Bhimashankar 27122006
Meeting the heavens above.
We were all 12 peoples, but ended up to be only 3 at the railway station. All we 3 had different reasons of being there one with a picnic, other with excursion and one with adventure. 3 lies, 2 of them did not agree on trek while the parents did not allow. We when by train to Kalyan.
Kalyan station we arrived one mind saying lets go for the adventure and the other going by a safe route. On arriving at
No bus for next four hours to Bhimashankar at Junnar. So we took the local jeep. Sitting at the back seat with jeep full of folks. View of Leynaidri Jai Ganapati. A journey we remembered for the next 1-1/2 hours. We reached Ghodegav where we could get our next vehicle to Bhimashankar. Ghodegav a small village we walked the street where we did not found any horses but only donkeys. For a while we thought of changing the name to Gadhavgav.
The ST bus to Bhimashankar were going full no place to enter it. We got a local jeep again. Bhimashankar Ghat was awesome, I don’t know why these Ghat’s look awesome as well as threatening. On the way we saw one of the biggest dams. The driver was young and was running the jeep. On the way I remembered one sentence I said and that was it, it became history, “We are young then why are we traveling like old and normal people, as long as we are young why not an adventure?” That was it those words became history to be remembered not only by me or by my friends, but the people who got to know the story.
Finally we reached Bhimashankar a pretty site, so many peoples around, we wondered if everyone had just dropped at this spot, but with so many peoples there were more girls. My stats told me that number of girls travel more to such places. Something clicked in Umesh’s mind that he was feeling hungry, we had our stomach to be filled. Home
Usually steps lead up to the temple, but this place steps lead down to the temple. Our meeting with Lord Bhima. Supreme Mahadeo, Swap told he was first time visiting this place that too among the Jyotrilinga.
Our next aim to find shelter for the night which Umesh did very well and settled us down to ShivShakti Hotel right in front of the temple. The room keeper looked serious female and old too much strict.
We rested in the room for an hour when I only complained about our old fashion way of coming here, like old people we all cursed those all asshole who did not turned up at the station. We all came down for tea then we when around the place to the Bhima Pragath or Ugam Stanh. This could be ideally a place where Bhima river originates.
Then we went off to the spot where we could spot Mumbai. The walk was through woods nearby was a old looking house not used four at least years. The Nagphani peak gave us the glare. We saw sunset at the western end, our prediction of Mumbai could be right. The sun said good bye and went. We all three sat near a cliff enjoying.
Then we when in a hotel to have good garam bhaji and a sip of tea. When we walked down back it was complete darkness around. We saw something huge white run pass into the bush, our prediction some Langur.
Then we rested a bit around 8 to 8.30. We had our dinner with our neighbor whose name was also Bhimashankar. He accompanied us to eat. After that we ate and sat outside in cold near the temple watching the young pujary boys play cricket and thought we could have played but we where too tired and it was too cold to try. Around 10 we decided to sleep. Talking of our rolacosta rides in life and twist and turns in life we fall asleep
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Our early morning alarm was from gods mantra and puja. Since we were sleeping near the temple that sound just woke us up. When I came out I just could only see darkness and total darkness with just one dim light looking like a star. That light was right on the top of the temple. The cold weather got into us and decided to go back in room and sleep.
Finally we decided to wake up around 7 or 8. One by one we freshen up and took bath. Then we went to take Bhimashankar darshan in morning.
Our task began after our breakfast in the hotel. Our task to find Gupth Bhima, the local pujary offered us he will take us but we have to pay sum of 100 RS, which was out of our thought.
Bhimashankar decided to join us in our stupid ventures. First we went to a temple nearby of ganpati and hanuman. Our explorations were welcomed by a notice board which had information and restrictions about the place. Our impression kicks the ass and breaks the rule. Then we took a path going up, living a river path behind. Walking upwards there were many things to be noticed but as we walked we learned that this path only went upwards and out of the forest. Our first mistake of the day. Then we turned back and took the other way possibly the river pathway.
The river pathway soon leads us down into the woods, no sounds of people, only dense forest. Walking down and deep only thing we could not see was sunlight it was around 9 in morning and we could not spot a full-fledged sunlight. I remembered scenes in Dracula and horror movies. Huge trees. Spooky looks. No one to guide us. We reached at the edge of a place which would have been a waterfall. There was this strange looking tree which was unlike different from the others. Here we clicked lots of pictures played around and had spend lot of time. We then returned to our hotel. Bhimashankar the guy off course said bye, bye to us he had a bus to catch and travel all the way to Gulburg.
Umesh repeated my saying “We are young then why are we traveling like old and normal people, as long as we are young why not an adventure?” and said lets climb down to Mumbai, Swapneel was hesitant but he agreed. Among them I was excited, they asked me whether I knew the way and I said yes I know the way it goes to Khandas n from there it goes to Karjat. Not knowing exactly how.
We took directions from the owner the old lady who stayed it sounded at ease. We then went atop plateau and purchased garm garm bhaje, again we enquired about the route with the shopkeeper and he showed us the direction and told it would take about 2 to 3 hours to reach. Now we decided to take off, this was our journey to remember lifetime a huge story to come up.
After passing the board of forest department we entered a small section of trees and came to a flat place. After walking a little ahead we came across a old guest house which looked useless there we came across few people and we asked them Mumbai way they replied take left (our mistake) we took that way and walked on that way. Now walking on that way for about more then hour we were climbing flat and then uphill. We came across sadhu place, we avoided taking directions from them cause they were meditating and we were afraid. We followed that route took Hanuman darshan and then first time saw Mata Anjarni Temple and took her blessing.
We followed that route and route got uphill steep. I remember Swapneel asking we are supposed to go downhill to Mumbai are you sure we are on the right path. Nagphani point . We reached uphill and had jaw opening scene. A open place and down below hills. We asked few people around direction for Mumbai and they said that is Mumbai the only way getting down they know is to fly.
The sun was burning here, I had lost my thinking sense, Mumbai looked near but impossible to reach my moral was lost. Umesh and Swapneel got me going took me down to that sadhu place and enquired, yes there was a way we have to walk back to that old bungalow and take right instead. This gave us hope we got back walking. We reached this place in hurry. Swapneel and Umesh can only tell how low my moral was, how lost I was, I cannot explain it. I was lost.
It was past 1 pm now we reached this place and took the right turn reached a small pond where a female was washing clothes we confirmed our direction. She gave us a shortcut towards the route. This definitely was a shortcut but it was steep waterfall kind of way we got on it and within minutes we were on actual route. We got on the route and got going Umesh and Swapneel were fast, Umesh lead the way and this was the scene for our treks to come. Umesh was fast we was moving swiftly. We were walking for almost an hour now no one at site. But then we hit a patch a deep jungle patch sunrays wont fall here even afternoon time this place was soothing cool. We came across two people among them was a local guide we told us about the route and we moved on. Now we had hopes we were on right route. After a while we reached this EKAPAYACHI VAAT, we came across more than 30 to 40 people mostly females and foreigners they were NCC and SCC people who were trekking. I remember one old guy saying to us “YOU KNOW TREKKING UP THOUGH BREATH TAKING IS EASY, TREKKING DOWN IS DIFFICULT WITH ALL BALANCE AND THEN FEAR.” I even remember a girl saying to me sit here your shoe laces are open that gave me a opening chance to sit beside and take a breather cause these two were just running like hell, but we got going.
One female even asked Swapneel how much more to go and he replied 15 minutes, at this pace more then that and got her going. We climbed down and reached this plateau here we all started laughing at each other and celebrating that we reached down. Umesh and Swapneel were dancing saying this was so easy, when I turned around and said why is that the sky is still looking further down to me. And that was a false celebration we were not down infact we had just completed one plateau now. We decided to rest though underneath a tree. Pindrop silent nothing could be heard just nature and out of odd there was this noise of something falling down everytime. Swapneel showed us SHEKRU the INDIAN GIANT SQUIRREL, and it was a beauty just above our head watching us and having food. We clicked few pics but then we were just carrying a mobile camera which could not get any better.
We took right now (mistake) and walked a path for few minutes when a farmer stopped us and said you people are going wrong way he said you should take left this way is dead end though has a shortcut which goes straight down but is quite difficult. He explained to us we have more 2 3 hours to reach Kandas. We took off Umesh was nonstop now he just moved on and on to brakes we were going through encircled Padargad and we like running. We were out of water but then Kandas was our hope of water we now continuously walked for more then an hour and reached Ganpati Ghat Ganesh temple. Here we declared we need a break and we took. We prayed to lord and while taking pradakshana (circling the lord) discovered bisleri water in this jungle. First we were hesitant but we drank it. We had this water after more then 2 to 3 hours we three shared it and moved on. God miracle giving us water bottle.
Now we moved down it was like a ghat going down we hit on and within next hour we reached a stream. I remember we all jumped in it with getting ourself cool. Now we went towards the village hoping we get a ST bus it was past 5 pm now. We reached the village just at the outskirt we were welcomed by HariBHAU guide who welcomed us with a nice water bottle to drink and said what you three have done is not that easy. Yes we had walked about last 4 hours from Bhimashankar without guide losing way as many times but we made it down. He said to us hurry up and reach the stand before the bus goes or the tumtum. We run to this place but our badluck nothing was there to take us to Karjat. We waited there for more then hour it was past 6 pm now no ride to home. We were accompanied by a dog who was busy playing with us and giving company.
Then we decided lets walk to Karjat what it would be 10 kms from here and started walking. I remember both of them asking me how far Karjat would be and I said 10 may be and they said now that we walked so much 10 km aint that bad and we started walking. We walked and walked it was now past 9 pm totally dark all of us three on totally backout road and yes a dog giving us company. Just then first vehicle went past us but that was jeep going towards Kandas I guess no use for us.
We came to a gate luckily a man was at the gates we went to enquire and ask water. He gave us water and told us Karjat that is 40 Km from here what are your folks trying to do, this is not a safe place to walk go back to village and find shelter. Just then we lost hope decided what to do, and out of blue that jeep came back and was going another directions went past and stopped ahead a bit and came back. They asked us where are you people going we answered Karjat they agitated first then said come in we will drop you.
This people gave us lift to Karjat it was past 9 o’clock now, there were around 3 people in jeep they were road construction people actually one of them was the officer of the site. These government people came for site inspection or something. They asked us where we came from we told them the whole story. They were slightly proud of us, but were angry too they said that you guys are going to walk 40 kms for Karjat or what that too alone you don’t know whether this road might have loot or animals, etc. In all this chaos we forgot about the dog who accompanied us for the past 3 hours from Kandas to this unknown place and we so much selfish go the lift and hoped in forgetting about our faithful friend.
Then we were dropped at Karjat outside the government office around 10:30 pm we took a train and got back home midnight.
This journey was amazing for us. We three, Swapneel, Umesh and Kunal. This was make and break kind of trek.
Umesh, who till date treks with me and always been my leader and organizer of treks. If someone asked me who would come to the end of the world or hell with you, no doubt Umesh would be there with me.
Swapneel, this was his last trek till date with me though he wanted to come for treks but he actually never came after this trek. Why would he, I never had plan, no proper information, disorganized, we were lost. Swapneel likes to play safe unlike me and Umesh who are into adventures.
God truly was with us. Who would forget meeting Bhimashankar in Bhimashankar. That magnificent picture of the tree next to dry tree which went on to become our college magazine cover page and still not discovering GUPT BHIMA. Who would forget that Nagphani point were we say shortcut to Mumbai. We made foreigners on the trek that too 30 pretty looking FEMALES. Of course the SHEKRU out of wild. And thirst us got water in wild in GANPATI GHAT TEMPLE and HARIBHAU GUIDE. Not to forget that faithful DOG friend who walked with us for 3 hours we didn’t even care about when we got in jeep. AND the magic jeep out of no where to take us to KARJAT.
