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The hills of Panchgani is about sixteen km from another popular hill station
of Maharashtra namely, Mahabaleshwar. Situated in the Western Ghats Panchgani is
close to important cities like Mumbai and Pune. Only sixteen kms from
Mahabaleshwar, the hillstation of Panchgani is lesser known to tourists but no
less inviting. Swoops around bends with abandon, offering heart stopping views
of the river krishna on one side & the coastal plains on the other. Once
strongly recommended for consumptive Britishers, the air here is rich in oxygen
content and the water is said to contain traces of hemoglobin boosting
iron.Panchgani is the quintessential hill station, with the Raj stamped
indelibly all over it. It can be seen in the old architecture of the old British
buildings, the parsi houses, & the boarding schools that have been for a century
or more. A key geographical feature is the table topped plateau (panch = five,
gani=plateaus) shaped by flattened volcanic rock.
In the evenings it turns into a makeshift fair with ferris wheels, pony rides
and a variety of food stalls.Panchgani is often referred to as the 'Mecca of
Maharashtra' If you want to enjoy the beauty of the hill Station Panchgani you
may go for a pony ride. The ride through the hamlets, farms and ravines with the
gorgeous greens and the ravishing river Krishna of Panchgani will surely enchant
you.
Around Panchgani :
Sydney Point is situated on a small Hillock facing the Krishna Valley.
Similarly Pandav-Ghat and Mandharodeo can been seen on the western side the Dhom
Dam with its lake is visible. The other important points to visit are Kanga
point and Kachhabavdi point.
Panchgani is also an ideal base for some good trekking from where one can
explore several mule tracks that lead through the now thinning forests. It is
also famous for old British Buildings, the Parsi houses and the boarding schools
that have been around for a century or more.
In Panchgani there are so many old British buildings and Parsi houses though
the most famous are the educational institutes. There are as many as twenty
boarding schools in Panchgani.
Panchgani with its pristine natural beauty and rejuvenating oxygen levels boats
of a TB Sanatorium. Patients are known to get better faster at Panchgani owing
to the pure environs offered at Panchgani.
Getting there :
By Air : The airport at Pune is nearest to Panchgani at a distance of
98km.
By Train : Pune is the most conventent railway station.
By Road : Panchgani is just 18-km from Mahabaleshwar. Panchgani can be
easily approached by road from Mumbai and Pune. Luxury bus services of MTDC are
a regular feature from Mumbai and Pune.
General Information :
Climate : Panchgani is a pleasant hill resort that does not experience
major temperature variations. Though the monsoons are rather heavy. The
temperature ranges between sixteen and thirty-five degrees throughout the year.
The months from September to May are the best time to visit Panchgani.
Best time to visit :October to May is the best time to visit.
Languages : Marathi, Hindi and English. |
