Thursday, 14 November 2013

India - Hill sttion - Malshej Ghat 14.11.2013

Malshej Ghat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malshej Ghat
Malshej Hills.jpg
Malshej Hills
LocationMaharashtra India,
RangeSahyadri
Malshej Ghat (माळशेज घाट) is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats range in the Thane district of MaharashtraIndia. The site is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats.
It is notorious for landslides during monsoons.[1]
The site is home to hundreds of different kinds of flora and fauna especially the avian population such as quailsrailscrakes,flamingos and cuckoos.

Getting there[edit]

Malshej ghat is situated in Pune district near the borders of Thane and Ahmednagar districts. It is at a distance of 154 km from south Mumbai towards northeast and 130 km north of Pune. The nearest railhead is Kalyan near Mumbai. To go to Malshej ghat by road from Mumbai, take NH3 to Bhiwandi and turn towards Murbad or take state highway via Kalyan, Murbad, Saralgaon and Vaishakhare. From Pune, take Pune-Nashik highway (NH-50) to Alephata and turn left on Kalyan-Ahmednagar Highway (SH-222) towards Kalyan.

Around Malshej[edit]

A nice view of valleys is one of the major attraction here. The view from behind the MTDC resort is a must-see. It is also famous for dark woods and the animals inside. These animals includes tigers, leopards, rabbits and peacocks etc. But truly a famous place near Malshej Ghat is Khireshwar which is 2/3 km from rest house. Through Khireshwar village, one can visit the famous Harishchandragadh also. One of the beauties here are many waterfalls in the hilly regions. Various waterfalls from small up to the huge ones are really worth to see and many are right next to the highway.
The birthplace of legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, The Shivneri Fort is not very far (approximately 40 km) from Malshej Ghat.

The Bird Graves[edit]

The ghat has the dubious distinction of being a graveyard for small birds during the onset of the monsoons. Most of the birds nest among the cliffs of the Western Ghats. In this season, strong gusts of wind, heavy rain and dense fog often result in the birds getting disoriented. As many of the birds gravitate to the bright lights of the passing vehicles, the birds hit the cliff faces often leading to their deaths. However this phenomenon has decreased in the recent years according to local naturalists. What make Malshej Ghat so illustrious are the large folk of migratory birds coming from Siberia between July and September. The mating dance of the pink-legged Flemingo birds is an eye-catching spectacle.

Accommodation[edit]

Since the area is at a considerable distance from a small town, there are not many posh restaurants and shopping malls. Flamingo Hill is a resort run by MTDC – Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in the vicinity. Other than MTDC resort, there are other private resorts where you can spend a day or two. Accommodation is also available in a nearby village called Madh. Madh is about 6 km away from Malshej ghat.

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