Matheran: A Quaint Hill Station Of Maharashtra

Matheran, Maharashtra’s popular weekend getaway, lies on the western ghats at a height of 800m from sea level. Located at a distance of 90km from Mumbai and 120km from Pune, this little quaint town offers a breath of fresh air, clear blue sky, and lush green vegetation. Being Asia’s only automobile free hill station, Matheran immediately takes you back to a simpler time of horses and clay carts.

History of Matheran

Matheran means “forest of the forehead”. The earliest mention of this town was in the 15^th century CE. The Prabalgad Fort, previously known as Muranjan fort, was built by the Bahamani Sultanate to keep an eye on the North Konkan provinces. When the Sultanate collapsed, the fort went into the hands of the Mughals. In 1657, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj conquered this fort and the surrounding area. At that time, the hill station was inhabited by the Dhangar tribe.

Later in 1850, it was rediscovered by Hugh Malet, the district collector of Raigad. Lord Elphinstone laid its new foundation. In 1907, Sir Adamjee Peerboy developed the meter-gauge railway line, connecting Matheran to Neral.

Best time to visit Matheran

The best time to visit Matheran is from November to May. During the monsoon, it becomes very difficult to move around due to the presence of leeches. If you are visiting during these months, wear fully covered clothes.

Most people like to visit the hill station during the weekends. Although in my opinion, weekdays are better to explore the town. Due to the heavy tourist influx, the town becomes crowded and you would not be able to see the hill station for its tranquillity. Moreover, the hustle and bustle of the cars lead to a lot of traffic at Dasturi Naka (the parking area) and the Ghats. Sometimes the traffic in the ghats is so bad that it takes hours just to climb it.

How to reach this Matheran

I took a taxi from Mumbai. I would recommend leaving early in the morning around 6 am. Roads of Mumbai get jam-packed very early. Once out of the city, take the road from Karjat to Neral. At Neral you have the option of dropping off your cab and hiring an Omni car or hiring a driver for your car. The reason this is done is that the road uphill is very steep, inclined at about 70 degrees. Only experienced drivers have the knack to drive the car all the way up to Dasturi Naka.

Toy Train

If you are interested in boarding the toy train, you can ask for the schedule from your hotel….