Experiences on Two Wheels: May 2007

Biker Mob to Mandhardevi

Posted: by Pulsurge in Labels: Ghat riding, Group Rides, Hill Stations

Well what to say...18 bikers riding 4500 above sea-level to Mandhardevi. Of course its not a tourist attraction or any other commercial location where you'll find bhelpuri stalls and restaurants lining up the road. Was just for fun of riding to a different place.

The route and the distance: Mumbai- Lonavla- Pune- Bhor- Mandhardevi- Dhom Dam and back: 450 kms approx.

A brief on the place extracted from Milind Gunaji's book "Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra".

"The hilly region of Bhor Wai, near Pune, boasts several picturesque location. Several mountains have large, well -developed plateau, Mahableshwar, Panchgani, Kolheshwar, and Raireshwar there is the Mandhardevi temple, built at a height of 4,500 feet. Bhor is 45 kilometres from Pune. Eleven Kilometres down the Bhor- Wai road is the Ambodeo Khind. 4 Kilometres away, in dense forest, is the Mandhardevi temple. The view from the Ambodeo Khind is spectacular. Spread before your eyes are the mountains of Pandavgad, Kamalgad, Rohida, Kenjalgad and Panchgani, and in the valley below are the waters of the Dhom dam. For a while, it is easy to forget that you have come to visit Mandhardevi and have to move on!

The road is in a decent condition, permitting one to drive right up to the temple. The peak on which the temple is located is ringed with a dense growth of trees. To reach the temple you have to climb a few steps. The temple is small and has two stone lamps ( deepmalas ) flanking its entrance. There are shops catering to the devotees, selling articles for pooja, as well as tea stalls serving tea and snacks ( pakoras ). The path behind the temple leads to the edge of the peak. Since this peak is relatively higher than the surrounding peaks, it offers a wonderful view. The mountain peaks stand proudly in the sunlight while the small rivulets running down them glisten like molten silver. Towards the northern side, in the distance, you can see Rajgad and towards the south, Pandavgad and Panchgani.

There is a large, tree-laden plateau atop the Madhardevi hills. Even during mid-afternoon the weather here is quite chilly. It is said that the rulers of the erstwhile Bhor principality wished to promote this as a hill station and had even made some attempts to do so. Although their attempts failed, Mandhardevi still retains its beauty and can even now be promoted as an excellent tourist spot."

So that pretty much says about the place. Also going down to the Dhom Dam was on the list, which was a few kms away.

Started on Saturday night with overnight halt plans at Prasad's place in Pune, who was kind enough to make stay arrangements for a mob of 18 bikers.

Dinner at a Dhaba at 1 in the night, reaching Pune an hour later and back on our toes early morning.

Riding on NH4 was a bit slow taking the newbies into account. Riding up through the Bhor Ghat and down through Mandhardeo was fun and thrilling- with roads as wide for only a bus to pass and hell lot of blind turns, adding to it lack of boulders consistently along the way put us on alert.