Matheran Nearest Hill Station from Mumbai

Good day to all, We from Phila Tours & Travels are back again with one of the small and unique hill station nearest to Mumbai, just about 85 kms away and at the height of 800 meters from sea level. This place gives you everything, local delicacies and specialties, joy to kids and elders alike, escape from the fast life of cities, peace and tranquility of mind and body.

Yes we are talking about Matheran:

An eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. It is one of the few places in the world where vehicles are not allowed, which makes the place different from others. Matheran takes you over a hundred years back in time when there were no vehicles. Discovered by Hugh Poyntz Malet, the then district collector of Thane in May 1850. Lord Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay laid the foundations of the development as a future hill station.

How to reach:

One of the way to reach there would be by your own private vehicle till the entry point of Matheran which is Dasturi point, from there onwards no machine run vehicles are allowed inside and this is the first and foremost reason for Matheran being so Green, and absolutely Pollution free hill station. From the Dasturi point after leaving your vehicle in parking, have an option of either taking a horse ride or manually pulled 2 seaters Rikshaw or a healthy walk to the center of the hill station, which is Market area or your reserved hotel whichever is preferred. Coolies and Porters are available to carry your luggage till your destination point.

Another way is to reach by broad gauge train to the Station Neral and then take a meter gauge train (called Mini train or toy train) till Matheran Station, distance of about 21 kms. This Matheran Hill Railway was built in 1907 by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy and is one of the four historic toy train service still operated in India. Our suggestion is to take a proper time table before leaving from home for Neral station reaching and train departure time from Neral to Mathern and from Matheran to Neral  Its always advantageous to take train as the route is longer compared to road journey, much more scenic views are located and you reach straight to the matheran station, which has market area of 2 minutes and the center of hill station. Though, during the Monsoon time, considering possibilities of landslides, this train service is not operative.

Once in Matheran, the difference will be very much eye catching as Matheran weighs favor due to some of the reasons being, climate is cool and pleasant with a beautiful lake & many points worth a visit, No pollution of machine vehicles, Greenery is so eye catching, fresh air and worth a long walk of this Hill Station, fulfill your wish of Horse riding, as this hill station has a Race course (no, its not commercially maintained), take a break in the lavish green parks or enjoy one of those beautiful view from the ‘points’ and forget the worries. 

Here in Matheran, once settled down, enjoy the walk or riding horse, shopping for local items like leather products, small purses, gloves, Kolhapuri  footwear, hats etc. or go for sweets called Chikki, jelly sweets and water soluble squash and syrups of various different fruit tastes or Honey, or simply stroll in the market to see the local varieties of products being sold in cheap costs, or just relax and get your exertion of city life out of your mind and body, and intoxicate yourself and keep next two days to explore the various view points and temples, lake etc. Some of the points are mentioned below:

View from Panorama Point

Madhavji Garden and Point

View from Alexander Point

Let's start the day with the Sun rise view from the PANORAMA POINT Panorama Point is the most popular location in Matheran which offers majestic view of sunrise. The location is the longest spacious place on the mount peak. Best place for picnic. The cool and calm ambiance makes this place a most visited location in Matheran. Once back after viewing the sunrise, return to your hotel, freshen up and have breakfast and off we go again go out for visiting at few more points, starting with Madhavji Garden & Point, which is just next to the railways station of Matheran, peaceful place to sit around and go further inside the garden to have a lovely view of the valley. From here, let's walk towards Alexander Point, one of the great scenic locations on the side of Madhavji Road. On the backdrop of Jungle Greenness, the point offers grandeur picturesque view of Palasdari Lake, down hill village of Borgaon. The view of the deep valley down

from this point offers a breathtaking experience for any tourist. Soft cool breeze and serene environment add charm of this place. After enjoying the view and taking pictures, move onward.
Your next view point is Rambaug Point, One can get clear and majestic view of Karjat and Khandala town from this point. Rambaug point offers the great relaxing location for the mind and body to any of its visitors.
Further to Rambaug Point is Little Chowk Point and Chowk Point, the southern most point in Matheran is Chowk point which offers the view of beautiful Sahyadri ranges, Panvel Town, Karnala Vishalgarh and Prabal Fort.

One Tree Hill Point

 View from Chowk Point

View from Rambaug Point

Your next stop will be bit further to the marvelous view of One Tree Hill, that's the view point, One Tree Hill Point. hill spot with a single tree perched at the top.

View from Belvrede Point

Next point to view is lesser known Belvedere Point, which is an hour long trek from the main town and few minutes from One tree Hill, it opens out onto a flat expanse of rock at the edge of a sheer cliff. Magnificent view of Ulhas River below, neighbouring Sahyadri peaks and valley.

Charlotte Lake

The Charlotte Lake, is one of the most picturesque spots in Matheran. With the dam built on it, this lake is the only source of drinking water for Matheran hill station. Set in the middle of a densely forested area, also has other end situated to this lake is an ancient Pisarnath temple, the temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The two picnic spots Louisa point and Echo point are located near by. another point near by is Cecil Point, which is very beautiful to visit during the monsoon, from this point, one can see waterfall, of rain gather water falling way down below in the valley, a breath taking view, though possible only during the monsoon but worth watching. At the center of the hill, at the flat bed, its Olympia Race Course, which is still being enjoyed for a horse ride by the tourist, though its not a professionally maintained, still if you love horse riding, must not miss a chance to be here.

View from Cecil Point

View from Echo Point

And you have been spending a lot of time walking around, then let us end the day with a splendid view of sun set from the Porcupine Point. so, now, let's move to Porcupine (Sunset) Point and enjoy the view of setting sun down in the valley. Porcupine Point the name originated from the bird Porcupine as this place has the shape resembling Porcupine bird. This spot offers the ideal view of sunset and also gives the majestic view of distant Prabal fort. The location has scenic surrounding and dense and thick forest. The calm and cool atmosphere makes any visitor filled with a pleasant feeling.

View of Sunset from porcupine Point

Hope you have enjoyed the virtual visit to Matheran, we have not explained all teh point worth visiting there, in total some say there are 38 point, local people will give you idea about 28-30 points at Matheran, but we have tried to give you a general idea of few points and how scenic this place is....
for any more information on different places and for managing your holidays, do not hesitate to contact us. With more cities and their information of places to visit, things to enjoy, we will come again soon with new blog. till than have a peaceful and pleasant time.

AURANGABAD Part-2 : Caves, Forts and Rich History

As for the interest of the place and continue support from you all, we on behalf of Phila Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. are here again with the 2nd Part for Aurangabad and rest of the interesting places to visit which were not covered in our first part of blog.

DAULATABAD FORT: Devagiri (Daultabad of the later period), 11kms north-west of Aurangabad, is a famous for its formidable hill fort.  The fort is situated on an isolated cone-shaped hill rising abruptly from the plain to the height of about 190 meters.  The fortification constitutes of three concentric lines of defensive walls with large number of bastions.  The noteworthy features of the fort are the moat, the scarp and the sub-terranean passage, all hewn of solid rock.  The upper outlet of the passage was filled with an iron grating, on which a large fire could be used to prevent the progress of the enemy.  The Chand Minar, about 63 meters in height, was erected by Alauddin Bahman Shah in 1435 AD was originally covered with beautiful Persian 

Chand Minar

Chini Mahal

glazed tiles. Opposite the Minar is the Jumma masjid, whose pillars originally belonged to a temple.  Close to it, there is a large masonry tank.  The Chini Mahal at the end of the lower for is the place where Abdul Hasan Tana Shah, the last king Golconda, was confined by Aurangzeb in 1687 AD. Nearby is a round bastion topped with a huge canon with ram’s head, called Kila Shikan or Fort breaker. The Baradari,
octagonal in shape, stands near the summit of the fort. The principal bastion at the summit also carries a large canon. Though the city of Devagiri was founded in 1187 AD by the Yadava king Bhillan V, the fort was constructed during the reign of Singhana II (1210-46 AD). It was captured by Ala-ud-Din Kalji in 1294 AD, marking the first Muslim invasion of the Deccan. Then in 1327 AD, Muhammed-bin-Tughluq sought to make it his capital, by transferring the entire population of Delhi and changing the name from Devagiri to Daulatabad. The fort remained in Mughal control till Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 AD., when it passed on to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The famous Ellora Caves are just 16kms away from Daulatabad.

Tomb of Dilras Banu Begum

BIBI KA MAQBARA : The Bibi-Ka-Maqbara is a beautiful mausoleum of Rabia-ul-Daurani alias Dilras Banu Begum, the wife of the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. This mausoleum is believed to be constructed by Prince Azam Shah in memory of his mother between 1651 and 1661 A.D. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur. The mausoleum draws its inspiration from the world famous Taj Mahal of Agra (constructed between 1631 and 1648 A.D.) and hence it is rightly known as the "Taj of Deccan". The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but, the decline in the architencture and proportions of the structure had resulted in a poor copy of the latter so, also known as Mini Taj Mahal. Even this decline can not stop one appreciating the settings of the tomb complex in a garden setting with the mountain ranges behind providing as a backdrop. A huge ‘U’ shaped gap in between the hills behind provides the perfect harmony in which the mausoleum is blended. The smaller mosque, a later addition, stands to the west of the mausoleum. The bays are pierced through with five cusped arches and a minaret could be noticed at each corner.

AURANGABAD CAVES: Aurangabad caves are just a few kilometers away from the famous monument of Bibi Ka Maqbara. These caves are believed to be excavated between 2nd and 6th century AD. Aurangabad caves are carved out of the hillside and are a fine piece of architecture. During the 6th and 7th century, the Aurangabad caves were artificially dug out on soft rocks. There are about 12 caves in Aurangabad found in two distinct locations of a kilometer consisting of Western Group Caves (Cave 1-5), consists mainly of viharas (monasteries), Cave number 2 has a shrine with the image of Buddha. Cave 3 is the prominent and largest among the Western Group and is a masterpiece amongst all, with its beautifully carved pillars and sculptures. Eastern Group Caves (cave 6-10) located nearly 500 meters east of the first group and it contains many unfinished caves. At the eastern group, Cave 6 is a masterpiece because of for its amazing picture of women with their hairstyles and ornamentation. Cave 7 is the most remarkable for its sculptures that portray figures of women meagerly dressed and richly ornamented images of women like Hariti and the six goddesses, including Padmini. Cave 7 houses an imposing sculpture of a Bodhisattva, praying for deliverance from the 8 dangers, fire, the sword of the enemy, chains, shipwreck, lions, snakes, mad elephant and demon (representing death). Outside this cave is amazing figures of both Lord Ganesha and Buddha.
And finally, we reach to.....

Inside of Ellora Cave

ELLORA CAVES: About 30 km from Aurangabad is the world renowned Ellora Caves, known for their Buddhist, Jain and Hindu cultural influences. There are 34 caves containing shrines, monasteries and temples. The Buddhist caves now numbered from 1 to 12 were carved during the period 200 BC to 600 AD. These were followed by the 17 Hindu caves numbered from 13 to 29, which form the center of the complex built between 500 - 900 AD.  The Hindu caves are grouped around the famous Kailash Temple (No. 16), which represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. Finally, there are 5 Jain caves numbered from 30 to 24 and dating from 800 - 1000 AD. The caves are excavated in the scarp of a large plateau, running in a north-south direction for nearly 2 km, the scarp being in the form of a semi-circle, the Buddhist group at the right arc on the south, while the Jain group at the left arc on the north and the Hindu at the center. The Kailash Temple at Ellora is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the biggest monolithic sculpture in the world. It is carved from a single, mammoth rock.

The link, provided here will give you the visual joy of Ellora caves, but believe me, seeing is believing, get there and have the feel….

For any requirements, whether it be flight, hotel booking or package as a whole, we are always easy to be in contact. So enjoy the blog and see you soon.

AURANGABAD Part-1 : Caves, Forts, Lakes and Rich History

Good Day to all, with this new blog, we from Phila Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd. Are here to give you brief details about the City Aurangabad in the Province of Maharashtra along with the places of Interest, hope you will enjoy reading and will have a wish to visit it personally.

Aurangzeb

Chhatrapati Shivaji

The name AURANGABAD derived from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, when he took over the Deccan Kingdoms and used the town as strategic point to suppress the rising of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji, in 1653, changed the name of Fatehpur (Originally name was Khirki – meaning as Window) to Aurangabad. Though, the history of this town goes way back to the era of Buddhism. The Ajanta and Ellora Caves are the best examples of the influence of the Buddhism in and around those places in the early times. The days, those caves are World heritage sites and Bibi ka maqbara and Daulatabad fort are also quiet famous and all these monuments are visited by many Indians as well as foreigners. Those Caves are already under the approved list of UNESCO World Heritage Site and remaining two are proposed for the same. 

Bibi-ka-Maqbara

Sightseeing at Aurangabad is an extensive list, besides Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Bibi Ka Maqbara (also known as Mini Taj Mahal or Taj of Deccan) the visit to Himroo Factory (shawl manufacturing factory) and Panchakki (Water Mill) are worth to be organized. Also there are other places like Daulatabad Fort, Khuldabad, Anwa Temple, Pitalkhora Caves, LonarCrater and Paithan can also be organized as excursions. Sunheri Mahal Museum, University History Museum and Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum are three the museums in the city, housing artistic treasures of this historical region.

In this first part about Aurangabad and places to visit, we will be mainly talking about Ajanta Caves and few other places, so let’s start with:

Water Mill Blades

PANCHAKKI:  Literally meaning ‘water wheel’, Panchakki takes its name from the hydro-mill (water Mill) which is situated at a distance of 1 km from the city, in its day, was considered a marvel of engineering. Driven by underwater water carried through earthen pipes from 8km away from its source in mountain, it once ground grain for pilgrims. The channel culminates an artificial water fall which powers the mill to grind grains. You can still see the humble machine at work.

Ajanta Caves from Viewpoint-Ajanta

Inside Ajanta Cave

AJANTA CAVES: The greatest Historical Monument protected by Archeological Survey of India and recognized by UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 105kms from Aurangabad City are 30 caves carved out of solid rock dates way back in 2^nd Century A.D. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the fourth general council under another great king, Kanishka. The depiction of carving of statues and paintings relates to the life and events of Prince Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and the Jatakas stories pertaining to the Buddha’s previous incarnation.

Once you visit the caves, will start wondering how the paintings were made in such dark places on so rough walls, well, it’s like this: As the Buddhists began to scoop caves from the 1st century A.D. downwards, they evolved practical ways of working in the dark. The mashaal, or stick torch, was smeared with vegetable oil and used for lighting dark corners. Also, large mirrors were used to reflect sunshine in to the interiors. Before painting on walls, layer of clay mixed with cow dung and powdered rice hunk was first applied to the chipped rock surface. Once it dries, a second coat of lime plaster was a Applied over it, and thus the surface was smoothened for proper Painting to start. The outlines were then drawn in pink, brown or black; the colors were filled in with big brushes, made from the hair of squirrels’ tail. The colors were made by crushing and grinding pebbles and vegetable found on the hillside and then mixed with glue. The main colors used were; red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli (blue). This last pigment was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. Green was made by mixed this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre.

There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are monasteries. With this I would leave it on you to discover these caves, the statues and paintings in it and have a pleasure of visiting one of the oldest and important places in India.

Hand Pouch

Shawls

HIMROO FACTORY: Now wouldn’t you all be interested in having some useful item to be offered as gift to your relatives, friends etc. back home or for yourself a souvenir to remind you of the beautiful place you visited and good memories of the same, So here we offer you Shawls, made from Himroo material, which is an amazing mix of cotton and silk and the use of gold and silver threads, it is known for its quality. Paithani saris and conventional handloom shawals can also be seen here. The designs and the patterns on these fabrics are the inspirations which are derived from the Ajanta paintings. The locale of the Himroo Factory is ideal, it is near Zaffar Gate in the old town; don’t forget to visit.

Reclining Buddha in Ajanta Cave No: 26

And of course we from Phila Tours are always there for any further information, inquiry and requirement for your peaceful holidays, so, feel free to contact us. we will return to you with next part to complete about Aurangabad in some time, meanwhile enjoy your day.