I had never seen so many strawberries at one
place before! Every nook & corner of Panchgani boasted of selling or
advertising strawberry & its myriad products ..sundaes, icecreams,
candies,chocolates, jams what not! Baskets of fresh strawberries were lined along the roads, tempting tourists more than the actual ‘sight seeing’.
After a brief stopover at Bagchi’s for their
famous strawberry ice cream sundae, we set out to explore the city..
The land of 5 plateaus, Panchgani, looked dull
& barren in the month of March. Winter had stripped it of its lush greenery
& numerous waterfalls which otherwise draw thousands of tourists every year.
At most of the popular “viewpoints” we were greeted by the eerie silence of
endless ravines and plateaus intersected by snaking rivers.And the sight of
paragliders sailing across the sky was mesmerizing..
Next followed a visit to the famous ‘Tableland’,
the highest plateau in Panchgani. Aboard a colourful horse-buggy, our guide,
Raju, took us through the history of the place - excitedly pointing out everything
from the epic “Pandav footprint” to the various spots where innumerable film
shootings had taken place. Raja Hindustani,Gangajal, Swades, Dabang, Omkara, Tare Zameen Par..you
name it and he could describe the exact scenes shot there! And guess
what, for some 200 bucks u could actually get yourself clicked with Salman Khan
jumping of the cliff or with Sanju baba shaking your hand!! Confused? Tricks of
the trade we were proudly told by the local photographer J
Our next destination,Sherbaug - The Tropical Jungle, seemed like the
perfect choice in the hot weather. Artificial rain greeted us at the ticket
counter! Once inside, beautiful landscaped gardens,
quaint stone benches, artificial waterfalls and a tree-housed shaped restaurant
added to the charm. The flora & fauna was captivating but the tiny waterpark
looked disappointing. Food and drinks are over priced and not easily available
inside...so watch out.
Adjacent to Panchgani, is its twin Mahabaleshwar - a rather ordinary hill-station if I may say so. Average places have been turned into tourist-fleecing ‘centers of attraction’ where the only attraction I found were the bright red strawberries yet again!
I would suggest you buy a large bowl of
the fresh strawberries & enjoy it sitting by the Venna Lake instead of
taking the over-priced boat ride there :)
Subsequent
visit to the ‘Sunset Point’ and local markets further enforced my belief that
every localite in Mahabaleshwar considers it his/her birth right to overcharge
tourists. The blatant commercialization is shocking to say the least!
If u really want to enjoy the natural beauty of this
hill town, hit theWilson Point trek early in the morning..quiet roads,luscious trees and cuckoos singing in your ears..its pure bliss! Who knows u may even be lucky enuf to spot a deer strolling along :) :)
