ISKCON NVCC Temple at Katraj-Kondhwa - Pune

Quote of the Post: "ISKCON NVCC will truely serve as cultural, educational, religious, and spiritual home in Pune and could soon become Pune’s most prominent icon." - Quote about 'ISKCON NVCC Pune' - Sachin Kumar Gupta

I have been to the ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temples in Vrindavan, Delhi, and Pune many times. Pune is the cultural and spiritual capital of the state of Maharashtra. The old and small ISKCON temple known as "Sri Sri RadhaKunjbihari Temple" started first in camp area Pune.

Address: 4, Tarapore Road, Next to Dastoor Boys School, Camp, Pune, MH - 411001

Space was short to serve the large crowds on festivals, grand satsanga programs, and for holding cultural and educational outreach programs for newcomers. Because of necessity, a bigger temple was proposed that could serve expanding activities of ISKCON Pune.

ISKCON NVCC Temple

Address: New Vedic Cultural Center, Katraj-Kondhwa Bypass, Kondhwa Budrukh, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

ISKCON NVCC PUNE MAP

The temple was inaugurated during February 2013 by the President of India (Sri Pranab Mukherjee). NVCC is in three prominent blocks - 

1. Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanachandra Temple. 

2. ISKCON Balaji Temple

3. Brahmachari Ashram, Gita Bhavan and Community building.

Timings: The temple opens most of the day starting early morning till late eve. [Approx: 4:30 am – 9:00 pm]

I visited this holy place with Tanuj and Meenal while it was drizzling. At the entrance, an eye-soothing green meadow welcomes you with a marvelous white and pink, marble structure. The temple archives a number of carvings and portraits narrating mythological stories of Krishna, Radha and other gods in Hindu religion. The idol of Sri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON movement, is at the entrance of the main temple hall. First level has three main graceful deities within the hall – Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanachandra, Sri Sri Gaur Nitai & Sri Sri Jagannatha Baldev Subhadra.

The eyes dart from one carving to another, anxious to see every tiny detail. As ISKCON culture, you can take part and dance in the central hall on the beats of bhajans and evergreen chantings 'Hare Rama Hare Rama, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna'. Many devotees play different instruments and sing bhajans with amazing energy. 

Lord Balajji temple is just adjacent to this temple which is on top of a hill. It is constructed in the traditional South Indian style, using unpolished grey granite. As prasad, khichdi is served throughout the day free of cost. There is a restaurant named 'Govindas' and gift and souvneirs shop 'Matchless' within the campus.

The soothing spiritual ambience and glimpse of state-of-the-art interiors will bring great inner peace, happiness to all visitors in such a way that everybody would like to experience. Lets enjoy & chant at NVCC Pune:

"Hare Rama Hare Rama, Ram Ram Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare."

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Chasing the monsoon in Karla Caves near Lonavala

India hosts nearly immense wealth of ancient rock-cut architecture for diverse tastes. One of the best is located in Karla Caves. This is one of the must see places to visit near Lonavala, also known as Karle caves.

If you are coming by road from Pune, you have to follow below route:

Pune (A) - NH4 - Khamshet - Malavali (Just before Lonavala) - Karli village - Karla Caves

If you are coming by road from Mumbai, you have to follow below route:

Mumbai (E) - Navi Mumbai - Follow Pune Mumbai expressway - Khandala (D) - Lonavala (C) - Malavali - Karli - Karla Caves (B)

Karla Caves Map

Train transport is cheaper either coming from Pune or Mumbai. Pune to Lonavala local train time table can be checked here. Lonavala to Pune local train time table can be checked here. 

We opted for train travel from Pune railway station to Malavali railway station. From Malavali railway station we traveled up-to the tail of Karla caves by auto-rickshaw @ INR 100. Though one can drive up-to the midpoint of the Karla caves up-to the parking area; well maintained staircase is always a preferred option in light drizzle. There are number of small shops, restaurants, bhutta (corn) and tea stalls throughout the trek. 

With my new SLR, I could not resist from capturing colorful bangles, hanging bottles, lovely garlands, hens, panoramic views of mountains and lush green grounds and whichever beautiful thing fell on the way. And it did not end there, we could also capture a few human faced and animal shaped rocks. These caves are declared by the Archaeological Survey of India as a National Monument.

It resides on a high spur of the chain of hills on north flank of Indrayani valley and approx 8 km away from the sister Bhaja caves towards south. As you enter the cave, you will find yourself near the Karla falls. Not to mention, it is possible only during monsoons! Some people also bathe and enjoy in this waterfall, but one should be very cautious, as some of the rocks become very much slippery. During monsoon, there are numerous waterfalls in the entire belt, thus making enough spots for people to stop by. The group of Karla includes total 16 excavations (One is Chaityagriha and 15 are Viharas) depicting artistic embellishment of Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism. Detailed information about Karla Caves can be found near Notice Board where we pay entrance fees.

Karla Caves Timings and Fees: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  

Indian: 5 INR; Foreign Nationals: 100 INR

Lion sculptures in top of pillar in front of chaitya, just look amazing. The hall features beautifully en-carved sculptures of people from ancient times along with royal animals - lions and elephants. There is a stupa and one can notice some interesting carvings inside the caves. The inner frontage has the sun window, ornamental arcades and sculptures, marks the culmination of the Himalaya type of Chaitya Hall. The figures of Buddha carved in relief belong to the later mahayana phase. The hall is divided into a nave and tow aisles by two rows of pillars. Inside the cave are carved a number of inscription records in Brahmi characters giving the names of donors who contributed for the excavation of this cave.

Ekveera Mata Prashannav:

Some space outside is occupied by a temple dedicated to the goddess Ekveera, where villagers and many visitors worship daily. It seems like during festive season, it attracts quite a crowd, handled in a big queue.

One can visit Karla and Bhaja Caves in a single day. In splendor these caves can be compared to Ajanta and Ellora caves but are much less popular – thus visit here is pleasant due to less crowds specially during monsoon.

Chasing the monsoon...

Other caves to visit in Maharashtra:

Worldwide famous Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad - Daulatabad
Monsoon visit to Bhaja Caves near Bhaje Village 
Lenyadri Caves near Junnar - one of the Ashtavinayak Ganpati

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Jadhavgadh Fort - An unique experience at Heritage place near Pune

Looking for a place near Pune to spend a day or two, go for Jadhavgadh Fort - the only Fort Heritage Hotel in Maharashtra. Located 1km off Hadapsar- Saswad road, Fort Jadhavgadh stands upright with walls, gate and decor depicting royality. The management of resort have planned different packages very carefully to attract maximum footfall. One day package includes Lunch/Dinner with audio-guided tour of the Fort and the museum and extended overnight stay can be for as many days you may wish. It is not only a fort, but a family resort near Pune and Mumbai.
Address: Jadhavgadh Fort, Hadapsar Saswad Road, Jadhavwadi, Pune, Maharashtra 412301

From Magarpatta, we headed towards Hadapsar-Saswad highway and after a drive for approx 40 mins, we could see sign boards for way to Jadhavgadh Heritage Fort. To maintain the authenticity and non commercialization of the surrounding area, the route diverted from main highway is not constructed properly :P After covering the broken road we finally reached our destination and at the first look of it, all of us were awestruck with the beauty of the place. They offer Valet parking and the Guard/darban was dressed no less than a Royal Darban. We were welcomed by the authentic musicians who played trumpet along with Nagada, trust me it was just awesome and is to be experienced. This welcome is for all, irrespective of the fact, that whether you are there for a day tour or for a long stay.

Due to lack of time, we had opted for day tour and dinner. The audio-guided tour takes you approx 40-45 mins if you are really serious to know about facts; but we wanted to take a feel of every nook and corner of the fort and hence we took approx 2.5 hours to cover the place. 'Photography is also important' and hence the delay. The tour explains each point in short in your preferred language - Hindi/English/Marathi. We took audio tour which is quite well managed covering all the points at fort in order.

Photo Gallery
Elephant's dinner plate
Jarokha
Dungeons and Tunnels
Gate & Walls
Kund-Pool
Garden View & Layer-Royal Garden
Ganesh Temple
Tamarind Tree
Quarry
Organic Garden
Payatha Restaurant

Experience of temperature controlled swimming floor on the top is just amazing with two trees. This was the place where we spent around 30 minutes and had few beautiful photographs. The place has well manicured lawns where people relax and play. There are also few outdoor/indoor games equipment, bikes, archery, rifle shooting etc to keep engage all the times throughout your stay. If one is having issue while walking, avoid this place as they don't have lift and stairs are quite high in the fort. The open space is full of greenery and has quite a few activities arranged, like basket ball, swings, garden for kids, huge space for children to run & play, a very old temple, museum.

Aai Museum: Museum gives a sense of development of civilization and how things would have evolved basis the necessities. This place covers most of the points as per audio tour. No photography is allowed inside, but it talks about Pilaji Rao and many things to display across three floors. The objects were like: Pagdipat, Paandaan, Chillums and Hookahs, Objects of Beauty, Food Processor, Transport, Parshuram, Pichkari, Temple doors, Gun powder flasks, Locks. At the top of museum roof, views are amazing specially in the evening.

The fort has suites, different grade rooms, royal tents and neem cottages which are spread across the three wings of fort. Room types include - Maharaja Suite, Maharani Suite, Museum Suite, Premium Hill view room, Premium Rain Shower Room, Deluxe room. The interiors are a mix of old world charm and contemporary luxuries. Many celebrities too visit this fort at different occasions. This fort is also used for photo shoot, Pre-Wedding shoot or other commercial photo shoots.

We had our royal dinner. During dinner as well, staff gave open air table for 8 of us as requested. Excellent food and choices in buffet! Fort Jadhavgadh's roof top restaurant came alive with 'Ghazal Night' that night. The place is great to celebrate anniversary, birthdays, royal wedding, valentines, special days and events. It was a great royal experience including audio tour of the fort and grand dinner with friends. Hope to plan our one night stay at Jadhavgadh soon.

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Mountain of Jewels - Ratnagiri

Quote of the Post: "A paradise that offers numerous sightseeing options which are mix of natural beauty, beaches, art, cultures, and history in Konkan." - Quote about 'Ratnagiri' in Konkan, Maharashtra - Sachin Kumar Gupta

In our endeavor to explore the coastal belt of Arabian Sea, we traveled Mumbai - Alibag - Kashid - Murud - Shrivardhan - Harihareshwar - Harnai - Dapoli, and now was the time to move to the next destination:

Velneshwar - Jaigad - Ganpatipule - Ratnagiri. 

While coming from Pune, we first reached Ratnagiri, which is in between Raigad and Sindhudurg district. This region is considered to be one of best region in Konkan. Ratnagiri is well connected by road and railways, and also has a small sea port. It is highly recommended to follow below path to enjoy most amazing sea-side views of Konkan.

Ratnagiri - Konkan Map

You can explore the landscape, art, culture and history of this magnificent land. Ratnagiri is well known for its natural beauty, and there are many places to visit in and near Ratnagiri that attracts visitors, Some prime attaractions in Ratnagiri:

Velas Beach

Bhatye Beach: For Indian Chat Lovers.

Madavi beach: This is a black sand beach. 

Thiba (Thibaw) Palace:

Ratnagiri has a palace named Thiba, where the last king and queen of Burma (Myanmar) stay in exile. This palace has their tombs and now converted into a regional museum. We were fortunate to reach the place during their Annual 3-day festival, which had series of events including Art Exhibitions, Cultural Performances by well-known celebrities and local students. I must mention, every piece of art work exhibited here was a masterpiece in itself and we were surprised to know that these were painted by students from Class V to X. The very next day, event was around the flute performance by Pandit HariPrasad Chourasia. There is scenic Thibaw Point, where you can enjoy Sunset, But I will recommend to watch sunset at Aare beach. [See image below] 

Some of the famous Indians were born in Ratnagiri. One of them is Lokmanya Tilak, an active leader in India's freedom movement. We also get the chance to visit Lokmanya (Bal Gangadhar) Tilak Smarak, and his birthplace. The house has been preserved as it is. After a long time we walked barefoot on the cowdung smeared natural flooring. Some of his personal belongings are also on display within the museum. It is sad that, many localites don't even know this place, though it's at the heart of the town. 

Ratna Durga Fort: Ratnadurga is the primary attraction of Ratnagiri apart from the beaches. The fort has the shape of a horseshoe, with a length of 1.3 KM and a width of 1 KM; with its walls standing against the vast sea on three sides, fourth being connected to land. The place is a treat to photographers, every step forward shows a different, unique, soothing and a wonderful view. We spent about an hour here, and viewed all four sides of this fort from its circumference. On one of the sea-facing sides, part of the cliff has collapsed which leads to a cave. One of the fort's bastions, the 'Siddha Buruj', still has a lighthouse. A picturesque temple of The Goddess Bhagwati is one of the important places of worship in the area of the fort. A well near the temple has steps leading down. One small temple of Hanumanji is at the entrance of the fort. After crossing the first entrance gate there is a door with ancient structure. We have to cross both of these gates while coming from the city of Ratnagiri. From the door itself we could view the entire area of the fort. At the upper fort, on the left hand side we have one Lord Ganesh deity and a deity of Hanumanji on right side. In front of this there is a beautiful temple of Goddess Bhagawati. Due to this Goddess, the fort is also named as “Bhagawati Durga”. Many localities visit this place frequently, and named it as "Bhagwati Killa". Some of the photos of this post could have been greener, had it been the monsoon season.

Nivali Waterfall: This can only be seen during monsoon season. Good luck next time. It is located between the beautiful valleys of Nivali ghats.

Jaigad: Jaigad fort is located on a cliff at the entrance of the Sangameshwar river. We couldn't visit this place, but we had Jaigad - Tasval Ferry Boat to reach Velneshwar. The jetty offers a short trip and splendid views of the sea. At some places, you may feel like you are in Kerala.

Aare Ware Beach:

The views across seaside is amazing, and you will love the drive following the sea all the times. This route is highly recommended. Seaside Ratnagiri - Ganpatipule route passes through the twin beaches of Aare and Waare and the Aare sunset point. It is the best place to enjoy splendid sunsets, pulsating palms and wonderful waves in Ratnagiri ranges. We followed the same majestic views alongwith sunset at Aare, and reached Ganpatipule. Many celebrities own land properties near to this beach. Certainly this beach will be a star attraction for tourist in near future.

Adventurous travelers, holiday makers and nature lovers are drawn to this beautiful paradise. Ratnagiri district is a paradise in India.

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Kashid and Murud Janjira Fort

After a long time, Our team finalized to enjoy a weekend. (Some couldn't come at the eleventh hour due to their personal reasons), but we managed to execute our plan successfully. Thanks to Shaju and all enthusiastic people for travel like me.

We decided to go to Kashid Beach and Murud Janjira Fort and prepare the plan one day back. We started early in the morning approx 6 a.m. Murud Janjira is approx 200 KM away from Pune. We followed via Mumbai Pune Expressway - Khopoli - Pen - Alibaug - Kashid - Murud. Our first stop was the breakfast point at Mumbai Pune expressway, where we have a little breakfast, which two of us (including me) puked out near Alibaug. After that, we reached Kashid beach as per our execution plan.

Kashid is a small place but attracts the people residing in Mumbai, Pune and nearby regions for weekend vacations. Kashid is famous for its white sand, blue seas, green mountains (greener during monsoon), rivulets (small river) and paddy fields. We enjoyed some time under the sun, have the horse-cart ride near the sea. Having one friend (Zabi) knowing Marathi was beneficial throughout our tour.

Some of us scrabble their names in the sand with effects :) After that we move forward to Murud area, that is approx 20 KM away, which have good hotels and has many good places for sea food lovers in this region. We have our lunch there, that was satisfying. In the way, We viewd (Kasa Fort and Murud Janjira Fort). The view covering the beach and the fort in the sea is eye catching. Janjira fort was our next spot.

Murud Janjira Fort: It is beautifully constructed in the sea (not beautiful now as most of the area is converted to ruins), but still it is worth to watch. The name may have derived from the Arabic word Jazeera (meaning 'an island'). Some people also named it as "JAL JEERA" (Fort in the water). You have to go through sail-boats to reach this fort. I wouldn't be inking more about the history of this fort.

We reached here when the sun was just above our head. This was the most hilarious part of the day, when we were boating towards the fort from the beach, as the high tides bring water three times inside the boat. You can see the thrill behind the specs of Shaju, Anjali and Shweta holding their nerve and the tightly hands being almost at the end of the boat.

The entrace is not visible till the time you reach in front of the entry stairs of this fort. While being on the boat, it reminds the song "Ye Jo Desh Hai Mera" from SRK acted "Swadesh". I captured some video with this song in its background. The sailer sails the boat technically using the wind direction and boat-curtain applying boat balance at the same time.

The entrance fee is 20 INR (Including to and fro ferry ride). The guide fee is 30 INR (per person.. also depends on, How many people are in your group to get the discount) Though they wouldn't narrate much, but the benefit you will get with them is to cover most of the part within that time span. They also said, If you are not in the same returning boat (or missed that), you have to give them 800 INR to get on the other boat.

Other than that, the fort has 4 mosques and 1 temple in it. At the middle of the fort, there is sweet water (I would say soft water) that is strange in itself as the fort is build in the sea area [No need to mention sea water being salty]. The guide told us that there is an underground natural spring (Water fountain) below the sea level.

From the top of the fort, You can see every part of the fort. At this point, wind keep on chatting with you, but you will like it even being it hot. From this fort, you can watch another fort (Padamdurg Fort, now known as Kasa Fort), that is not accessible to general public and requires special permission from the Navy.

In the rainy season, The fort remains close (mainly June-Sep mid), as the sea level increases, and there are much higher tides. Again we returned to the Kashid beach to have some sea-sports and enjoyed till the sunset. For the time being we have a cup of tea and relaxed here.

During our return, We play Antaksari (All language songs singing) throughout. Thanks to all - Zabi, Shaju, Anjali and Shweta who made this weekend trip more enjoyable. [Missing other team-mates who couldn't manage to make this somehow]

Wanna to have a look to another Fort nearby Pune-Mumbai "The Lion Fort"
Enjoy the nearby places and beaches at Alibaag.

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Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga near Bhorgiri MH

Quote of the Post: "Bhimashankar is definitely God's unique creation worth visiting for jungle lovers, trekkers as well as devotees." - Quote about 'Bhimashankar Maharashtra' - Sachin Kumar Gupta 

Bhimashankar is a wildlife sanctuary. In the heart of this is Bhimashankar temple (Bhimashankar Shiv Mandir) which is one of the 12 Jyotirlings of India. This temple is very famous in Pune and people from all around the world come to visit this temple. Many devotees visit this place almost every year. This was my second visit here and the serenity and spirituality remained intact. It is overcrowded on weekends and Mondays of Shravan month. My last visit was during weekend, however couldn't visit the main temple due to long queue. Still with an awesome weather, we enjoyed the place with Meenal, Anmol and Anshul. 

This time, i.e. during my second visit, we visited on Tuesday to get sometime inside the temple and ample time to visit the main Jyotirling place. The condition of the road is good and best time to visit is during monsoon (July - Sep). Though any time of the year is good to visit Bhimashankar. With clouds touching your feet and scenic views all over, it's a delight to visit this place. Bhimashankar Temple, located in the village of Bhorgiri. It is approx 3-4 hours drive from pune (130 KM) and 4-5 hours from Kalyan, Mumbai (180 KM) and 5-6 hours from Nashik (210 KM). 

Don't forget to carry an umbrella and also some good anti-skid footwear. It really gets very slippery while climbing up and down the steps. Ghats are really good for trekking and road-trip. You will also get colorful bodycover polysheets in monsoon (20-30 INR per sheet). One drawback is the temple is overcrowded and a lot of mismanagement happens for parking on weekend and Sravan month Mondays. You may also have to walk 1-2 km on the roads from parking during peak timings. Once you reach main entry point named and tagged as 'Shree Kshetra Jai Bhimashankar', you'll have to step down nearly 300+ steps to reach main temple. But steps are well built so that nobody have any difficulty in walking through the steps. For the old age and sick peoples there are some arrangements of palki with reasonable rates.  

The temple has the Nagara style architecture, however one cant capture it in lens as Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple. Don't forget to see a giant 17th Century bell inside the temple. We were also happy to see two Nandi closely. You can also have waterproof cam specially if visiting during monsoon. It is also the origin place of river Bhima. At times during monsoon, visibility becomes almost zero with fog all around. It is the beauty of the place, which makes you feel so heavenly. We enjoyed rain and fog the whole time during both our visits.  

Three worship services are offered every day. Mahashivratri is a season of great festivity here. Temple schedule is as follows:

04:30 AM Kakada Aarti

05:00 AM Nijarup Darshan

05:30 AM Regular Pooja,Abhishek starts

12:00 PM Naivedya Pooja (No Abhishek inside)

12:30 PM Regular Pooja,Abhishek starts

03:00 PM Madhyan Aarti (No Darshan for 45min)

04:00 PM to 9.30 PM Shringar darshan (No Abhishek inside)

07:30 PM Aarti

09:30 PM Mandir Closed

Note: Except Monday, Pradosh, Shravan Mass, Mahashivratri - Present Abhisheka (Abhishek inside temple ) till 2.00 PM.

On Monday, Pradosh, Shravan Mass, Mahashivratri - Present Abhisheka (Abhishek inside temple ) till 6.00 PM

Once you are out of the temple after visit the jyotirling, you can also hike towards the hills behind the temple, where we took a short trip during our first visit. We found streams of natural falls that wipe away journey's fatigue. Places that can be visited in are Hanuman Lake, Gupt Bhimashankar, Origin of River Bhima, Nag Phani, Bombay Point, Sakshi Vinayak and a lot more. The picturesque beauty of the place cannot be captured with mix of rain, fog & mist weather, and done justice using a camera for sure. During stair-way, there are many vendors selling yummy crispy hot vada pav, corns, fresh sweets and other snacks. We had lunch at Natraj Restaurant, which had good quality food with decent price. (The place is 10 KM away from Bhimashankar temple)

The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Vaidyanath near Parli Dist Beed, Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Grishneshwar near Aurangabad and Aundha Nagnath Temple in Hingoli. One day visit to Bhimashankar clubbing one of the places nearby and during monsoon to explore nature at it's best. 

Recommendation: You can also visit Lenyadri caves at Junnar or Ozar Astivinayak temples or Shivneri fort and come back by Narayangaon Nasik Pune highway.

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