Bhandardara - Maharashtra

Well, life in Mumbai is petty busy and occasionally when you get a chance to visit a land enclosed by mountains and lakes and waterfall you feel like its worth living and to watch the wrath and beauty of nature simultaneously.

We started from Vashi which is in Navi Mumabi. Bhandardhara is around 137Km from Vashi and theoretically it should take around 2.5 Hrs but practically you may need around 3.5 Hrs.
So our destination was not that far and had to come up with the most efficient plan.
The route was

We had 3 Option to go from Mumbai to Bhandardhara
1. Train -Vashi to Thane : Thane to Igatpuri, 45 km. on Central Railway is the Nearest railhead.
then by rented car or bus.
2. Bus :- I dont have any Idea. Search in google or redbus.in
3. Rented Car :- You can get the travel Agents in vashi plaza in Vashi near sector 17

we have rented a qualis at 9 rs / Km


Sorry i dint have any better pic to show the car . So we will be using State HIghway 44/SH44 and NH 3. (If you are traveling by road from Mumbai, you need to turn right just a few kilometers after Igatpuri and enter Ghoti. This small town leads to a long narrow road, which cuts across the lofty mountains and ascends to the marvelous retreat. Although it is just about an hour’s journey, the sights are spectacular. Fluorescent green paddy fields contrast with bright blue skies above and the murky brown streams that crisscross the whole land. When it rains, and clouds descend from the sky to blanket the earth, the sight is truly breathtaking!-MTDC website)
There are few pic on road


we left the Main NH3 highway and turn right towards SH44 (state Highway)
On road we saw a temple

We were closing the wilson Dam and then we saw a huge waterfall



The force of the gushing water was huge but some how we couldn manage to get there but got good pic of it.
The wheel stated rolling to Wilson Dam.
(Built way back in 1910 on the Pravara-River and standing 150 mts high, Wilson Dam is the largest earthen dam in India- a powerful testimony to the engineering skills of days gone by. At the base of Wilson Dam there is a garden endowed with thick greenery, streams and gigantic trees- the latter, home to hundreds of harmless fruit bats that hand precariously from the branches all through the day. During the monsoon, when the level of the lake rises, the dam opens its gates to release a torrent of water that finds its way down to the plains below. You could stand at the edge of the garden embankment and enjoy the cool spray, or visit the picturesque Umbrella Falls, which are another major attraction during the monsoon.- MTDC website)
The monsoon was in full flow and the Wilson Lake was overflooded
Have a look.
State highway runs just beside the dam and the road was deep down the water.


The over flooded dam was dangerous and appealing.We took pic standing at the corner of the dam. The wind was strong and the splashes of water on the barrage wall gives you a shiver though your spine make you feel now and then how small you are in the force of nature.


The water splashed over the wall of the barrage cross the road and fall on the other side of the road which is a steep gorge.


Then we went back a little to a beautiful place , But i really don't remember the name . It has a temple in a cave flooded with water. There are waterfall around and the river flowing by.
By this point of time we were very hungry and the nearest spot to have a hotel or restaurant was the MTDC resort. The resort have a restaurant attaches and the good thing about it is that it is open to public not staying in their rooms. The Menu card has many unknown dishes but the food we ate was oily and we had to soak our tissue paper to blot out the oil. The only great thing about the MTDC Resort was taht it is loacated in the most beautiful place just beside the great lake.
look at it.



We were tired and was late so decided to turn home . Ya one more thing the palce which had a temple was a little surprise to us as we saw a new thing there .
Large Cucumbers, bananas (abnormally large) and a special carrot looking thing. I dont know what is it call but it taste like "sak-alu"-(Bengali word).Its was some kind of root of a tree. The man is cutting thin slices of it and selling it.
Look at it

On our way home i was tired but the memories of this beautiful place kept askingme when is my next holiday.Like all scenic spots, the magic of Bhandardara has to experience to be appreciated; if you are nature lover, this spot should definitely appear on the top of your holiday destination list.
My team in this whole tour