Tour of Gargoti Museum and Gondeshwar Temple Nashik

Date of Travel :- 5th April 2024
Mode of Travel :- Four Wheeler

    Vaibhav and Yogesh are the two friends who made me love travel and trekking, but I regret that both of them are not with me today. Vaibhav went to America and Yogesh went to Pune for work. Had trekked to Raigad with Vaibhav in the year 2016, after that didn't got a chance. Today, after almost eight years, it was time to travel with him. Vaibhav returned to India after two years. He wanted to go to Shirdi to seek blessing from Saint Sai Baba, so he asked me to come along. The date 5th April was fixed, then instead of going to Shirdi only, it was decided to visit Gondeshwar Shiv Temple, Aishwareshwar Shiv Temple and Gargoti Museum in nearby Sinnar village.

Places we visited

• Sai Baba Temple - Shirdi
• Gargoti Museum - Malegaon MIDC
• Gondeshwar Temple - Sinnar
• Aishwareshwar Temple - Sinnar

Travelogue

 

    At 6:30 in the morning Vaibhav came near my house with his car, around 7:00 a.m. we both left Goregaon and around 9:00 in the morning we stopped for breakfast at "Shree Dutt Snacks" in the village of Padgha before Wasindh. After finishing breakfast at around 10:00 am we left for Shirdi. Taking a right turn from Igatpuri we joined Samriddhi Highway . As the traffic on the Samriddhi highway was less, the car was running smoothly, but as the continuous driving was getting tiring, Vaibhave stopped the car at petrol pump before Sinner and took some rest. After reaching Shirdi, with the help of Google maps, we found a car parking near the temple, which was a private parking area. After parking the car in the parking lot, we came out and bought flowers from a shop. It was 12:30 in the afternoon when we went to the temple and the aarti started. The temple administration has made good arrangements so that the devotees do not face any problem. We sat inside the temple premises and performed aarti and after the aarti the darshan line started.

    Around 1:30 in the afternoon, we came out of the temple after having Shree Sai Baba's darshan. Visited the other temples in the temple premises, like Ganapati Temple, Shani Temple, etc. we came out of the temple premises and reached the parking lot, bought prasadi from the same shop from which we had bought the flowers and brought out the car from the parking lot. As we were thirsty, we drank sugarcane juice from a handcart on the side of the road and then reached the Prasadalaya. Parked the car outside the Prasadala and stood in the queue at the ticket counter. Received the receipt and went inside, both sat in a row. The temple administration has now made Mahaprasad free. After having Mahaprasad (lunch), we came out of prasadaly, while the exhibition of ShivaSrishti was going on nearby. I wanted to go to see Shivashrithi but resisted the temptation because, then it would have been too late to go to Sinnar Gondeshwar Temple.

Gargoti Museum

    It was 2:30 in the afternoon when we left Shirdi and headed towards Sinnar. Decided to visit the minerals Gargoti Museum first. The minerals museum is located in the MIDC area of ​​Malegaon near Sinnar, due to the narrow roads of the village we were a bit late, we reached the museum around 4 pm. There is a small office right next to the entrance of the museum where we paid a hundred rupees each and got a receipt and entered the museum. There was a person sitting near the entrance of the museum, when we started looking at the mineral crystals, that person approached us and introduced himself. (Guide service is free ). He asked us that if you want to see the whole museum and know the information then it will take at least an hour, if you have that much time I will give you all the information. We have come from so far to see minerals in the museum, then need why rush? so we decided to give it an hour and the guide started telling us all the information. He was giving us information in simple language that we could understand. There was an information panel in front of each crystal, on which it was written what kind of crystal it was and in which area it was found. When we saw the word Malad in front of a crystal and were amazed, as it is the same place where we are currently staying in Mumbai, our curiosity grew even more. The Shivlinga and Ganapati idols made of quartz crystal in the museum were amazing. Fossils of dinosaur eggs were also seen, not only that, but the remains of stones from Mars and Moon are kept here. After seeing all the crystals in the lower section, we went to the first floor, where many crystals were kept and some idols are made from the crystals. On the first floor there is a shop for shopping, there are jewelery made from crystals and other items. If you have come to buy goods from this shop, you will not be charged 100 rupees for the ticket. This museum is still unknown to people, the crystals kept there are very precious and amazing, One need to visit this museum at least once in a lifetime.

1. Amethyst - Brazil, 2. Okinite - Malad,
3. Crystal Ganesha Idol, 4. Solicit - Nashik

    The Minerals Museum is India's one and only gem and mineral museum. It is the largest "private" gem and mineral museum in the world. The Pebble Museum has the largest and finest collection of Indian zeolite minerals and crystals in the world. The first museum at "Sinner, Nashik" came into being in April 2001; It was named "Gargoti the Mineral Museum". It was inaugurated by Hon. Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray did. The Gargoti Museum exhibits the personal collection of connoisseur Mr. KC Pandey, which is the result of his consistent work over the past 40 years.

Website : https://gargoti.com/Timings: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Open Daily)
Address: D-59, MIDC Malegaon, Sinnar, Nashik 422113

1. Ammonite Morocco Fossils, 2. Many types of minerals,
3. Pentagon - Pune, 4. Dinosaur egg fossils

Gondeshwar Shiva Temple

    Around 5:00 in the evening we came out of the museum and headed towards the Gondeshwar temple. But this time we were misled by google maps by showing us a shortcut road and guided us to go to a closed road, due to which we wasted 10 to 15 minutes. The most surprising thing is that when we asked the way towards the Gondeshwar temple, they replied that they don't know Gondeshwar temple. Temples close around 6:00 in the evening and in the dark I cannot see the temple, so we rushes. The problems didn't stop there when we got back to the main road. Going further, Google still misled us, as if Gondeshwar Mahadev did not want to be seen. We were equally stubborn, would not leave without having darshan, searched and searched and finally found our way to the temple. Around 5:40 pm we reached near the temple. Entered the temple premises and stood looking at the temple for two minutes. The magnificence of the temple and its beauty cannot be described in words. First we had darshan of Mahadev and came out of the temple and were looking at the carvings done on it.

Gondeshwar temple and its sculptures

    The Gondeshwar Mahadev Temple is built in the Bhumij style and stands on a pedestal. This temple is called Shivpanchayatana because there are small temples on all four sides of this temple. The pinnacle and culmination of the peak have been destroyed in the Islamic invasion. There is a large lake on the right side of the temple, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the stones from here were used for the construction of the temple. The temple area is secured by a protective wall. There were some more structures in the vicinity of the temple but their foundation stones are only available now, so it is impossible to know what these structures were. If the archaeological department excavates the site or dredges the sediments in the adjacent lake, it is not impossible to find many remains. The peak of the temple is exactly like the Shiva temple of Ambernath and the Amriteshwar temple of Ratanwadi. From this we can infer that this temple was built during the Shilahar rule. Although the information about who built this temple is available on Google today, there is still confusion as there is no evidence to support it. It is necessary to do research on this.

Gondeshwar temple and its sculptures

    The Gondeshwar temple was built during the Seuna (Yadava) rule and dates back to the 11th or 12th century. Sinnar was a royal stronghold in its pre-imperial period and modern historians identify it as Senapura, a city founded by the Yadava king Seyunchandra. According to local tradition, the town of Sinnar was founded by Gawli (i.e. Yadav) chief Rao Singhuni and the Gondeshwar temple was built by his son Rao Govinda at a cost of Rs.200,000. According to another suggestion, the temple - also known as Govindeshwar - was built by the Yadava feudal lord Govinda-Raja, but no historical evidence supports this suggestion. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).

Aishwareshwar Shiva Temple

    It was 6:30 in the evening. After seeing the Gondeshwar temple, we left to see the Aishwareshwar temple. Aishwareshwar temple is one and a half kilometers away from Gondeshwar temple, so it didn't take us much time to reach there. Aishwareshwar temple is said to be built before Gondeshwar temple. The culmination of the temple and most of it was destroyed in the Islamic invasion, only the core of the temple and the assembly hall remain. The carvings on the temple are worth seeing. On the right side of the temple is the Saraswati River. Took darshan of Mahadev and came out of the hall and sat in the hall and took some rest.

    To the north-west of the city is the Aishwareshwar temple, though it was built in the Chalukya style, but it has the pediments of the Nagar style throughout, and only its sanctum sanctorum and a few pillars remain. There are beams on the columns. There are pillars on the outside of the sanctum sanctorum. There is a lion figure on the top of the pillar and many idols are carved in the middle corner. Crafts are found in it. There is also sculpture at the bottom of the wall. On the door branch of the sanctum sanctorum are the images of Gajalakshmi, Seshashayi Vishnu and Saptamatrika. In the vitana (ceiling) there are idols of Ashtadikpalas and on both sides of the door there are idols of gatekeepers, and on the pillars in the front wall are beautiful idols of Brahma and Vishnu. The pillars in the prakara are square, hexagonal and octagonal and have beautiful idols of Vishnu avatars and dancing girls on them. Based on its architectural style, according to experts, it should be from the eleventh century. (Courtesy: Marathi Encyclopedia).

Aishwareshwar temple and its sculptures

    Due to spending too much time in the Minerals Museum, there was not enough time to see the sculptures at the Gondeshwar and Aishwareshwar temples. Determined to come again sometime and see the temple in detail, we headed towards Mumbai. We stopped for tea at a small shop near the Samriddhi Highway. After drinking tea we started our journey again towards Mumbai, after some distance I remembered that I had left the water bottle in the shop. Vaibhav started saying let's turn back the car to collect a water bottle, but could not find a suitable place to take a U-turn. I said told that with the amount of petrol wasted to bring the bottle, two to three more bottles can be bought. He backtracked three kilometers and picked up the forgotten bottle from the shop and again started the journey towards Mumbai. It was 11:00 o'clock in the night when we reached Goregaon in Mumbai.


Note:- All travel expenses are borne by Vaibhav so no details of expenses are provided.

Photographs taken at Gargoti Museum

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Harishchandragad and Raucous form of Nature

Date of Travel : 8th August, 2023.

Mode of Travel : Train and Private Jeep


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Travelogue and History of the Fort

    Harishchandragad, the pandhari of the wanderers, indeed it is the pandhari! Just as his devotees go to Pandharpur every year to meet Vitthala, we wandering trekkers like to visit Harishchandragad. No matter how many times you visit, the mind is never satisfied. I visited Harishchandragad for the first time in 2022. It was decided to come again when the monsoon was over, but it didn't work out. It got a chance  again in the rainy season of 2023, but this time there was a big change in the nature. Due to the Biperjoy storm, the rain stopped for a while, but it started raining again in the month of July, but the intensity of the rain was low, hence we decided to visit Harishchandragad.

Pachnai Waterfall

    8th August the date was fixed, as usual I called Vijay Kadu and booked a jeep from Kasara to Pachanai and called Rahul Bharmal of Pachanai village and asked him to arrange breakfast and lunch. Initially our group consisted of 11 people in total, but as the date of the trek approached, the number reduced. The only five members left, myself, Amey Vipat, Latesh Jadhav, Vilas uncle and Ravi uncle. As usual, We boarded the fast local from Dadar for Kasara leaving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 10:50 pm and reached Kasara by 1:20 am. When we reached Asangaon, I called Vijay Kadu and informed about our location, so he will reach on or before time at Kasara station. We came out of the station in the east direction and came to the road, met Vijay standing there and got into the jeep and started our journey towards Pachanai village. When the jeep was stopped at the petrol pump to fill petrol, it was seen that there was dense fog, but we ignore it. Also we were relaxed as there was no rain while travelling towards Pachanai. Kasara to Pachanai is a distance of 100 kms and it takes at least three hours to reach there, after reaching Rajur there is a forest department post. There you have to pay the forest department charges 30 rupees each and 100 rupees for the car, but today the forest department officials were sleeping with the gate open. So we moved to ahead without paying charges. We reached Pachnai village at 4:30 in the morning, it was not difficult to find Rahul Bharmal's house as we had come here last year and had also downloaded the offline location. We approached the house and thought why should we disturb the family early morning hence decided to wait outside, but the dog inside their house started barking, due to which woke up everyone. Due to the recent storm, there was no electricity in the village of Pachanai. Last year when we we got Kande Pohe for breakfast so we were hoping to get same dish today, but Rahul started opening the Maggi packets and was disappointed. Looking at the situation in the village and at house, I remained calm. While we doing breakfast, the strong wind started, as if it was a storm again. The wind was so strong that the sound of it made the chest pound. Wanted to cancel this trek and go home.

Vijay Kadu (Jeep) - 7276434995
Rahul Bharmal (Accomodation at Pachnai) - 7620116476

Note : It should be noted that once you cross Rajur village there is limitation on mobile network, In the Pachanai village mobile does not get network, so communication becomes difficult in case of any difficult situation.

Harishchandragad trek strat point

    A week ago, a tourist tried to visit Harichandra Fort via Khireshwar missed his way, had to spend the two night in the forest in heavy rain and died of fever. Therefore, the forest department had made it mandatory for the tourists to take guide with them. After breakfast we started the trek at around 6:00 AM, Rahul Bharmal's cousin came with us as a guide. The heart was delighted to see the enchanting waterfall in Pachanai village. After some distance, there is an arch from where the trek to Harichandragad begins. As soon as we started the trek, the rain started, strong wind and rain continued. After walking for half an hour, came across some caves, rested there for a while. There is a waterfall falling from the cliff in this place, but due to the strong wind, the water was not reaching down, unable to enjoy bathing in this waterfall. After going some distance we came near a stream, this stream turned into a waterfall, but we continued walking to go to the fort first before getting into the stream. The Guide who was with us rushed forward and disappeared. The fog was so thick that you couldn't see a hundred meters away. We shouted at guide and asked him to stop. Considering this fog, we thought it was the right decision to take guide with us.

A small cave on the way

    After some distance, there is an iron bridge, built by the villagers for the convenience of tourists. Crossing the stream from the bridge, we went to the other side. One of the wonders experienced while crossing the stream from this bridge is that, a bird is chirping in this place in a melodious voice! This sweet sound was coming last year too. It is not known which bird this sound belongs to, the bird was not visible but its nest must be on some tree here! After some distance, a small hut-like shop was there, closed due to weekday. We took shelter of that shop and took some rest and took out the food we had brought with us from the bag. Ravi uncle had brought chikki, while Vilas uncle had brought date ladoos. I had brought Parle-g Biscuits as usual. Got refreshed after eating and headed towards the temple. Due to the rain, the soil become very sticky and slippery, making walking a bit difficult. Somehow we managed to reach the top of the hill, but the fog here was very dense. I had come here last year, so I knew there was a valley on both sides of this path. We didn't know where to go but, Guide knew the way. He took a left turn and continued walking through the fog. The peak of Harishchandreshwar temple is clearly visible from the place where we were standing, but at this time it was difficult to see the temple even 100 meters away. Walking behind the Guide, we reached the Harishchandreshwar temple.

    Harishchandreshwar temple, the carving that fills the eyes! This beautiful rock temple stands at the banks of the river Mangalganga, named by Saint Changdev. The banks, the ditches dug along the banks, the cooling water tanks and this beautiful temple built in the midst of this wall! Like 'Nageshwar', Jhanj Raja also built this temple at the source of Mangalganga alias Mula river. One should enter this premises through the east facing entrance. There are magnificent sculptures of Keertimukhas on both sides of this door. Also an important article on the left wall! ‘चक्रपाणी वटेश्वर : नन्दतु तस्य सुत : वीकट देऊ ॐ’ 'Chakrapani Vateswar: Nandatu Tasya Sut: Veikat Deu Om' This land overwhelmed by nature sculpture was also felt by Saint Changdev. Then he also chose this Harishchandragad for his penance. Eight inscriptions, six in this temple of Harishchandreshwar, and two in the cave of Kedareshwar in the vicinity, give proof of this residence of Changdev. Senior writer and Durg lover. N. Dandekar, Dr. V. B. Kolte and Dr. R. C. Dhere painstakingly researched these articles and brought his relationship with the thirteenth century saints Changdev, Jnandev and Nivrittinath to the society. According to Dr. Dhere there was another article on the right wall of this entrance too. But today it cannot be read as its letters are faded. As soon as you enter, you can see the temple of Harishchandreshwar with a high peak in the middle of the space. The temple is surrounded by some carved cave halls and water tanks on the south and west sides. The main temple has gates on both the east and west sides. In the center is a Shivlinga and Nandi is seated in front of it. The shikhara, walls, pillars and entrance of this temple are all carved with freehand. Gods and Goddesses, animals, gem-forms, nature etc. metaphors, various geometric designs are intertwined in this magnificent work. This is why scholars compare this structure with Buddha Gaya temple in the north. This beauty of Harishchandreshwar leaves the mind of the beholder dumbstruck for a few moments. Saint Changdev also fell into the same felling and that is why he chose this part for penance. During his stay here, he completed the book 'Tattvasara'. This fort is mentioned in the ovas between 1028 and 33 of this book as,

‘हरिश्चंद्र नाम पर्वतु।
तेथ महादेओ भवतु।।
सुरसिद्ध गणी विख्यातु।
सेविजे जो।।१०२९।।
हरिश्चंद्र देवता। मंगळगंगा सरिता।।
सर्वतीर्थ पुरविता। सप्तस्थान।। १०३०।।’

'Harishchandra Naam Parvatu.
Mahadeo Bhavatu was there.
Sursiddha Gani Vikhyatu.
Savage Joe..1029..
Lord Harishchandra. Mangalganga Sarita.
Provide all pilgrimages. Saptasthan. 1030..'

Like Tatvasara, information about this Harishchandra mountain is also found in Skanda, Padma, Agni, Masya Puranas.

Harishchandreshwar Temple

Lord Ganapati status at Harishchandreshwar Temple

    After seeing the Harishchandreshwar temple, we went to the nearby Kedareshwar Caves, we were curious to see the magnificent Shivlinga in the cave. During monsoons, the cave fills with water, but this year the water level was low. When we asked guide the reason for this, he blamed the clever officials of the archeology department and said, "There was an tree adjacent to this cave, so the rain water used to enter the cave, but last year the archeology department officials cut it and water from the stream in front of it also entered, but the same structure was also changed while doing the conservation work.

    Caves of Kedareshwar, this cave, which is square-shaped, has water up to the waist and there is a huge Shivlinga in the middle of it. Four ornate pillars are designed around this Shivlinga. One of them is completely intact, while three are partially lying. A sculpture of Shiva worship is also carved on the left wall of this cave. One who had faith, he would jump into that cold water and circumambulate 'that' Shiva and wake up that cave with the roar of Har Har Mahadev!

Shivling in the Kedareshwar cave

Sculpture of Shiva worship in the Kedareshwar Cave 

    While watching the Kedareshwar cave, a group of children came there and jumped into the water and stood on the base stone of the Shivlinga and started taking pictures. They were brought down, giving due understanding. But rather than telling, one should know itself. Tourists who come here use the water in Pushkarani near the temple and in this Kedareshwar cave as a swimming pool. In fact it is felt that the archeology department or the villagers should take the initiative and stop this practice. Otherwise tourists like us will have to walk around with a whip.

    After seeing Kedareshwar Caves, turning back, we came near Pushkarani next to Harishchandreshwar Temple. Fourteen niches in one row of Pushkarani. In which till 1984 there were idols of various deities. Further, for security reasons, they are kept in a room in the Harishchandreshwar temple itself. Around 1970, a Maharaja who was living on this fort started cleaning this Pushkarani. This time he got enough silver coins to fill two sacks. It was moved from here to make silver mask from these coins. But further this mask was no made, and even the coins, which were authentic instruments of history, were lost.

Pushkarni

    After seeing Pushkarni, we went to see the caves carved into the Taramati peak. In these caves, which are five-six in a row, there is a magnificent sculpture of Ganesha carved in a hall. The area in front of these caves is the main part of the fort. Ruins of some houses, water tanks, small and big temples are in this area. When the British conquered the fort in 1820, they demolished all these structures and the gates of the fort. Pushkarni and the temple of Harishchandreshwar were saved from this attack!

Ganesh cave carved in the Taramati peak

    After seeing the caves, we asked Guide to go see Konkankada, but he said it was not safe to go there due to dense fog, strong wind and rain. Disappointed, we all turned back and sat in the hut-like shop on the fort. An event occurred in 1835 on the Konkankada. Colonel Sikes also came to this fort among the British officers who came here by the stream of Harishchandragad. One morning, riding a horse at sunrise, he came to this ridge and saw his own reflection in the mist rising from the valley ahead, surrounded by a circular rainbow. In this way, the scientific miracle 'Indravajra' was also recorded at this fort.

    The shop we stopped at, belonged to Rahul Bharmal. we were all felt chilly due to the cold wind and rain, so ordered a cup of tea. We eat bhadang and drank hot tea, but the cold in our body did not go away. So everyone went inside and warmed up next to the stove. Sitting there, we started chat with Baba (old age person) and Baba told story about the accident that happened a few days ago. The state we were in in this cold wind and rain, hence one can guess what the state of those boys must have been after spending two nights in this forest! After chatting with Baba and saying goodbye to him, we started our way back. As the fort descended, we again came near the stream, seeing the stream, Vilas uncle was tempted to take a dip, but seeing the heavy rain, Guide forbade him to enter into the water. Sat near by the stream for a while and started way back again.

Top side of water fall

    At around 11:00 AM we reached the base, Guide had done his work, so asked him to go home and we spent half an hour sitting on the small plateau there, watching the Pachanai waterfall and small reverse waterfalls, eating chickpeas and enjoying the nature. Around 12:00 PM we reached Rahul Bharmal's house, food was ready. As there was no electricity supply in the village, we had our meals in the torchlight. After paying Rahul Bharmal's honorarium, around 1:00 pm we sat in the jeep for Kasara. After a journey of 3 hours, we reached near Kasara station at approximately 4:00 pm. By boarding the fast local from Kasara to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 4:16 pm, we reached Dadar station at 7:00 pm

    While witnessing the beauty of Harishchandragad, the raucous form displayed by nature, was an unforgettable experience!

Note: The above information about Harishchandra Fort and its monuments is taken from an article in Loksatta newspaper. Histroy of Harishchandragad

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Kalsubai - Night Trek

Date of Travel : 1 May 2024 

Mode of Travel : Train, Jeep

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    Kalsubai! The highest peak in Maharashtra, it is also called the Everest of Maharashtra. I completed the Kalsubai trek in the year 2017 with Yogesh during the rainy season, and since then my interest in trekking developed. So far 20 to 21 treks have been completed but not a single night trek yet done. Some of the newly made friends expressed their desire to trek Kalsubai. So 1st May was decided, but it was summer season and Kalsubai peak is not an easy task. So it was decided to trek at night time, but none of us had night trek experience, but a few days back, a colleague had done a night trek alone. So took some information from him and planned the trek accordingly. The trek was planned, keeping in mind the experience of the trek I done in 2017, the paths and the time required. Everyone was asked to take a torch with them, also called Vijay Kadu to book a jeep and called Balu Khade of Bari village to arrange accommodation and food.

Vijay Kadu (Jeep) - 7276434995
Balu Khade (Bari village, food and accommodation) - 7745024547

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Kalsumata Temple

    In total there were nine people in our group, myself, Amey Vipat, Vinayak Kale, Akash Shinde, Sudesh, Latesh Jadhav, Santoshraj Karande and one of his nephews and nieces. Everyone was asked to board the fast local at 10:50 p.m leaving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Kasara. Everyone was asked to catch the train from their nearest station at the time given on the M indicator app. However, the train to Kasara arrived fifteen minutes late. When we reached Asangaon around 12:45 a.m, I called Vijay Kadu to bring the jeep at Kasara station. We reached Kasara around 1:30 a.m, all assembled and exited Kasara station in an east direction, walking approx hundred meters out onto the road. Vijay was standing there. We all got into the jeep and headed towards Bari village. After some distance, the jeep stopped for tea, but the boys ordere bhaji instead of drinking only tea, which would delay our onward journey. Our plan was to watch the sunrise from Kalsubai Peak, but the fifteen minutes delay by the train and the time we had to eat tea and bhaji, wasted almost 35 to 40 minutes. However, we decided to cover this time while trekking. After drinking tea we continued our journey towards Bari village, we reached Bari village between 2:20 a.m. The Bari village of 2017 and the present Bari village of 2024 have changed a lot. We wanted to go to Balu Khade's Tanmay Hotel, but the change in the village made it difficult to find his house and hotel. Finally, with the help of driver uncle Vijay Kadu, we reached Balu Khade's house.

Night trek group photo

Kalsubai trek starting point arch

    Balu Khade has built a new house next to the residence for the convenience of the tourists. We were asked to go to the first floor and freshen up. We freshened up and took important things like torch, water bottle, first aid kit, medicines etc. and kept other things at Balu Khade's house. There was a mess in my case I had brought two torches but both of them stop working, a good sign was, other members had brought torches. An arch has been constructed from where the Kalsubai trek begins. Due to the change in the village it was a bit difficult to find this arch and to find the main path. We got on the right track with the help of the offline map downloaded on the Durg app. Also, after some distance, we lost our way again, because our regular trekker Latesh Jadhav was running like a skater. Asked everyone to wait wherever they are and went to find the right way, Durg app helped a lot to find correct path. Also, the villagers have done making on the trek route, hence there is very little chance of missing the path!. There are shops at some distance and their lights are on all night so it gives some relief while trekking in night. We had wasted 35 to 40 minutes which we had to cover, but here was a different problem arise. As usual, Vinayak was exhausted at the beginning of the trek and slept on the rocks. Some of the group members were scared to see him, but I knew that he would complete the trek no matter how hard it was 😄. Not only that, Santoshraj Karande's niece was also very tired at this time, she was used to trekking but who knows, this summer heat might have made her more tired. Finally decided to climb the peak, by leaving the desire of watching the sunrise from peak, asked everyone to walk as comfortably as possible. 60% to 70% of the distance was covered and the Sun appeared! Couldn't get to the top to see the sunrise, but we had gained enough height. Santosh had brought a "Thalipeet", ate a little bit of the Thalipeet to gain energy. After resting a bit, took photos of the sunrise and resumed climbing. Kalsubai's peak and the saffron flags were visible, very less distance was pending, but we were tiered and our legs started shivering. Somehow slowly we managed to reached at the peak. A total of four iron ladders were there in the trek route of Kalsubai. As the steps of the first three ladders are narrow, careful climbing and descending is required.   The fourth ladder takes you directly to the top. Although the ladder is very tall, but its steps are wide so there is no need to worry.

Group photo at Kalsubai peak

Group photo on 4th ladder

Around 6:50 AM we reached the summit. Many people had come to watch the sunrise at night and stay over there overnight. Due to weekday, the crowd was very less. First went to the back of the temple and sat down and relaxed, ate the food brought in the tiffin and everyone got recharge. Visited the temple and had darshan of Kalsu Mata and spent some time enjoying the panoramic view of Sahyadri from the summit. We prefer vegetarian meals while trekking as much as possible, but since May 1st was a Wednesday, many members requested for non-vegetarian meals, Hence Called Balu Khade from the summit and asked "Can we change the food menu?" They agreed and we asked them to cook a non-vegetarian meal.

Note : Jio network is available at Kalsubai peak, so in case of any accident or you went on wrong path, you can call for help. Avoid changing the meal menu at last minute, so that there will be no inconvenience, food will not waste. In our case, the menu was changed as we called in the morning itself. These villages are far from the city, so don't expect to get the desired items/food. Everyone is requested to keep in mind that we have come here for trekking, not for fun in the resort.

Sunrise view from Kalsubai peak

    As Sun was rising up, the temperature was also rising, so we decided to descend. A couple of monkeys were seen at the top so it was predictable that there would be trouble with monkeys on the way down and it did. Monkeys were smart!  As we balanced our way down the ladder, at same time they are trying to steal things from bag, meaning our both hands were holding the railing, making it difficult for us to roll them away, which making their job easier. We had already prepared! mobiles, selfie sticks, etc. packed in the bags. After descending some distance we saw a shop open, we sat there drank lemon juice and relaxed for a while and started descending. It was around 11:30 a.m, sweating profusely as it was summer, if we had done this trek during the day, who knows what would have happened to us? We reached Balu Khade's house. Everyone relaxed there, some members even slept! When the food was ready, Balu Khade sent a message, we all had a lunch and fill our tummy. At around 1:30 p.m we started our journey towards Kasara railway station. We reached Mumbai by boarding Kasara CSMT fast local at 2:42 p.m.

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A Trip to Elephenta Caves

Date of Travel : 19 April 2022 

Mode of Travel : Train, Bus, Boat

How to reach by public transport

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is the nearest station if you want to visit Gharapuri - Elephanta Caves from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik or anywhere else in the country. 
• From outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus you can get taxis to the Gateway of India or walk south for five minutes to the bus depot where bus number 111 goes to the Gateway of India. 
• Boats leave for Elephenta from the back side of the Gateway of India.
• It takes 45 to 60 minutes to reach Elephenta by boat. 

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Travelogue

    I had been hearing about the Elephanta Caves since childhood, so was curious to see them. While watching videos on YouTube, came across a video related to Elephanta Caves. After watching the video I decided to visit. With the help of Google I planned the trip and discussed it with my friends Kaushal and Vinayak. Both liked the idea of ​​visiting Elephanta Caves and fixed the date of 19th April.

A famous statue at Elephenta caves

    Decided to meet everyone at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on 19th at 8:30 am, so left Goregaon at 6:30 am but due to change of platform numbers at Goregaon station, instead of boarding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus train, I took train to Churchgate and all the confusion! Then I got down at Bandra and changed the train, due to which I was delayed by twenty to twenty five minutes. Kaushal, who always comes late, arrived on time today and was waiting for me and Vinayak. I reached CSMT station around 8:40 and Vinayak also reached there just ten-fifteen minutes after me. The three of us came out of CSMT station and walked for ten minutes to reach the bus station, took bus number 111 and got down near Gateway of India. Spent some time at the Gateway of India and taking pictures of it, the urge to take a selfie was irresistible when we got close to the Gateway of India. Meanwhile, Vinayak got a call from his colleague from his office, hence he was busy on the phone for twenty to twenty five minutes, meanwhile we inquired where to get the boat ticket to Elephenta and when Vinayak was free, we three went to the back side of Gateway of India and stood in a queue waiting for the boat to Elephenta. After waiting for 5 to 10 minutes the boat came, tickets were given while entering the boat, 260 rupees if you want to sit on the lower deck of the boat and 10 rupees extra if you want to sit on the upper deck. We paid an extra ten rupees for the ticket to go to the upper deck despite the heat, as it was the first time for the three of us to travel in the deep sea.

Note 

• Boat service from Gateway of India to Elephanta runs from 09:00 AM to 03:30 PM. 
• Also the boat service from Elephanta to Gateway of India runs from 12:00 PM to 05:30 PM. 
• It should be noted that this boat service is closed on Mondays. 
• The most important thing is that you have to do the boat journey at your own risk, the ticket states that the boat company is not responsible for any accident. 
• The return journey is also done with the same money so keep the receipt safe with you.

A selfie on the boat

 

    We started our journey towards Elephenta, as the boat moved forward, we could see a huge cargo ship, we wanted to keep seeing it, and further on, we saw two Indian Navy ships (destroyers) standing in the Mazgaon Dock, looking at the Navy ship with pride bloomed. There was no stopping the temptation to take pictures on the boat but the boat swaying on the sea waves made it difficult to keep the balance, We managed to hold onto the railing and stand, took nice pictures and went back to the seat. We were surprised to see some German tourists sitting on the side seats, as it was Summer season and was 10:30 a.m in the morning and the sun was shining overhead, but the German tourists didn't care, they were enjoying themselves and we Indians were suffering from the heat. In just 45 minutes we reached the island of Elephenta. Got down from the boat and stood in the queue at the toy train ticket counter. Tip: Keep the receipt as the return journey is also in the same amount. As it was time for the train to leave, We ran and grabbed the coach and got inside. The train started and within five minutes it dropped us near Elephenta gate. We were hungery, so went to a hotel for breakfasy and ordered pav bhaji, pav bhaji was not worth the price we bought it, pav bhaji had less vegetables and more tomatoes, were just looting the tourists. After finishing our breakfast, we came out of the restaurant and booked the guide who was standing nearby. Along with the guide we headed towards the Elephenta caves, climbed some steps and buy the tickets from the ticket counter of the archeology department.

    Elephenta Caves are carved into the mountains on Gharapuri, a small island in the sea, 6-7 miles from Mumbai in Maharashtra. These rock-cut caves were built between the 9th century to the 13th century AD. In 1987, these caves were given the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near the entrance to Gharapuri Caves there is a gigantic sculpture of an elephant, hence the name Elephanta Caves. This sculpture is currently in Rani Bagh, Mumbai. The ancient name of this village was Sripuri. Gharapuri must have been the capital of the Mauryan dynasty in Konkan. After that, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Yadavni Mogul established their power there in order. In the first half of the sixteenth century, this island was under the control of the Portuguese. During the period of Shivaji Maharaj, it was captured by the Marathas and in the year 1774, the British established their dominion over it. There are five caves dug into the mountains on this island. The sculpture here belongs to the Shaivite sect. Many interesting and selected Shiva stories are included in it. Among these stories, Shiva-Parvati marriage, Gangavataran, Tandavanritya, Andhakasur slaying etc. are very characteristic. The scenes are very picturesque and literally bring Shiva's life in brief before us.

Carvings in the Elephenta caves

    It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon. The guide told us about the sculptures, idols and their context in Elephenta cave. We walked with the guide for almost half an hour. After seeing all the caves we paid him his money and set him free. Apart from the caves, we wandered around the rest of the island to see if there was anything else to see. We came back to the main caves and spent time looking at the carvings again. The Trimukha statue there is very beautiful, we took lots of pictures and left to go to the higher part of the island, as there were two big cannons that were to be seen. Passing the archeological department check post, we came forward and took a left turn towards the cannons, While looking at the cannon, we saw a foreign woman coming down from the top of the mountain. When asked, she said that there is another cannon at the top, so we went further two hundred and three hundred meters. The special feature of these guns is that these guns are made of a special metal and the salt air of the sea does not affect these guns at all. Even today, if you fire the canon, it will aim accurately! While watching the cannon, a tourist came and started taking pictures by sitting on top of the cannon, taking it down with a proper understanding. The design of the gun and the provision for keeping it and the underground provision for storing the ammunition are amazing! After seeing them all, we turned back again. The surroundings of JNPT, seen from the vicinity of the cannon, were very beautiful. We came down around 3 pm, decided to go to Mumbai for lunch because of the experience we had during breakfast, but we were very dehydrated due to walking in the sun, so we drank lemon juice at a nearby shop and started our way back.

A big canon at Gharapuri fort

    While going down the stairs, we were looking at the items in the shops. Just then we saw a wind chime in a shop, it was made of clams, we three bought and headed towards the toy train. The toy train had left five minutes earlier, as we had plenty of time, we walked to the dock. After ten minutes of waiting the boat arrived, we boarded the boat and started our journey towards Gateway of India. We reached Gateway of India at around 05:00 PM. Spent some time at Gateway of India and went to nearby Delhi Darbar restaurant for lunch. By 7 pm finished the lunch and we all three headed towards home.

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Tour to Ambarnath Shiv Temple, Lonad caves, Lonad Shiv Temple

Journey Date : 9th Jul, 2023
Mode of Transport : Train, Two Wheeler

Travel Experience

    In Maharashtra, especially during the monsoon season, seasonal trekkers become active to experience the beauty of the Sahyadri ranges. While the green hills appear stunning during this time, the risk is equally significant. Many tourists lose their lives after falling from cliffs, drowning in waterfall pools, or due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. This year, the Irshalgad hill collapsed, and the Irshalwadi village at its base was buried under a mudslide. Just two days later, there was news of another mountain collapse in Raigad district, which led to the destruction of a fort bastion. To prevent further mishaps, even the Maharashtra government advised against trekking during the monsoons. So, we decided to cancel all monsoon treks. Instead, we planned to visit ancient temples and caves. After discussing it with Vinayak, as we usually do, we decided on visiting the ancient Ambernath Shiva Temple, the Lonad Caves, and the Lonad Shiva Temple. While sharing the same plan with my friend and uncle, Vilas Parab, he suggested visiting the Birla Vitthal Temple, which is near the Ambernath Shiva Temple. So, we included the Birla Temple in our itinerary.

Ambernath Shiv Temple

     We usually travel by public transport, but since this time we were heading to a remote area with very limited information about public transport available on Google, we decided to travel by bike. As Vinayak was familiar with the road network of Navi Mumbai, he took the initiative to plan the route. I began my journey from Goregaon at 6:00 am and reached Vinayak's house in Dombivli around 8:20 am. Vinayak had recently bought a new house and had invited me for the housewarming ceremony, but for some reason, I couldn’t attend it. This visit also gave me a chance to see his new home. Vinayak's mother served "Kande Pohe" for breakfast. After breakfast, we set off towards the Ambernath Shiva Temple around 8:50 am. We stopped at a petrol pump to refill the fuel tank when it suddenly started raining. Though both of us had brought windcheaters, I faced difficulty as I was wearing jeans instead of track pants. We waited for about 10 minutes for the rain to stop, but there was no sign of it letting up. Not wanting to get delayed, we decided to move on. After riding some distance in the rain and getting completely soaked, the rain finally stopped, and I felt a sense of relief! The temple was 13 km away, and with the help of local people and Google Maps, we reached there in about 30 minutes, around 9:30 am.

    Amazed by the surroundings and the grandeur of the temple, we went inside, had darshan of Shiva Shambhu, and then came out. The Ambernath Shiva Temple is believed to have been built in the 11th century by the Shilahara king Chittaraja. It is located on the banks of the Valdhuni River, about 2 km from Ambernath Railway Station (East). This temple was constructed in 1060 AD. When it comes to ancient temples, the most fascinating aspect is the intricate carvings. We took a round of the temple to admire the carved idols, and the craftsmanship was truly astonishing. The spire of the temple is also incredibly beautiful, a true marvel of sculpture. The architecture of this temple is a blend of the Bhumij and Nagar styles. Temples with similar spires can be found in Maharashtra—for example, the Amriteshwar Shiva Temple in Ratanwadi, the Gondeshwar Shiva Temple in Sinnar, Nashik, and the Nilkantheshwar Shiva Temple in Madhya Pradesh. These temples were constructed by various kings during the Shilahara dynasty in different periods. Many people say that the spire is incomplete because the temple was not completed, but this is not the case, and the fact that the spire of this temple was destroyed during the Islamic invasion is deliberately hidden. The spire was actually destroyed during the Islamic invasions. A similar fate befell the Kopeshwar Temple in Khidrapur, Kolhapur, where the original spire was broken and later replaced with a round dome. After spending some time admiring the idols carved on the temple walls, we decided to move on to our next destination—the Birla Vitthal Temple.

Carvings on Ambernath Shiv Temple

    Birla Vitthal Temple is located 7 km from the Ambernath Shiva Temple. We reached the temple in just 20 minutes, around 10:15 am. There was a slight sense of disappointment as photography was not allowed inside the temple premises. In the courtyard, right in front of the temple, there is an idol of the Birla couple offering salutations to Vitthal and Rakhumai. A plaque beside the idol provides information about Shri Birla and the temple; we read it and then proceeded inside. The temple is truly beautiful, with carvings made using modern techniques that resemble those of ancient temples. The idols of Vitthal and Rakhumai in the sanctum are as stunning as the temple itself. The attire and jewelry adorning the idols further enhanced their divine appearance-it felt as though we could go on gazing at them endlessly. After circumambulating the temple, we prepared to leave for our next destination. However, it suddenly began to rain, so we stayed inside the temple, waiting for it to stop. After about 15–20 minutes, the rain subsided, and we resumed our journey towards the Lonad Shiva Temple.

    With the help of Google Maps, we entered through the Bhiwandi Bypass and reached Lonad village via an unpaved road. After a long journey, the temple finally came into view, and we felt a wave of joy—only for it to fade quickly upon seeing the ruins of the temple scattered all around. A large tarpaulin had been placed over the temple to shield it from rainwater—such is the state of our Hindu temples! We had darshan of Mahadeva from outside, choosing not to enter the sanctum, and instead took a walk around the temple to observe the carvings. While walking, certain things became clear, and we began to understand how such a beautiful temple had fallen into this state of neglect. Multi-storey buildings, two to three floors high, have been constructed just 4 to 5 feet away from the temple. During their construction, the temple must have suffered damage, and many ancient remnants from the temple appear to have been used as filling material in these nearby houses. Behind the temple, there is a lake where villagers have buried temple pillars and used them as barricades. While the temple was originally damaged during the Islamic invasion, the ignorant actions of the local residents have caused further harm. Witnessing all this, I couldn't help but silently curse the negligence of the Archaeology Department.

Note : Historical information of the temple given below is taken from the website of Maharashtra Times, written by Mr. Praveen Kadam. link : History of Lonad Shiv Temple

    Annapayya, son of Mangalayya, chief of Silahara king Aparaditya, etc. Copper plate dated 997 A.D mentions that the revenue of Bhadane village was assigned for this temple. From this it can be said that this temple is at least 1 thousand 24 years old. A temple in Chaudharpada village, one kilometer from Lonad village, has an inscription called Gaddhegal (Gardhab Shapavani). In this inscription dated January 24, 1240, the name of Lonad is written as Lavnetat and the temple is mentioned as 'Lonaditya'. Transcription and translation of this inscription by Dr. It can be read in Dawood Dalvi's book 'Ase Hale Thane'. Etc. of Aparaditya II related to Lonad temple. S. An inscription dated 1184 is in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum. The inscription has moon, sun and Shiva linga engraved on it. In the article, it is written that the houses of two nobles of Lonad village were exempted from duty. The Lonaditya temple is sculpted to be on Gajaratha. It feels like the elephants are carrying the burden of the temple on their backs. Many ruins of the temple can be seen in a scattered state. Many elements like Ganapati, Lajjagauri, Mithun sculptures, mridanga players, dancers, Yaksha-Kinnars, sky couples showering flowers are seen in it. The Lonaditya temple is facing east and it is built in tridal style. The ruins that exist today give an idea of ​​its original scale and beauty. There is a Shiva Pindi in the core, a space and an assembly hall outside it. The top of the nave has been destroyed and part of the roof remains. A lot of collapsed carved parts, Amlaks etc. are visible around. As the Shivlinga is installed one and a half meters down in the core, one has to go down the steps. The entire structure is dry jointed with eight feet high stone walls. The doorway has nine sculptures with lalatbimba and the ceiling is decorated with a lotus figure. Sculptures of Mahishasur Mardini and Gajasur Vadha can be seen outside the temple. To the west of the temple is a large pond of one acre area. A ghat may have been built over this tank earlier, its stones are now found in a disturbed state. There is a Shiva temple in Chaudharpada village near here. At present this temple is called Rameshwar temple but its name should be Someshwar or Shompeshwar. Silahara King Mallikarjuna's Ee from Vasai. S. An inscription dated 1162 mentions the restoration of a temple. There is a record of donating a wadi at Lonavatak for the temple. The idol of Shiva Parvati and the body of Shankara in this temple belong to the Lonaditya temple and may have been shifted there in the past. This architectural cave in the beautiful but ruined state of the Shilahar period is a must-see.

Lonad Shiv Temple

    After visiting the Shiva temple in Lonad, we continued walking to see if there was anything else worth exploring in the village. Construction of houses and buildings was underway in several parts of the village. A little further ahead, we came across a newly built temple of Goddess Kali. As we approached to see the idol of the Goddess, a dog tied at the entrance began barking at us, preventing us from going any closer. So, we took darshan of the Goddess from outside and then proceeded towards the Lonad Caves.

    Once again taking help from Google Baba, we set off towards the caves. Leaving the asphalt road behind, we took a right turn onto an unpaved path. Just then, we heard someone calling out to us, trying to stop us. "The way to the temple is from here, go this way," said an elderly man, who had rightly guessed that we were headed to the temple (the caves). No matter how smart Google Baba is, the guidance of local people is always essential. The road leading to the caves was narrow, suitable only for bikes. With a valley on the left side, we had to ride slowly and carefully. After covering a distance of about one to one and a half kilometers, we reached the caves.

    The caves were quite crowded, mostly with villagers. Since these caves aren’t very well-known, they don’t attract many tourists. The village youths were busy preparing food; a goat was tied up in front of the caves, and a large vessel was kept nearby. Meanwhile, some groups were seen preparing ingredients using a mixer. That day, the villagers had planned to sacrifice a goat to the goddess and cook mutton.

Lonad Caves

    Lonad caves are located just north of Kalyan on the outskirts of Thane district, near a village called Janwal. These Buddhist caves sculptures date back to 5th to 8th century AD. The external verandah is damaged because of land sliding and dynamite blast nearby areas. The cave is now converted into a temple of godess Khandeshvari, but the carvings and inscriptions bear testimony to its Buddhist origins. There is an outer verandah with four pillars of which one is broken. Just above the pillars, there is a series of carved panels that depict the Jataka tale of Vishwantara (Vessantara), the benevolent and charitable Bodhisattva. Vishwantara was born in the kingdom of Jetuttara ruled by King Sanjaya. He was born along with a white elephant named Pacchaya, with magic powers to make rainfall. Renowned for being extremely charitable, Vishwantara gave away the elephant to eight Bramhins from a neighboring kingdom who deviously came to seek his help for saving them from a drought. The people of Jetuttara were upset at losing the magic elephant, and forced King Sanjaya to banish Vishwantara to the forests. On the right wall outside the pillars, there is a large carved fresco that also depicts a scene from the Vishwantara jataka tale. This is the scene of King Sanjaya who banishes Vishwantara in response to the complaints from his subjects. From the verandah, three openings lead to the internal chamber. The opening in the center looks like the main entrance, and the ones on both the sides are also big enough to enter through. The chamber is largely bare. In the center a rectangular yagna kund or holy fireplace that seems to be constructed in recent times. Towards the left end of the chamber, there are two mounds of rock that seem to be the remnants of some statue or structure In the center of back wall of the outer chamber, there is a door in the center that leads to the sanctum. On the two extreme ends of the back wall on either side of the central door, there are rectangular cut-outs with idols of Gods. On the right is the idol of Ganesh with a large mouse. The inner chamber is a small sanctum with dieties of Khandeshvari Devi and Mahishasura Mardini. The idols are placed on a platform that seems to be a new construction. Having explored the inside of the cave, we noticed a water tank on the extreme right on the outside.

Waterfall near Lonad Caves

 

   After exploring the caves, we observed some visitors are coming from jungle, so we moved ahead towards the jungle to see if any more ancient things to explore, but we reached at the small waterfall or can say a water stream. we spent 5 -10 minutes over there and decided to start return journey. We reached home (Vinayak's home) at around 1:20 p.m. Vinayak's mother had prepared a special dish "Patodyachi Aamti" for lunch, had a hearty meal and with fond memories I started my journey towards my home Goregaon.