[MX6]

That's Pavana lake? I thought it was Mulshi. Dam(n). In the rains everything looks the same. So it's not hanuman who brought it, it's Varuna who made this illusion. Wait for more photos to unfold.

And yes, the stupid toll gate is hardly 5 - 10 mins from Chandni chowk. It started drizzling from there. But the heavy rains hit near Pavana then as you say.

Also I noticed Tata powers boards around. So Tata power is at Pavana also is it?

And finally AP, Are you looking at my photos or at Vikrant's when you commented about Pavana?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by MX6

.But the heavy rains hit near Pavana then as you say.

Also I noticed Tata powers boards around. So Tata power is at Pavana also is it?

pavana!!!!?

man, you went to mulashi.

Mulashi dam belongs to TATA group.
The water from that lake is taken through huge pipes to bhira hydro project at the base of sahyadri on vile-pali route. You can get glimpse of those pipes after plus valley.

First, i looked at mulashi pics, then immediately saw next post with pavana pics.
Recognized the tikona fort and got confused with tikona at mulashi.
Did not realized that those pics are posted by vikrant.

[Abhay]

[quote=ASHISHPALLOD;1999090]

I see a fort in your picture. Tikona fort.

Tikona yep.
It has an amazing view from the top of the whole Pavana backwaters and the majestic looking Tung and Lohgad+Visapur on the other side.

[MX6]

Thank god for the clarification AP. For a moment, I thought I again found a new place/ route thanks to my navigator


I was pretty sure that I went through chandni chowk, pirangut, mulshi, tamhini. Then I see the comment about pavana!

With my navigator one can never be sure. Anyway, this time I also decided to ask when in doubt. But who in this kind of rains?

The rains continue.

Look at the high and mighty falls? Also do you notice the red spot on the windshield. That's my warning lights in action when I pull over to the side to take photos!


Who says needs SLRs to make waterfalls look like milk flowing?


Now this is a deadly combo. Rains pelting hard and fog descending too.


But the roads are still inviting. Mulshi to Tamhini was a glorious drive.


With the fog setting in and the rains, visibility was reduced to bare minimum.


But still, nature was in all its glory. Every turn in the road gave us a great view.


Finally some life on the road. A cowherd tending to his stock!


Another pitstop for a photoshoot. How many t-bhp stickers can one see?


Ok. Ok. Forget my car. How many waterfalls can one see?


Finally a board. Guess it's welcome to Raigad district or something like that. Finally I'm going to climb down the ghats!



And yes, we did stop at Mulshi to have breakfast. The tea was brilliant in this weather. My wife had Poha. I had my breakfast at 5 at home. So just had tea. My daughter was busy chasing sparrows in the restaurant.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by MX6

Attachment 394819

@mx6,

your last post,

second last pic,

same location, same spot, pic taken by me on 5th july 2009.

[MX6]

Yeah AP. Nice place for a photoshoot. See the difference in our pics. Rains during my visit!

Another of those falls. Now I'm entering Tamhini ghat territory. Time for more photoshots.


My warrior basking near the falls. Can anyone believe this guy has done over 30K kms in just 1 year?


The buggers who stopped here earlier had dumped plastic again. I get so irritated seeing plastic cups, bottles etc strewn around. I was also surprised to see VRL vehicle coming down this route!


Down the tamhini ghats, one is exposed to a profusion of falls.


Innumerous. Water water everywhere. I wanted to stop at each falls.


Twisting down the ghats, it was falls all around.


Was greeted by beautiful roads in the ghat section. But then from the foot of the hills to nizampur was bad stretch. Had a quick stop at nizampur. Lunch time for my baby.

Roads from Nizampur to Mangaon was laid for MIDC. They were exciting too.


And with the rains, everything looked so pristine.


I was just wondering where is all this water going? It's rained a lot.


And then I see this. Didn't know where the road ended and the rivulet began. Was frightening. Stopped for a couple of minutes deliberating whether to drive through or not. Ok. Keep right, because the road is still visible on the right. Pray that the other end is not washed away.


I managed to cross that in my second gear at speeds like 10 kph. Had a sense of slight fear till my front wheels pulled out from water. I had also switched off the a/c and rolled down the windows a bit.
Once out of this bridge, I continued in 3rd gear for a while. Didn't turn on a/c. Don't want water on some wire to short anything. Not sure whether that could happen! Just keep driving for a while and don't do anything silly.

[KRRaj]

Amazing scenery MX6. Driving in the rain is always lovely and coupled with the lovely scenery, it is indeed drivers' paradise. How many waterfalls?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by MX6

Yeah AP. Nice place for a photoshoot.
Attachment 394891

Attachment 394893

Find similarities between your last post's pic no 2 and 4 with mine pics.

[schitre05]

@ MX6
that last pic really looks scary.
otherwise fantastic greenery all around with milky white waterfalls simply awesome!!
please continue
cheers!!

[StarVegabond]

Hi MX6,

Your rain drive pictures are simply great. It appears that mother nature has worn a green dress with white duppatta.

It is really a fun to drive during rains towards villages / nature, stop in between at a tea stall, eat garam-a-garam vadapav or spicy misal pav,
sip the hot tea holding the cup using both hands, while waching the rains pour down and water streams flowing on the roads.

you seems to be enjoying one great life living in Pune. thanks for sharing a glimpses of it with us...

...just clicked on 5 star rating.

[MX6]

Thanks KRRaj.

I was amazed at one thing. The surroundings were so great that my daughter who woke up at 7 didn't sleep till 2 pm! She was very happy seeing things around. Normally she sleeps till 9:30 am. Then is wide awake till 2:30. This time she woke at 5, slept at 6, woke again at 7 and when she saw the scenery and the rains, she was awake the whole trip.

This is where I broke my first law of safety for the first time! Normally she sits in her child seat that's clamped to the seat using seat belts. We removed her and my wife held her on the lap and put the seat belt around them. I was afraid that if the car gets swept away in a swollen river, how quickly can I open the door against the pressure of a river, swim in, remove the seat belt, pull the car seat out and remove my child from there?
Crazy!
Anyway the whole trip I barely crossed 60 kph (from pune to harihareshwar), so we pulled her out and my wife held her in that journey.

We soon came across another swollen river. This looked more menacing that the other one. I saw a biker come from the opposite direction and his full front wheel was immersed. Now my mind is caught in complete trepidation. Do I cross or do I wait?


We saw people wading through and I realised the water is flowing atleast 20 cms above mean bridge level! There's one spot on the bridge where pedestrians and bikers could go through with not much issues. But what about my car. I'll wait. Sooner or later a local guy with a 4 wheeler would come this way. And I saw an omni guy who wanted to cross. He was being regulated by the local public who were standing on the bridge, just to tell people which way to steer.


Then I followed suit and realised that water was almost till my headlights! It has got the omni's bumper at the deepest point. Anyway, thanks to the good samaritans, I managed to get across and again, did the same thing. Lowered my windows a bit, turned off a/c, kept to 2nd gear and crossed very slowly. I could feel the pressure of water on my vehicle. Thank god I got across. Thank those good people as well.

Yet another river. Barely inches below the bridge. Photos don't tell how hard they were flowing.


Just a momentary stop on that bridge to grab another snap of the river. I was tempted to sit at the edge and hang my feet in water.


Farmers braving the incessant rain, wearing colourful plastic as rain coats!


And finally the battering reduced. When it came to a drizzle after crossing Mangaon, we had some delectable greens visible.


Mangaon to Mhasala was again good roads. Winding around and some ghats.


But the climb was slightly steep that I had to pull down to 2nd gear.


I was beginning to miss the waterfalls of Tamhini, which was replaced by the bright green of Konkan!


And it's still raining.


Now this is where the choo chas begin. But I'll post some more photos of the wet world of konkan as the story unfolds.

[Damu]

Originally Posted by MX6

...
My warrior basking near the falls. Can anyone believe this guy has done over 30K kms in just 1 year?

Yes, MX6, I can. Following your T/Ls I can believe that easily!

Originally Posted by MX6

And then I see this. Didn't know where the road ended and the rivulet began. Was frightening...
I managed to cross that in my second gear at speeds like 10 kph. Had a sense of slight fear till my front wheels pulled out from water.

I wonder your wife actually encourages you in all this adventure! Hats off to her.

Great drive; can experience the rain even through the pictures.

[sami316]

Hi MX6,
Just saw the pics of your warrior near the waterfall. AMAZING. The lush greenery really has an effect on all of us I believe. Yet to check out this TL. Maybe will go through this in one stretch this weekend.

[paragsachania]

MS, truly amazed that the adventurous trip you took and the complementing photographs. I loved them all with such lush greenery and the waterfalls.

imgp4757 with the road submerged in water only reminds me of the Hubli-Dharwad bypass I took during incessant rains last year which had daunted my courage momentarily since I was doing it all alone. I was in a similar situation thinking whether to drive further or take the route through the city, looked at the oncoming trucks, measured the probably dept and continued in 1st gear and kept praying. Water levels almost reaching the Indicator on the fender.

I am also amazed that you have a very supportive partner who is part of your trips with your little angel. I think thats the best part when you think of doing a trip and don't have to bother about finding a suitable company.

The same is the case with my wife as well and its just that my daughter is now 5 months old and my adventures will begin in about 5 months from now where I do Intend to explore Maharatshtra, especially the Sahyadris and the Konkan when I will sure bother you. She was a bit hesitant with the Pune trip while she was just 3 months old and you know the story.

for these priceless captures of the monsoon waters!

[LongDrive lover]

MX6=The Rain man at its best !! What else one would say after seeing those beautiful rain pics.. MX boss, with such pics and 'live-like' commentary, you would soon create a 'rain-mania' on this forum! . OK ok rain drives added to my favorite's list. Keep them coming.