[Subrat Seet]

Whether Ratangad and Ratanwadi is the same. Any idea about Bandharadhara to Shirdi route.

Subrat

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Ph03nix

Awesome place and equally beautiful narration. Brought back memories from a trip that I did in the end of Sept 2009. Although the sole motive of our trip was the trek to ratangad.

Plus an added bonus of spotting a leopard(bibtya) crossing the road on the way back somewhere near Akole(I guess, don't really recall the location that well).

Very nice pictures as well. May I ask which camera? All I could guess from the labels is its a Sony.

Thanks Ph03nix. Ratangad trek sounds fantastic.

I use a Nikon D90.

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Whether Ratangad and Ratanwadi is the same. Any idea about Bandharadhara to Shirdi route.

Subrat

Ratanwadi is the base-village for the Ratangad trek.

There are multiple routes from Bhandardara to Shirdi. I have never tried this, but retracing back to NH3 and then taking Ghoti-Sinnar-Shrdi might be the fastest one (rather than Nashik-Sinnar-Shirdi).

[SDP]

The Vipassana center

Post breakfast, we picked up a pamphlet from Hotel Ashwin, which has some good information on what to see. The lobby has a few photos and newspaper clippings as well. A photo of a pagoda catches my attention. Its the Dhammagiri Vipassana Meditation center. I have never heard of it, but my wife has.

Its the nearest from the hotel. Let's go there.

The entrance is huge and impressive.


Vipassana is an ancient meditation practice intially started under Buddhism and now taught worldwide.

That stone paining is beautiful, but the green shade over it is an eyesore.






There's a visitor's center, where they provide a lot of information and even show a video about the meditation practice and the center.


A snap of the magnificent gate from the other side.


The visitor's center also has a whole bunch of beautiful paintings, huge ones. Attaching one here, rest would be covered as a separate post. This one depicts the three sights that profoundly changed Prince Gautam.


The place is well maintained.








The gentleman at the visitor center informs us that they provide a guided tour through some parts of the campus.

I pick up the car and we head towards another gate some couple of hundred meters inside the campus.




A couple of snaps during the 2 minute drive.




We park again.

[SDP]

Beautiful paintings at the Vipassana center - Igatpuri

I asked if I can take snaps of the paintings. The gentleman at the visitor's center replied yes.

The place is not lit optimally for photography and the glass causes a lot of reflection. So please excuse the mediocre quality of the snaps.

[SDP]

Snaps from the guided tour of the Vipassana center - Part 1

You can't miss the gold color.


Its everywhere.














The bell has been apparently gifted by the Malaysian government.




First glimpse of the pagoda.












Its just beautiful!

[SDP]

Snaps from the guided tour of the Vipassana center - Part 2






If you are wondering about that pattern at the bottom, those are meditation cells. One cell is meant for one person.












Some intricate carving work.




The gentleman with the umbrella gave us the guided tour.










We head back.

[Jignesh]

Hello SDP,

Nice photographs of Vipassana center at Igatpuri.

Hope you know about Global Vipassana Pagoda at Gorai in Mumbai. It is situated right next to Esselworld & we can either go there via Boat from Borivali & via road from Mira-Bhayander Road.

It can be a nice sunday afternoon trip with kids. Only thing to note that entry to this place closes at approx 6 pm.

Attaching a photo of Mumbai Pagoda taken from Internet:



Also refer below links:

http://www.globalpagoda.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Vipassana_Pagoda

Thanks,

[Subrat Seet]

The centre looks awesome. Never know so many things are there.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello SDP,

Nice photographs of Vipassana center at Igatpuri.

Hope you know about Global Vipassana Pagoda at Gorai in Mumbai. It is situated right next to Esselworld & we can either go there via Boat from Borivali & via road from Mira-Bhayander Road.

It can be a nice sunday afternoon trip with kids. Only thing to note that entry to this place closes at approx 6 pm.

....

Jignesh, thanks for the information and the links. I have 'heard' about it, but not visited yet. Localites have the bad habit of ignoring 'what to see' places in their own backyard with the thought 'I can cover it anyday'. That 'anyday' never comes. After being born and brought up in Mumbai, I visited Elephanta Caves 2 years back for the FIRST time! Just imagine, thousands from across the globe come to Mumbai with Elephanta Caves predominantly on their 'what to see' list.

So Gorai pagoda, definitely one of these days! Hopefully sooner than later.

[SDP]

Its 11:45AM. We have spent a good amount of time at the Vipassana center, and every minute is worth it.

The Vipassana is a 10 day residential course where you are completely cut-off from the outside world. In fact, you should not even speak during those 10 days. Multiple meditation sessions in a day. Day starts at 4:30am and ends around 9-9:30pm. Sort of detox for the mind and the soul. They don't even charge you anything for the 10 days. Course-registrations are full for all batches till December.
Overall, I like the concept. Mental note - Have to register myself for this course in the next 12-18 months.

Ghatandevi Temple
Ghatandevi temple is next on the cards. We head towards the highway again and spot the Mahindra Igatpuri plant. The kids get excited - was our Duma born here? I spot the sign which says "Engine Plant". I declare - our Duma's heart was built here.




After joining the highway towards Mumbai side, we take the right at the Manas resort and see the arch for Ghatandevi temple.


Surprisingly even at this hour, this area is covered in fog.




12:10PM -> We reach the temple and park.


But its undergoing major renovation. We take the darshan in about 2 minutes.




Bhatsa River Valley(?)
A friendly gentleman at the temple points us to a gate nearby and asks us to go there. He says - there are 3-4 good points there.

We start walking and very soon we see the first 'point'.




We are the only ones there.


The view of the valley


Not sure if this is the camel valley or the Bhatsa river valley. My guess is that its the later.

The railway line propped up by the bridge is actually the highlight of the view.




Building such a tall bridge in a valley and drilling tunnels through the hills must have been a humongous task. But the railway line does not look like man conquering the nature. The rail-line, in a way so beautifully merges with the natural beauty of the place that it feels more like the railway line is requesting the hills and the valley to "kindly adjust". It does not overpower mother nature by its grandeur, but becomes part of it and in a way enhances it. Who knows, the valley could have been plain-Jane without the railway line.

[SDP]

We enjoy the view.


Wouldn't it look more beautiful if a train passes across? Right on cue, we hear a train-horn piercing the calm of the valley.

And then it happens! A goods train comes out of a tunnel on the left, goes over the bridge, enters another tunnel right in front of us and then the front exits the tunnel from the other end while a significant part of the tail is still on the bridge! Awesome!










We are the only ones there. We thoroughly enjoy the feeling of exclusiveness.
It feels as if the train passed from there, at that moment, just for us!

The kido puts on a fashion show.


We spot the pagoda in the distance.


There are 2 more observation platforms that we could spot from the first one. We decide to check out those as well.








Two line-men on the track.


The second point has a tricky access, we skip it. The third one gives a glimpse of a completely different section of the valley.
Another bridge and railway tracks.








That's the famous Manas resort on the right.












The last 30 minutes of eye-soothing beauty was a surprise gift from the gentleman at the Ghatandevi temple. There are no signs about these points being there. It was just a lucky break!

[SDP]

Its 12:50pm. We are back at the Ghatandevi temple.




Vipassana center - check. Ghatandevi temple - check. Bhatsa river valley - check. What else do we want to see today on the last day of this 3 day trip?
Upper Vaitarna dam and Trianglewadi fort/dam are a bit too far for us at that hour. Talegaon dam? I ask a boy at the temple. He gives us the direction, but says its just about OK. I ask him - where does this road go after Ghatandevi? Is there anything on it? He says - Ashoka waterfall. 15 kms away.

I have never heard about any Ashoka waterfall. I have never done this - asking "what else is on this road?" to complete strangers and then following the advice to chase an unknown waterfall. But what's there to lose? If the road gets really bad or if we are not able to locate the waterfall, we just return from that point.

So we start towards an unknown waterfall. We can's use the navigation system. So we ask a few passersby about "Ashoka waterfalls". Nobody has heard about it. When I ask for just "waterfall', I keep on getting pointers.




I keep on driving keeping an eye on the trip-meter and reconfirming at any important junction. It turns out to be another beautiful drive.


Something written on the green grass carpet. JaLeRe or something.






























We turn right from here. Its about a km from this junction, we are told.

[SDP]

Vihigaon Waterfall

1:30PM -> Finally we reach a place called as Vihigaon. By the way, I came to know about the name of the village and the waterfall after returning to Mumbai. And, no, its not called as Ashoka waterfall.

We parked and then started following others. Its a long walk followed by a steep descent all the way to the bottom of the waterfall.


First glimpse.


Complete view. Look at the people at the bottom to understand the scale.


Its huge.












The climbing back was equally challenging and my daughter was especially proud of herself after the trek.




We walk all the way back.




A quick stopover to get mud off shoes and feet.


Its 2:45PM. We are hungry. There's nothing nearby. Let's go back to Manas resort at Igatpuri for lunch. Driving back 15kms at 2:45pm for lunch, its crazy!

Nice landscape during the drive back.


But, we are hungry. No stopping anywhere.

[SDP]

Lunch at Manas Resort and the drive back home

2:55PM -> We are back to the Ghatandevi temple area. Its still shrouded in thick fog. Manas Lifestyle resort is just to the left of this.




We quickly order. Good food, good service and fantastic ambiance.




A snap at the reception


The whole place was magical with thick fog and a light drizzle when we went in. By the time we come out, the fog has vanished.


4:00PM -> We are back in the car. Should we explore one more place at Igatpuri? One of the dams may be? We decide against it. Let's head home before it gets dark.


The kids go to sleep in the backseat right after starting from Igatpuri and get up only after we reach our place in Mumbai.


A black XUV gives us company for quite some time.


5:30PM -> After an effortless drive and no stops, we reach home.

The dirty SUV!






Isn't this precisely how a SUV should look?


Trip mater at 417km. A memorable trip!


<The End>

[Jignesh]

Hello SDP,

Thank you for sharing beautiful pictures of Igatpuri & surrounding places. It was nice following your travelogues to Igatpuri & Panchgani. You have motivated me enough to visit these places soon.

We are now waiting for your travelogue of trip to Kass this month & hope your waitlist number is confirmed.

Originally Posted by SDP

So Gorai pagoda, definitely one of these days! Hopefully sooner than later.

Regarding Global Pagoda at Gorai,

Thank you for the appreciation.

Yes. Global Pagoda at Gorai is must visit for any Mumbaikar.
Directions:
On the Western Express Highway cross Dahisar Check Naka & take a left turn into Mira Bhayander Road. Continue on the Mira-Bhayander road & cross the Railway over bridge to reach Bhayendar west. Just ask for directions for Uttamn Road / Gorai / Esselworld & you will soon pass through beautiful country roads of Gorai Village. Once you reach cross Esselworld parking take a right turn & just wait for glimpse of magnificient Pagoda & it will be a sight to behold. You will definitely be surprised to see the place once you reach there.

You may also take your kids Gorai or Uttan Beach whic are quite closeby. Of which Gorai Beach falls right on the route to Global Pagoda.

Below is the google Maps directions to Global Pagoda from Malad West (my residence).



Thanks,