Sep 09, 2014 03:00 PM
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Khandala is a beautiful hill station in the western ghats in state of Maharashtra. Khandala is located at one end of the Bhor Ghat, a major ghat on the road link between the Deccan Plateau and the Konkan plain.The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the main link between the major cities of Mumbai and Pune, passes through Khandala. The weather in khandala is spectacular. If you are looking for the place where you can enjoy, relax and have super fun then I would definitely recommend you to visit khandala. Khandala is very famous hill station and almost everyone knows this place because of Aamir khan’s famous song ‘AATI KYA KHANDALA’.
I visited this place in the month of June that is in the rainy season and with my college friends as my college has arranged two days trip to khandala. I was very excited to go to this place as I had never visited this place before. The title of our trip was Kune Mission-Khandala.The weather in the Khandala is pretty cool as it is a hill station and you will feel relaxed and calm because of there peaceful environment.
Location:
Khandala and Lonavala lie 5 km, apart, on the western slopes of the Sahyadris, straddling the Mumbai-Pune highway. Karla is 8 km. from Lonavala.
Getting there:
The convenient railhead is Lonavala, on the Mumbai-Pune line(118 km from Mumbai). Pune-Lonavala: 64 km. We had gone there by train. We took Deccan express.The boarding was from CST station. It took hardly three to four hours to reach there. you can also get there from Pune by local trains. The frequency of the trains is very good from Pune that is after every half an hour. You can also go there by airplane as the nearest airport is Pune, 66 km. away or by your own private vehicle.
Places to visit:
We all had gone there for trekking and I would like to say that this is the one of the best place for trekking. It was an outstanding experience. and After that we were visited to many more places like Duke’s Nose and Tiger’s Lip.
The duke's Nose is a popular viewpoint as it offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains, valleys and forests.
Tiger’s Leap, one has the illusion of a tiger leaping across the valley, hence the name. The echoes caused by dropping and we also visited to Korigad Fort which is the hill fort of Korigad in Amby Valley. To get there, we travelled from Lonavla to the village of Shahpur by bus but you can go there using any available means of transport, and hence proceed by foot to the fort through rugged hills and forests.
Karla & Bhaja Caves is also very good place which is Nestling in the hills of Lonavala, these rock-cut caves and rank amongst early Buddhist temple art in India.
The Karla Cave, the largest Early Buddhist shrine in India, imitates the look of more familiar wooden architecture. Completed in 80 BC, the impressive structure includes a representation of the Buddha.
The Bhaja Cave complex comprises 18 caves and 14 stupas. Dating from around 200 BC, these architectural curiosities lie amidst thick greenery in a setting and I found it mystical Just outside Karla Caves Ekvira Temple is there. Ekvira Temple is visited by thousands of devotees, mainly fisher folk.
You can also visit to the Bhushi Lake. Bhushi Lake situated in Khandala is the ideal spot for all those who wish to relax in the lap of Mother Nature and the crystal clear water provides immense opportunities for the tourists to rest in peace
Accommodation and food:
We stayed in the st.Xavier Villa which is facing towards Duke's nose hill. The villa is pretty big and has a big rooms. There are also many good and affordable hotels in khandala as well as restaurants and dhabas who sever sumptuous mouth watering food with adorable prices. Beautifully landscaped Lonavala and Khandala are very famous for their seemingly innumerable varieties of chikki as lonavala is the nearest hill station.
The Khandala is one of the most awesome place I had ever visited and had lots of fun there especially while trekking.The overall experience was very nice and I would recommend that you must visit this place once in life!
