. However, Llew did say that if he were to do this again, he would opt for a pricier and fancier hotel.

Off to Explore Venna Lake:

One of the biggest attractions in Mahabaleshwar is Venna Lake. In years gone by, it used to be called Yenna Lake, but for some reason, its name has been changed and now it is uniformly known as Venna Lake. As it was still before noon when we reached, we decided to take a short nap of about an hour and then leave for a stroll around Venna Lake. This was exactly what we did. In fact, we had been led to believe that there was a walking route around the periphery of the lake, but this turned out to be untrue. Although we did try to explore on our own, there was really not much to do and we returned to the main drag of the lake that is well-trodden and quite commercial with vendors selling eats, roasted fresh corn, more strawberries and such things as sun hats and leather footwear. We soon found out that ‘Mabi’ (as it is known for short) has a thriving leather footwear home or cottage industry and that the sandals produced are delightfully soft and comfortable (I ended up buying two pairs which is how I know). We walked downhill for quite a while and ended up deciding to eat a very late lunch at a local eatery which happened to be purely vegetarian. We opted for corn fritters and corn pakoras with a strawberry milk shake and they were all delicious. In fact, since all the ingredients are so fresh and local, it is really hard to find a bad meal in Mabi.

Exploring the Market:

As in most Indian small towns, all life centers around the radius of small streets that comprise the market and we decided to explore it. Of course, we did mainly window shopping as we thought it made sense to find out what was available and then buy at our leisure as we had two more days in the place. We found loads of gram or chick peas (all grown locally in the fields in the plains) in varied flavors with all sorts of herbs and spices adding to their taste. There were also loads of gummy sweets made from pure fruit juice as the fruit industry is huge. Mapro and Mala are the two companies that lead in the production of fruit juices, pulps, canned processed fruit, jams, jellies, preserves and fruit gums. These delicacies are sold in small hills in every shop and sit cheek by jowl with other small shops that sell leather goods, wooden carved items including carved walking sticks. After we had explored most of the market and achieved a good understanding of the kind of local items we could take back with us as gifts, we made our way back to our hotel where we had another bit of a lie-down.

Dinner at The Grape Vine:

We were not quite sure where we would go out to eat an early dinner and quite by chance we happened to pass by The Grape Vine which was in the same lane as our hotel. When I saw a sign at the entrance that advertised its ‘Parsi food’, we decided that it would be our cuisine for the night. We were not disappointed. The Grape Vine has an excellent reputation as one of the best restaurants in Mabi. It happened to be empty when we stepped in and it stayed empty for the rest of the evening.

We had excellent service from the lone waiter who brought us prawn patio as our starter together with Mutton Dhansak with brown rice and a kachumber salad (with onions, tomatoes and fresh lime) as our main dish. We did not opt for dessert as we were very full, but our meal was truly outstanding. This lovely restaurant serves Indian and Continental dishes too and I could see that the fish and chips and the prawn cocktail would certainly be worthy of a try.

Luckily for us, the place was just a five-minute walk from our hotel and in no time at all, we were back in our rooms and ready to bed down for the night as we’d had a very early start in the morning and needed to make up for lost sleep. Mabi presented itself as a charming and very unsophisticated hill-station and our first impression of it was certainly very favoriable. We had no doubt we would enjoy the rest of our stay in the place. Until tomorrow…