Karjat

Karjat Hill Station –Interaction With Nature at its Best

On the outskirts of Mumbai, lies a beautiful nature’s bounty filled abundantly with rivers, greenery and hills. Known for its serenity and large number of waterfalls, Karjat is wonderful getaway destination for the stressful weary city dwellers.

Karjat is situated in a highly mountainous region which spans over the colossal Bhor Ghat, Western Ghats and the Sahyadri Ranges. It also subsumes the coastal plains of the Deccan Konkan region and lies on the bank of dynamic Ulhas River. It is an amazingly picturesque destination which looks astoundingly beautiful in monsoons with abundant greenery and numerous waterfalls on virtually every hill of the region, constituting to form various streams and rivers. Of late, Karjat has managed to gain immense popularity because of Nitin Desai Film Studio where a lot of Bollywood movies are shot.

History

The Kondana caves in Karjat are a group of 16 ancient Buddhist caves that were excavated in 1st century BC. These caves were used by Buddhist Monks to stay during the months of monsoon. These caves subsume stupas, viharas, chaityas and Buddhist sculptures.

Tourist Attractions in Karjat

The scenic natural vistas, ancient forts and rock-cut cave temples make Karjat extremely popular with trekkers and people looking for a tranquil getaway from city’s hustle & bustle. Its scenic splendor attracts several people on weekends, and people can choose from a number of activities they can do in this small township.

Adventure sports are among the most famous tourist attractions in Karjat and people can indulge into a variety of adventure sports including waterfall climbing, trekking, river rafting and rappelling in the Ulhas River. Morbe dam located at a distance of about 10 Kms from Karjat is a nice place to enjoy a picnic and boating.

Karjat is an extremely famous trekking destination and is also the starting point for various treks heading towards mountain ranges of Sahyadri. The three most popular treks include Peth Fort Trek, Matheran Trek through Rambagh Point and Chanderi Fort trek.

The tourists seeking adventure must consider monsoon season for visiting Karjat, as in this season one can do white water rafting in the upper sections of Ulhas River. Kondana Village, located at a distance of about 15 Kms from Karjat is the starting point for various adventure sports activities.

The other places worth visiting are Bhor Ghat, Ulhas Valley, Peth Fort and Kondana Caves.

Hotels

Karjat has many hotels suiting every budget type. But, as Karjat is a busy hill station, especially in monsoons, advance booking a hotel and guest house is a good idea. There are many hotels and holiday resorts that not only offer you stay during your holiday but also offer complete holiday packages including trips to all the scenic places in Karjat along with adventure sports.

Where to Eat

Karjat is a famous hill station, thus, there are several good places to eat. There are many restaurants in Karjat that serve multi-cuisine food apart from conventional Maharashtrian food. One of the specialties of Karjat is its Vada Pav. So, when you are in Karjat, this potato snack is worth trying.

Weather and Best Time to Visit

Though, Karjat has a pleasant weather all the year round, monsoons are the perfect time to visit the place. During monsoon from June – September, almost every hill in the region gets a waterfall of its own and in the scenic greenery these waterfalls look astounding.

Winters are also good time to visit the place, and to take on the adventure sports activities.

How to Reach

Karjat is quite near to Mumbai, thus, if you want to visit this hill station, it is advisable to reach either Mumbai or Pune and then head towards Karjat.

By Air

The nearest airport is located in Mumbai at a distance of about 90 Kms.

By Rail

The nearest rail link is Karjat itself. It has a vast railway station and to board a train for Karjat, Mumbai Kalyan railway station is the right place, as from here there are numerous trains till Karjat.

By Road

Karjat bus station is well connected to nearby cities and town through a network of state buses. You can also board Volvo buses from Pune, Nashik and Mumbai to Karjat.

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