By the time I wrestle my bags
on to the overhead luggage rack and settle down into my seat, the train is
already speeding through the northeastern suburbs of Mumbai. Soon it is passing
through Thane station, outside the city limits. Known for its picturesque lakes
and tanks, Thane has its own special place in the annals of railway history. The
first railway line in India was laid between Mumbai and Thane (then called
Tanna), way back in 1854.
After Thane station comes the panoramic vista of the Thane creek, followed by a long tunnel through the mountain that separates Kalwa and Mumbra. Although there are tunnels later in the Bhor Ghat section as well, I think this one is longer than any of them. Emerging from the tunnel, the train crosses the Mumbra creek and speeds through Diva Junction, where Konkan Railway trains turn off on their way south. Next we pass through the South Indian strongholds of Dombivli and Thakurli on our way to Kalyan Junction. This is an important station on the Central Railway from where Mumbai local trains going to Karjat and Kasara go their separate ways.
A
few minutes past Kalyan is Ambernath - this temple town is named after one of
the most important Shiva temples in Western India, which is situated nearby.
About a hour and a half out of Mumbai, we come to Karjat station. Situated on
the edge of the Bhor Ghat section of the route, Karjat is also the terminus for
local trains coming from Mumbai. It is also famous for its vada pav, that
staple dish of urban Maharashtra that can be breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner
depending on one's financial status. Purists assure me that the vada pav
of Karjat is the real thing and nothing you get on the streets of Mumbai and
Pune can match it.
The mountains of the Bhor Ghat are dotted with trees and shrubs all year round. But the rains really bring about a metamorphosis in their appearance. The dusty, dull greenery of the vegetation is transformed into a profusion of jade, emerald and other shades of green. The slopes are covered with wildflowers in various shades of yellow, pink and white. These look all the more beautiful when you look down from the British-built viaducts that still stand tall across the gullies and valleys.
After Thane station comes the panoramic vista of the Thane creek, followed by a long tunnel through the mountain that separates Kalwa and Mumbra. Although there are tunnels later in the Bhor Ghat section as well, I think this one is longer than any of them. Emerging from the tunnel, the train crosses the Mumbra creek and speeds through Diva Junction, where Konkan Railway trains turn off on their way south. Next we pass through the South Indian strongholds of Dombivli and Thakurli on our way to Kalyan Junction. This is an important station on the Central Railway from where Mumbai local trains going to Karjat and Kasara go their separate ways.
Mumbra creek
The mountains of the Bhor Ghat are dotted with trees and shrubs all year round. But the rains really bring about a metamorphosis in their appearance. The dusty, dull greenery of the vegetation is transformed into a profusion of jade, emerald and other shades of green. The slopes are covered with wildflowers in various shades of yellow, pink and white. These look all the more beautiful when you look down from the British-built viaducts that still stand tall across the gullies and valleys.
British-era Viaduct
Adding to the
natural beauty of the mountains is the strikingly magical effect of rainwater.
What in the summer months were merely bare rock faces are now lined with
cascading waterfalls. What just a few months ago were just rock-strewn valley
floors become streambeds where babbling brooks hurriedly make their way down to
the plains below.
The misty veils of cloud that hug the mountainsides occasionally descend into the valley as fog, giving an eerie touch to the landscape. Even as I write, the train is passing by a valley that has been transformed by the fog into a grayish-white river with green banks. In the mornings, this fog is even more beautiful and pure milky-white in colour. And if the mist is thin enough, the mountains across the valley with their necklaces of waterfalls and anklets of silver streams look even more beautiful.
Although there a few stops in the Ghat section such as Thakurwadi and
Monkey Hill (named after the innumerable simians that inhabit its densely wooded
slopes), the first real station after Karjat is Khandala. This pleasant,
relatively unpolluted hill station has recently been immortalized by Bollywood
superstar Aamir Khan in the song Aati Kya Khandala?.
Waterfall in Bhor Ghat section
Among railfans, Khandala is famous for the British-built reversing station that was almost totally destroyed to make way for the Mumbai Pune expressway and Old Highway realignment. The reversing station enabled trains to climb up the steep slope of the Ghat, without the need for the tunnels and banking engines that do the job nowadays.
Remains of Reversing Station
Five kilometers from
Khandala is Lonavla, which is slightly lower in altitude as well as easier on
the tourists' wallets. Lonavla is famous all over India for its chikki -
a sweet made of jaggery and peanuts (or cashew nuts or grated coconut).
From Lonavla, it's another hour or so to Pune. On the way are stations like Malavli, where you would alight to visit the famous Karla caves, and Dehu Road, where you get off for the temple town of Dehu. My train, however, speeds through these stations as well as through Vadgaon - scene of an important battle in Maratha history - and Kamshet, where the beautiful Indrayani river runs just past the platform. It doesn't stop either at Talegaon or the industrial centers of Chinchwad and Pimpri (the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation used to be the richest in Asia) or the army town of Khadki (the Khadakvasla lake and the National Defence Academy are located here).
Finally the train halts at Shivaji Nagar station. This is close to the heart of Pune City and is developing into a bustling center of business and commerce. Most people heading into Pune proper would alight here. I though, have to wait for another 5 minutes as the train crosses the Sangam Bridge on the river Mutha. It is named after the confluence of the Mutha and Mula rivers, just beyond the bridge.
Soon the train is pulling into its final destination - Pune junction. As I resign myself to another tiring week of hard labour at the office, I derive some satisfaction from the thought that someone will enjoy reading this little account of my journey. I hope you did.
From Lonavla, it's another hour or so to Pune. On the way are stations like Malavli, where you would alight to visit the famous Karla caves, and Dehu Road, where you get off for the temple town of Dehu. My train, however, speeds through these stations as well as through Vadgaon - scene of an important battle in Maratha history - and Kamshet, where the beautiful Indrayani river runs just past the platform. It doesn't stop either at Talegaon or the industrial centers of Chinchwad and Pimpri (the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation used to be the richest in Asia) or the army town of Khadki (the Khadakvasla lake and the National Defence Academy are located here).
Finally the train halts at Shivaji Nagar station. This is close to the heart of Pune City and is developing into a bustling center of business and commerce. Most people heading into Pune proper would alight here. I though, have to wait for another 5 minutes as the train crosses the Sangam Bridge on the river Mutha. It is named after the confluence of the Mutha and Mula rivers, just beyond the bridge.
Soon the train is pulling into its final destination - Pune junction. As I resign myself to another tiring week of hard labour at the office, I derive some satisfaction from the thought that someone will enjoy reading this little account of my journey. I hope you did.
