Weekends are usually boring. I have planned for an outstation treking for some time, but the only thing that I kept on doing
was spending lazy weekends at my place. However, this weekend was different, I was itching to go
somewhere, be it any where but somewhere for sure. The name that kept popping in my mind was
"DEVKUND WATERFALL" which is near Pune. Fully determined to trek to this beautiful place I started my Friday.But, a party on fri night ruined my plans.
I got up at 2 pm on Saturday.
Saturday
After getting up late, there was nothing to do. But I was determined to change this weekend. I said to myself that there is tomorrow & I should make it count. (Motivationalstuff :D) With the determination of doing something next day, I eased on to my day. I did the usual stuff; watched a movie & did some random stuff. But, there was a surprise a friend's friend came to our place & he wanted to party. So, we took him to near by place. I said to myself that today I won't do much. I will sit & relax. Still, it was 1 am when we came back to home & my tomorrow's plan seemed to a bit more blurry.The fateful Day of Sunday
My eyes opened at 8 am but my laziness kept me tied to the bed. Finally, I managed to get up totally at 11 am. I quickly checked train timings & other details. My destination of DEVKUND WATERFALL seems to be gloomy because of the travel time & mode of transport. But, soon I had another plan of KONDANA CAVES. These caves are national heritage site & located near Karjat. Visiting Kondana caves seems to be feasible. I thought I could make it work. Without giving any other thought.I got ready for unknown territory. Somewhere I have read that if you allow brain more than 5 seconds it will shift your focus to a more secure path & this already happened with me during previous few occasions & I didn't want to take any chance this weekend.Best way to reach Karjat from Mumbai is through a local train. There are many locals running through out the day to this place. I caught a train from Ghatkpoar to Karjat. It took me 2 hours roughly to reach Karjat. From Karjat I had two options either take a private auto rickshaw to the place or use public transport. I chose the latter one, there is one famous bridge, THE SHRI RAM BRIDGE. From this bridge, one can reach near by places. There are many trekking spots near Karjat. I took an shared auto to Kondani village. The only drawback of public transport is that they won't start till every seat in the vehicle is occupied. It took 20 mins for this process to happen.
The roads are decent & it took approx half an hour to reach Kondani village. From this village, the distance of caves is approx 4 Km. There is one more village between Kondana caves & Kondani village. I chose to walk to this village. After walking about 20 mints I reached the village. After crossing the village there was a board pointing towards the Kondana Caves.There is a hike which needed to be made before I can relax.
How To Reach:
Nearest airport is Mumbai. From Mumbai, one can catch local train till Karjat. The cost of local ticket is around Rs 100 to & fro at max.From Karjat station Shri Ram Bridge is at walkable distance & cost of shared auto is Rs 30 to Rs 80 per head (varies with the auto & number of person occupying the place ) & Rs 300 if one wish to book whole auto.
The Trek:
At the starting of the ascend there is one house. Till now it was no brainer, I kept on walking after few minutes I am in the middle of the jungle with no knowledge of direction & with no signals. I stopped for sometime catch my breath & tried to think sensibly. I chose to walk the path which was little worn off. I started walking on that path, the path was getting bit harder; the ascends were getting steeper & there were few difficult sections to cross. There are no such signages on the path which makes it difficult to find the correct path. I trusted my instinct to show the correct path. The more I walked the more denser the jungle grew. Afte walking for 25 min I saw a very narrow water line, after crossing that I heard a sound of the generator from distant & then I realized that; I am on a right path. After covering few steps, a view of caves was visible. The well built caves were in front of me. Some renovation work was going on, there were few idols & some inscription on the walls. Other than that there was nothing.
The place is mainly famous for the caves. People usually stay here for half an hour at max. As there is nothing else to see.
If you are looking for something adventurous; the place can be disapointing. But, if you are looking for a gentle getaway the place
is peaceful & quiet which is expected if one is visiting villages in India & this place can serve the purpose.
For me, this trip was more of a challenge to get up & get going. The purpose was to beat the demons of laziness & uncertainty. There is nothing much to talk about the place. But, it was a personal achievement for me to stay head strong.
For me, this trip was more of a challenge to get up & get going. The purpose was to beat the demons of laziness & uncertainty. There is nothing much to talk about the place. But, it was a personal achievement for me to stay head strong.
Cost Involved:
This is one of the cheapest trips I have come across. The price of reaching is very minimal. I spent less than Rs 500 for the trip.Travel to unknown paths; Some times it will be the only difference.
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This is one of the few places you can travel near Mumbai. There are plenty of more, the more you explore the farther you can enjoy. Click on the below links & explore
few destinations near Mumbai.
