A Photoblog

Dhak Bahiri

2009-10-15T14:38:00.010+05:30

Ratangad Trek (Sep 2009)

2009-09-30T11:28:00.022+05:30

Diveagar - Shrivardhan - Harihareshwar

2009-03-08T10:30:00.002+05:30

Sindhudurga bike trip - Dec '08

2009-02-15T18:09:00.001+05:30

Vijaydurga - Bike ride Dec 2008

2009-02-15T17:41:00.009+05:30

Fort Raigad - Dec 2008

2009-02-15T14:40:00.007+05:30

Pratapgad Dec 2008

2009-02-15T14:29:00.002+05:30

Mhasai Pathar (Plateau)

2008-08-26T01:25:00.000+05:30

Kolhapur trip 2008

2008-08-06T13:52:00.003+05:30

Bike trip to Konkan region May 2008

2008-06-20T12:41:00.019+05:30

Alibaug and Korlai forts

2008-04-23T15:08:00.008+05:30

Fort Raigad

2008-02-13T10:23:00.020+05:30

Raigad..Coming soon!

2008-02-11T16:57:00.001+05:30

Snapshots of fort Raigad would soon be posted. Check back tomorrow to see one of most beautiful hill forts of the Maratha reign.

Alang-Kulang

2007-11-08T10:05:00.001+05:30

Wait...

2007-10-29T22:21:00.000+05:30

Alang-Madan-Kulang trekking pics coming soon!

Trimakeshwar-Brahmagiri-Harihar-Basgad

2007-09-25T17:38:00.002+05:30

Ankai-Tankai-Gorakshanath

2007-09-11T21:23:00.000+05:30

This region receives scanty rain & hence was an ideal spot during monsoons catering to the visual senses with the green of the emeralds and the blues of the sapphires. The cloud approached and backed away without disintegrating in to the rain drops spreading the fragrance of the wet mud. But the ambience was already propelled towards serenity with the lush green, cool n strong breeze and the wonderful location.
Dilapilated remains at the base of Ankai-Tankai. From the looks of it and the style of architecture it looks like a mosque.

One of the cave, rock cut from the series of Buddhist caves at the base of Ankai Tankai.

A pond in front of the cave-Temple

Satmala Range:

This range runs to the north of the Nashik-Manmad railway line. Running west to east it has many beautiful forts. It was known as the Chandor range and the Balgan area in the past. The Maratha and the Mughal forces captured various forts and fought bloody battles on these passes. The twin fort of Ankai Tankai nestles herein this range.

A Shiva idol lying is dilapilated condition at the foot hills of the AnKai, in front of the Buddhist caves.

Rock slabs arranged in Pecuilar pattern in the yard of the Buddhist caves.

A duplex cave. A stair way from the lower one leads to the upper alley. the caves is well ventilated and allows adequate light inside.

Ankai-Tankai (961m-3152ft) These twins hills form a part of the Chandwad range and are situated about 8 km south of Manmad. The fort of Ankai can be reached from the railways station of Ankai near Manmad.

A flight of steps leads to 8 Buddhists caves at the base of Tankai caves. Climb the steps further to reach a well fortified common entrance of the forts.

It has ancient caves and a temple of Agatsya, the sage who is credited with the achievement of the first crossing of the Vindhya Mountains. Both the twin hills are very attractive to visit, with Buddhist caves at their base.

These were said to be the strongest hill-forts. They command a wide view of the Khandesh and Godavari valleys. The rock is so completely eroded on all the sides that it presents perfectly perpendicular walls on all its four faces. There is a big temple, a mazar and the Agatsya tank.

To the left is Ankai, which is a beautiful place to visit. Regular steps leads to a number of fortified entrances, a cave with some sculptures and finally to the top where a domed building is located.

On top, one can see 5 caves, 7 water tanks, an arched enclosure at the end of the fort with a huge pond, a Dargah etc. A huge cave below the summit is now an Ashram, where one can have a night stay.

Good view of Tankai fort and the trek takes 3 hour. The area peculiarly has white marble like stones.

Hadbi chi Shendi pinnalce

Ankai Entrance

Mazaar atop Ankai

Group Silhouette

Shiva temple atop Tankai

Pond atop Tankai

Ankai from Tankai

Gorakshanath Hill

Tikona Fort

2007-08-06T14:50:00.000+05:30

Fort Mahuli

2007-07-27T15:08:00.000+05:30

Mahuli Fort, at 2815 ft., this is very popular spot frequented by Mumbaikars on weekends. Ease of access and the very much tranquil environs near the suburb of Asangaon is really luring more and more picnickers to Mahuli. Earlier this fort was frequented by trekkers, but now Mahuli is more of a picnic spot. Mahuli. Village at the base houses a spacious Temple, which can serve as a good halt for an overnight stay.

The waterfalls at the base of the fort near Mahuli village are very famous for waterfall rappelling events conducted by many trekking and outdoor clubs in and around Mumbai. However one must be careful while treading the gushing streams and waterfalls as this region receives very heavy rainfalls and the water flow can be difficult to negotiate.

Being popular and visited by ignorant crowd has been responsible for defacing Mahuli. The plastic litter and trash littered on the fort is a pathetic sight. The main entrance and the cave lies in ruins with littering all round it.

There are three massifs seen in front as one reaches Mahuli village. The one on the right is Bhandargad, the centre one is Mahuli and the one on extreme right is Chotta Mahuli or Palasgad. Bhandargad is mostly an aggregation of group of pinnacles

The main route to the top of the fort is in ruins and bad condition and should not be attempted by novices.

Mahuli-Chanderi group of pinnacles, which has been luring the rock climbing enthusiasts from Maharashtra for decades. Pinnacles like Navra-Navri, Navryachi Karavali, Navrichi Karavali, Bhatoba, Vajir dot these range.

The top is a huge plateau with dilapidated fort walls, crumbling remnants of the bygone eras. The top hosts large water tank, and holds potable water, except during summer months. A small temple near the cave calms the ambience, with a potable water trough near it.

Asangaon on Mumbai-Nashik highway (91) Kms from Mumbai. 5 kms inside on to the left is the Mahuli village. A temple and a humble home of Mataji Geetabharati is at the base. Temple dormitory and camp area can be reserved. Mataji provides authentic maharashtrian vegeterian food on advance information.

The creator of this fort is unknown. In 1485 this place came under rule Nijamshahi dynasty. When Shahaji Raje became the secretary of Nijamshahi, Mughals of Delhi tried to end Nijamshahi

In 1635-36, Shahaji Raje transferred himself with Jijabai and Shivaji to Mahuli. When Khan Jaman attacked the fort, Shahaji asked Portuguese for help, who refused and Shahaji surrendered.

Shivaji took this fort from Mughals on 8 Jan 1658. In 1661 it was given back and was won again by Shivaji. In treaty of Purandar, in 1665, Marathas lost these forts again. In Feb 1670, Shivaji Maharaj tried to conquer Mahuli, but failed, thanks to an alert Manohardas Gaud, who was the in charge of the fort

Thousand of Marathas were killed. Manohardas Gaud, soon gave up his position and Alveerdi Beg took over. On 16 June 1670, after two months, Moropant Pingle conquered the forts and Mahuli, Bhandargad and Palasgad became part of Swarajya. Till 1817, Shivaji's dynasty owned the fort and later by the Britishers.

To reach the top, for the convenience of the visitors a small iron ladder is fixed with bolts by a local trekking club. Nisarga Giri Bhraman, a local trekking club has paited and hoisted a large map of the fort Mahuli at the base village. Shivgarjana, another local trekking club based at Kalyan paints and maintains the temple at village Mahuli annually.

Sunset

2007-03-19T13:08:00.000+05:30

A beautiful sunset

Colourful tweaks

2007-03-15T16:35:00.000+05:30

The tint gives a night mode look to this foggy scene captured on fort Pattagad.

Cloudy sky, monsoon winds and a humble hutment.

The leafless sway to the winds witht he hue of setting sun spreading over the scene

Household items collage

2007-03-15T15:17:00.000+05:30

Electric Bulbs : Edison's collage

2007-03-15T15:14:00.000+05:30

An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color.
A work, such as a literary piece, composed of both borrowed and original material.
The art of creating such compositions.
An assemblage of diverse elements: a collage of conflicting memories.

Thomas A. Edison, a young inventor working in Menlo Park, New Jersey, began working on his own form of electric light in the 1870s. In 1877 Edison became involved with the rush for a satisfactory electric light source, devoting his initial involvement to confirming the reasons for his competitors' failures. He did, however, determine that platinum made a much better burner than carbon. Working with platinum, Edison obtained his first patent in April of 1879 on a relatively impractical lamp, but he continued searching for an element that could be heated efficiently and economically.

Butterflies collage

2007-03-15T15:09:00.000+05:30

Some flowers

2007-03-15T02:07:00.000+05:30

This shoe-flower (Hibiscus Rosasinensis was clicked on a monsoon day on my trek to Pattagad in Maharashtra. The bright red coluor of the petals and the wet pollens captures the vision.

The Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, family Malvaceae) is an evergreen shrub native to East Asia, also known as China rose and Shoe flower. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics and subtropics. The flowers are large, red, firm, but lack any scent. Numerous cultivars, varieties, and hybrids have been created, with flower colors ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia, called the Bunga Raya in Malay and "Sembaruthi" in Tamiland mamdaraminTelugu(మందారం). The flowers are used to shine shoes in parts of India, as well as for the worship of Devi. Hibiscus flowers are also used for hair care. Species of hibiscuses are the state flowers of two regions of the USA - the State of Hawaii and the territory of Puerto Rico.

This flower, known as Kardal in marathi, was clicked at Lalbagh botanical garden at Bangalore.

Another flower clicked at Lalbagh botanical garden at Bangalore.

A beautiful bush clicked at Crocofdile park, Chennai.