Mahabaleshwar revisited

With so many new weekend getaways having got developed in the ghats and beaches around Bombay, the old favourite Mahabaleshwar is now considered passe. But Arch and I recently spent a couple of enjoyable days there and have a few recommendations from our trip.

Stay at Le Meridien: It's lovely - though rather steeply priced. Another option you can consider is Evershine Keys resort which looked quite nice too and is priced more reasonably, though we didn’t get a chance to check it out from inside.

Things to do: The usual touristy things like visiting viewing 'points' and lakes are, of course, to be skipped. But a few things which we will recommend are:

Visit Krishnabai Shiv temple. Located in old Mahabaleshwar, just a few minutes walk from the Panch Ganga temple (which is very commercial and can be avoided) is this rather old, quaint temple which the tourists have thankfully chosen to ignore. Depending on whom you choose to believe, the temple can be dated as 5000 years old (as per the priest - certainly a gross exaggeration), 800 years old (as per some sites on the net, maybe true - it looks that vintage) or 130 years old (that's as per wikipedia - though it looks much older).  But age is not as important as the sheer tranquility of the place. Overlooking the valley the lord gets a beautiful view of the sunrise and the river. It is supposedly the spot where the Krishna river originates. When we reached the place we were the only souls with not a sound to be heard anywhere. Even the priest was missing. Arch spent an hour of solitary contemplation while I pottered around the place clicking snaps. 

  

Buy Strawberries from Mohsin at Muskaan Farms. Just as you are returning from the temple before the parking lot, you will see a family packing strawberries on their front porch. Mohsin is the third generation owner  of  this place and very friendly. He showed us around his farm and also his backyard where he grows chamomile tea, rocket lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mustard kale, broccoli, zucchini and the like. We ended up chatting with him and his family for over an hour. 

Mohsin and his dad

Fresh and juicy

Walking around the strawberry farm

Chamomile tea plant

Broccoli

When we told Mohsin how much we liked the Krishnabai temple, he took it upon himself to contact the priest and ask him to hurry back so that he can personally show us around once again, this time inside the sanctum sanctorum. So once the simple looking and extremely polite Mangesh, the priest, showed up we went back with Mohsin to the temple and this time the priest chanted some mantras inside with mesmeric reverb inside the chamber. The fact that a Muslim was sitting with us enjoying the recitation as much as us and explaining the details of the temple did not escape our notice.

With Mangesh - the priest

With Mohsin in front of the temple

Visit Devrai Art Village, Panchgani. On the drive back keep about an hour or so to visit this non profit initiative where adivasi craftsmen from naxalite affected areas of Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh forge beautiful metal creations. Its called Rock Dhokra - an art form where rock is fused with molten brass. 

It’s run by Mandakini Mathur (who is also a filmmaker) along with her colleague Suresh Pungati.  If you’re game for a short but steep downhill trip you can see the workshop where the craftsmen live and work. There is a small shop in one of the rooms of Mathurs' house which adjoins the 'workshop' where the artefacts are displayed for sale. We also happened to meet her husband Atul Mathur, an ex-HR professional and soon found that we had a few mutual friends in Bombay. Their son Devansh (probably in his early twenties) is a budding filmmaker and he took us to his projection room in the house to show clips from some of his creations. A very warm and creative family indeed.
Honey and spice shopping. While driving around the town we chanced upon this apiary run by the Directorate of Beekeeping. We walked in and they showed us around the small place. We learnt that the best honey of the area is from the nectar of the 'Karvi' flower which blooms only once in seven years. Other flavours are available for sale too in the premises. We picked up a few bottles but haven't tasted them yet. On the way back to Mumbai after the town of Wai at the foothills, as you drive towards the highway, there are a few shacks by the roadside where village women sell spices. Pick up some turmeric which is grown in the region. It's quite nice.

The beekeeper pointing the queen bee

Mix with the locals: They are extremely warm, friendly and uncorrupted - despite the touristry nature of the town.