A paradise with all that is good from Konkan and all that is exotic from Goa…have you been to this place? No? Then you may visit Amboli.
Red earth to walk on, blue sky overhead and ranges of mountains, one behind the other, fading in colour from lush green to blue-black to foggy outlines towards infinity…
But entire Amboli resides in a finite radius of half a kilometer. Ambolians are hosts with extra ordinary hospitality. Lodgings, some lavish, some humble need no advertising thanks to the tranquility and scenery around. Food, in humble and homely places has Goan taste. The residing families truly represent this tiny place for its charisma.
This much is for the place where you stay. What attracts tourists here round the year? These are scattered points and peaks and valleys and falls that have equal lavishness and humility as Amboli’s lodges.
Yes, humility, I said. Our Earth has many reserves that teach you humility and simplicity by example. Amboli’s scenic ambiance is one of them. When a child depicts two (pointed) mountains and the Sun in-between with rays flowing out, we usually take it as a child’s attempt at drawing. What if you see exactly the same on the horizon in front, at Sunset? Involuntarily you utter…how humble is Nature, attempting to show in real the child’s drawing….?
I took a picture of this Sun through a forked twig of a small bush. The Sun was humble enough to contain within the arms of that twig. This place is called Mahadev Gadh. It’s a high point with valleys around and dangerous steep cliffs and caverns aplenty. Violate safety limits and Nature’s humility ends along with your own end. I had to warn a prodigal youth trying to dare a cliff for the sake of a snap. Monkeys (there are abundant) wondered why I warned him. They freely jumped around on or off the cliff onto tree branches all over. I obliged one by taking its snap.
They say, never probe deeper in a saint’s past or a river’s origin because you may be disappointed. Well, I never tried to probe any saint’s past but I did it to see how Bheema River originated and was absolutely disappointed. Not because there was no origin in sight but because the tininess of it. It, by no stretch of imagination, could come to life as a roaring flow of water miles and miles ahead. The same was true at Mahabaleshwar where “pancha nadi” (five rivers) originate. Here, at Amboli, it is the Hirannyakeshi River that has its origin. This is a beautiful, tranquil place kept very clean by sadhus residing there. It has a small stream (invisible to us) behind a small cave temple. The water is cool and very clear as it collects in a small pond and flows down as a stream to become the river gradually. The approach to this place is nicely built with wide benign steps. Here too monkeys were plenty, shy and expectant for some offering from us.
You may have maneuvered a drive in Ghats, reached some place of straight road ahead with thick jungle around and longed to see mountain heights to climb. They are not anywhere in sight. You are told that such and such a fall is located somewhere here. But this place does not look high enough for a fall to fall..!!! Something must be wrong. Perhaps you have missed it at the last turn a few miles back. And, behold… suddenly you spot a rusty hoarding, a dilapidated cement concrete small structure, a few monkeys and some villagers. You stop the car and read the hoarding. It displays the name of the falls you desired to see!!!
Twenty five steps below you reach a strong barrier fence. About fifty plus meters down below is a steep valley receiving an incessant roaring flow of a water fall emanating from a place level with the road by which we arrived here. This was November. The villager standing there told us that the flow now seen is just a quarter of its volume in rainy season. Those with vertigo symptoms should never look in the valley. It’s very narrow, very steep and, perhaps, virgin thus far, because no one can dare climb down this death trap with a wish to come up again. Here again monkeys is an exception. This place is called…Nangar Taas
There are more such places in Amboli but the foregone about covers representative sites. At night, in such quiet places, there is another attraction. Amboli couldn’t be an exception. Power cuts, otherwise hated by all, are welcome to enjoy this attraction….wonder what? Yes, the night sky. It’s an open book of Universe to see, read and contemplate on or indulge in philosophy. If you have a little bit knowledge of stars, planets, constellations and galaxies your mirth is unfathomable. No telescope is required here. In November, there are no clouds too. Others hear you say…
Here is “Andromeda”.
See that “Orion with its Sirius”.
Can you see the pole star? No? Just see where the nose of the Orion points at…can you see a small shining star? That is the pole Star.
Here is “Vruschik” Constellation.
Those are “Kruttikas”.
Someone asks..where are “Saptarshis”? You answer, …when “Andromeda” is above you “Saptarshi” is just below you. You cannot see it now…
Such is the fun and amusement and relaxation and leisure. Would you get it in Pune…in Mumbai…in your city..?
The least I may insist is that a visit to Amboli is a must.
Beware; such places are, year by year, becoming scarce. As years pass such places get more polluted, more crowded and less attractive.
So what are you waiting for………..??????
Red earth to walk on, blue sky overhead and ranges of mountains, one behind the other, fading in colour from lush green to blue-black to foggy outlines towards infinity…
But entire Amboli resides in a finite radius of half a kilometer. Ambolians are hosts with extra ordinary hospitality. Lodgings, some lavish, some humble need no advertising thanks to the tranquility and scenery around. Food, in humble and homely places has Goan taste. The residing families truly represent this tiny place for its charisma.
This much is for the place where you stay. What attracts tourists here round the year? These are scattered points and peaks and valleys and falls that have equal lavishness and humility as Amboli’s lodges.
Yes, humility, I said. Our Earth has many reserves that teach you humility and simplicity by example. Amboli’s scenic ambiance is one of them. When a child depicts two (pointed) mountains and the Sun in-between with rays flowing out, we usually take it as a child’s attempt at drawing. What if you see exactly the same on the horizon in front, at Sunset? Involuntarily you utter…how humble is Nature, attempting to show in real the child’s drawing….?
I took a picture of this Sun through a forked twig of a small bush. The Sun was humble enough to contain within the arms of that twig. This place is called Mahadev Gadh. It’s a high point with valleys around and dangerous steep cliffs and caverns aplenty. Violate safety limits and Nature’s humility ends along with your own end. I had to warn a prodigal youth trying to dare a cliff for the sake of a snap. Monkeys (there are abundant) wondered why I warned him. They freely jumped around on or off the cliff onto tree branches all over. I obliged one by taking its snap.
They say, never probe deeper in a saint’s past or a river’s origin because you may be disappointed. Well, I never tried to probe any saint’s past but I did it to see how Bheema River originated and was absolutely disappointed. Not because there was no origin in sight but because the tininess of it. It, by no stretch of imagination, could come to life as a roaring flow of water miles and miles ahead. The same was true at Mahabaleshwar where “pancha nadi” (five rivers) originate. Here, at Amboli, it is the Hirannyakeshi River that has its origin. This is a beautiful, tranquil place kept very clean by sadhus residing there. It has a small stream (invisible to us) behind a small cave temple. The water is cool and very clear as it collects in a small pond and flows down as a stream to become the river gradually. The approach to this place is nicely built with wide benign steps. Here too monkeys were plenty, shy and expectant for some offering from us.
You may have maneuvered a drive in Ghats, reached some place of straight road ahead with thick jungle around and longed to see mountain heights to climb. They are not anywhere in sight. You are told that such and such a fall is located somewhere here. But this place does not look high enough for a fall to fall..!!! Something must be wrong. Perhaps you have missed it at the last turn a few miles back. And, behold… suddenly you spot a rusty hoarding, a dilapidated cement concrete small structure, a few monkeys and some villagers. You stop the car and read the hoarding. It displays the name of the falls you desired to see!!!
Twenty five steps below you reach a strong barrier fence. About fifty plus meters down below is a steep valley receiving an incessant roaring flow of a water fall emanating from a place level with the road by which we arrived here. This was November. The villager standing there told us that the flow now seen is just a quarter of its volume in rainy season. Those with vertigo symptoms should never look in the valley. It’s very narrow, very steep and, perhaps, virgin thus far, because no one can dare climb down this death trap with a wish to come up again. Here again monkeys is an exception. This place is called…Nangar Taas
There are more such places in Amboli but the foregone about covers representative sites. At night, in such quiet places, there is another attraction. Amboli couldn’t be an exception. Power cuts, otherwise hated by all, are welcome to enjoy this attraction….wonder what? Yes, the night sky. It’s an open book of Universe to see, read and contemplate on or indulge in philosophy. If you have a little bit knowledge of stars, planets, constellations and galaxies your mirth is unfathomable. No telescope is required here. In November, there are no clouds too. Others hear you say…
Here is “Andromeda”.
See that “Orion with its Sirius”.
Can you see the pole star? No? Just see where the nose of the Orion points at…can you see a small shining star? That is the pole Star.
Here is “Vruschik” Constellation.
Those are “Kruttikas”.
Someone asks..where are “Saptarshis”? You answer, …when “Andromeda” is above you “Saptarshi” is just below you. You cannot see it now…
Such is the fun and amusement and relaxation and leisure. Would you get it in Pune…in Mumbai…in your city..?
The least I may insist is that a visit to Amboli is a must.
Beware; such places are, year by year, becoming scarce. As years pass such places get more polluted, more crowded and less attractive.
So what are you waiting for………..??????
