Amboli

Amboli is one of the Hill station in Sahyadri ranges situated near Sawantwadi in Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra. I had read a lot about this hill station in newspapers that it’s beautiful, charming and pleasant during monsoon, so this monsoon we school mate planned for Amboli a two days trip.

We started our journey from Panvel by train on Friday night around 1 AM. It was around 10 hrs journey. For us it was first time that we were travelling through train for such long journey with friends. We all decided to enjoy this journey and did not go to sleep. We all took our seat in upper births letting other people relax in lower births, took out cards and started our game, almost played for couple of hours then finally decided to lets sleep because we should save our energy for next 2 days. Around 3 AM everyone went to bed but one friend still doing prank by messaging and giving miss call to others but eventually all went asleep. I used to get up whenever train was taking halt at any station.  Around 5:30 AM our train reach to Chiplun. Slowly sky also started to become bright, first from black to twilight then reddish. Our train crossing mountain after mountains through tunnels, it was good scenic through train. Greenery, waterfalls, rice farms with full of water. When our train reached to Rajapur station we all get down on platform to stretch our legs little bit. Station was not quite big, just one platform beside one mountain and also small waterfall flowing through that mountain. Still we had couple of hours in our hand till we reach destination so we again started our Mendhicoat game, this time all people were awake by the time also taking interest in our game.

Around 9:45 AM train reached to our destination that is Kudal Staion. We bid adieu to the fellow neighbour passengers and boarded ourselves on Kudal Platform. We had already booked a private vehicle to pick us from station, we dialled our cab driver and he was alredy there waiting outside to receive us. We all quickly settled in cab and our next phase of journey which is Kudal to Amboli started. It hardly took us 3-4 minutes to come out of Kudal city and our cab took Mumbai-Goa raod. Konkan roads are awesome during rainy seasons due to greenery, roadside farms and rivers with full of water. We stopped our cab beside one river to enjoy the nature.

Amboli ghat was not too dangerous to drive. Ghat was quite enjoyable as small water stream flowing through mountains. When we reach on enough height the view was too good, one side Mountain and other side deep valley, we all were capturing this monsoon beauty through our eyes and saving in our memory. After few more distance, road was completely covered by fog, visibility was also too low.

When we reach to almost Amboli, we welcomed by Amboli’s main waterfall. It was awesome, People were enjoying in that fall, I wanted to go in that fall right there but we all were tired due to overnight journey and though of getting freshened first and come back. Few meters ahead Sunset point was their but we all know that due to so much of foggy weather we will not be able to see it.  After 1 and half hour journey from Kudal we reached to our resort. We then checked in to the resort and relaxed and getting freshens up for sightseeing.

Amboli waterfall

waterfall in Rajapur Staion

Panhala

After Jyotiba we headed towards the Panhala fort. It was one of the important forts which were under rule of Maratha Empire’s King Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji captured this fort in 1959 but In May 1660, to win back the fort from Shivaji, Adil Shah of Bijapur sent his army under the command of Siddi Johar to lay siege to Panhala. Shivaji fought back and they could not take the fort. The siege continued for 4 months, at the end of which all provisions in the fort were exhausted and Shivaji was on the verge of being captured.

Under these circumstances, Shivaji decided that escape was the only option. He gathered a small number of soldiers along with his trusted commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande andthey escaped in the dead of night to flee to Vishalgad. Baji Prabhu and a barber, Shiva Kashid, who looked like Shivaji, kept the enemy engaged, giving them an impression that Shiva Kashid was actually Shivaji. In the ensuing battle at ghodkhind which later on named as Pavwankhind, almost three quarters of the one thousand strong force died, including Baji Prabhu himself. The fort went to Adil Shah. It was not until 1673 that Shivaji could occupy it permanently.

Panhala is also famous for the hill station in Maharashtra. It is again situated around 19 Kms from Kolhapur. When you enter in Panhala you can see the statue of greate Baji Prabhu Deshpande. Statue has been given a aggressive look with bajiprabhu is in middle of war and swords in his both hands. Panhala fort also has statue of Shiva Kashid.

The other things to visit on Panhala fort are Andhar bawadi, Kalwanticha Mahal, Ambarkhana, Dharma Kothi, Teen Darwaja and Sajja Kothi. Sajja Kothi has good view of surrounding as it is the top most point on fort. We spent our evening nearby Sajja Kothi and end our day.

Jyotiba

Jyotiba also known as Kedareshwar which is holy site for Hinduism. It is situated 17 km from Kolhapur on one of the Sahyadri hills. From Kolhapur it took around half an hour to reach there and as we have been told already, queue for temple was quite long. The temple was fully covered by Pink colour Gulal. We stand in queue but it was not long wait as queue was moving forward very fast. One of the devotees used to chant loudly for Jyotiba by saying Jyotibachya navan changbhala and others also used to join in chanting. Within a half hour we took the darshan of Jyotiba. The idol of jyotiba is very nice, built in blak stone and when you see it all the attraction goes into Jyotiba’s Eyes. They are having kind of angry but caring look. Head of Jyotiba is covered with traditional pheta and body is covered with traditional cloths. I saved that image in eyes and left the temple.