Thane

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Gorakhgad is in Thane district, named after saint Goraknath, who used to perform penance here. It was used in the era of Shivaji Maharaj, mainly as a stopover point from Junnar via Naneghat. The adjoining Machindragad peak is named after the teacher-disciple relationship of Machindranath and Gorakhnath.

The trek to Gorakhgad is easy till you reach the base of the fort. Once you reach you have to be very careful while climbing the stairs that lead to a small temple. Further once you reach the water tank there are stairs carved in stone to reach the top. The elevation is almost 80 degree so one has to be very careful while climbing up and getting down. Once you reach the top it feels like heaven with the scene being awesome in rainy seasons as it is green everywhere. One has to be careful climbing and descending the rock stairs, as in the rains they get slippery. This fort provides good endurance for new as well as experienced trekkers with its medium grade rock patch climb. There is a cave atop for resting and the peak could be reached after another short but a bit difficult rock patch climb to enjoy the classic view of Naneghat to Siddhagad range.

Jai Vilas Palace is one of the attractions of Jawhar. Built by Raje Yashwant Rao Maukne, the palace is a built of pink stone. There is a beautiful garden with a dense forest like foilage, having trees of cashew nut everywhere. Most of the locality is of tribal people. From the exterior view, it is beautiful, having nice architecture. The palace of late seems to be needing a bit of maintenance and also publicity so that more people are aware of this treasure. The palace is surrounded by a vast landscape, and at the backside is a valley with good potential to become a bigger tourist place. TheTaj group,seems to have taken over to develop it.

Tansa lake or reservoir is one of the many lakes which supply water to the city of Mumbai. Most of us are familiar with the Powai and Vihar lakes since they lie within the city limits. Tansa lake is about 60 Km outside Mumbai on the Nashik highway. The nearest Local train station is Atgaon on the Kasara line. The lake per se is not a renowned picnic spot but there are enough resorts near Atgaon and Shahpur where one can stay overnight if one wishes to. All in all a day’s trip or overnight trip fun especially during the monsoon season that inspires nature lovers. There is a wildlife sanctuary also. To visit Tansa lake one has to drive through Tansa wildlife sanctuary, a nice place to visit in monsoon and winter. Beautiful scenery, various types of birds, water banks are part of the sights.