[longford]

Dear All,

Embarking on a temple trip this weekend covering the Kolhapur Mahalaxmi and Ashtavinayak temples. The travellers include mother, wife, daughter(7yrs) and driver (me). My current evolving schedule looks like this..

Thurs Navi Mumbai-Kolhapur
Fri(Mom's bday) - Kolhapur-Moregaon-Siddatek-Ranjangaon
Sat - Ranjangaon-Theur-Lenyadri-Ozar
Sun - Mahad-Pali-Navi Mumbai

I have browsed thru the earlier travelogues and Ashish Pallod's inputs also.

Request your inputs on the following:
1. Recommended budget places to stay in Kolhapur.. I picked up Pearl, Opal.. any others?
2. Recommended road routes - Not sure of the specific routes inside the astavinayak temple segments. Have plotted it in google maps and the image is enclosed. Suggestions on route and road conditions are most welcome.
3. Am not sure if I should halt at Ranjangaon or Theur. A colleague tells me that lodging options are better at Ranjangaon. Views please.
4. Clueless about day 3 stay over options.
5. Eating joints en route - suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx...1F93AEBF33!140

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by longford

Thurs Navi Mumbai-Kolhapur
Fri(Mom's bday) - Kolhapur-Moregaon-Siddatek-Ranjangaon
Sat - Ranjangaon-Theur-Lenyadri-Ozar
Sun - Mahad-Pali-Navi Mumbai

Request your inputs on the following:
1. Recommended budget places to stay in Kolhapur.. I picked up Pearl, Opal.. any others?
2. Recommended road routes - Not sure of the specific routes inside the astavinayak temple segments. Have plotted it in google maps and the image is enclosed. Suggestions on route and road conditions are most welcome.
3. Am not sure if I should halt at Ranjangaon or Theur. A colleague tells me that lodging options are better at Ranjangaon. Views please.
4. Clueless about day 3 stay over options.
5. Eating joints en route - suggestions.

I suggest

Thu---- navi mumbai-nh17-nagothane-pali-mahad-nh4-kolhapur.

fri------kolhapur-satara-vathar station-lonand-nira-morgaon-supe-choufula-theur-pune.

sat-----pune-nh9-patas-dound-siddhatek-ranjangon-shikrapur-chakan-manchar-bhimashankar

sun---bhimashankar-junnar-lenyadri-ozar-narayangaon-nh50-chakan-talegaon-nh4-mumbai.

This itinerary is not as per norm of starting ashtvinayak from morgaon but you can do pali and mahad while going back to mumbai.

Bhimashankar stay option '' Blue mormorn resort''.


If you want to start from morgaon,
then

thu
mumbai-kolhapur

fri
kolhapur-satara-vathar station-lonand-nira-morgaon-supe-choufula-nh9-patas-dound-sidhatek-dound-patas-nh9-theur-pune.

sat
pune-ranjangon-shikrapur-chakan-nh50-narayangon-ozar-lenyadri-junnar-bhimashankar.
stay either at junnar/lenyadri or bhimashankar.

sun
bhimashankar-manchar-nh50-chakan-talegaon-old nh4 till lonavala-eway upto khalapur toll-pali-mahad-mumbai.

[ghodlur]

@Longford

I would suggest the following

Leave Navi Mumbai in the afternoon and reach Kolhapur via Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore Highway in the night. For budget hotel in Kolhapur I would suggest Hotel Landmark close to ST Stand, I had stayed there and its very good. A suite for 4 would cost about 1200/- Landmark Hotel at Dabholkar Corner Station Road Kolhapur
Visit Mahalaxmi temple early in the morning and start Ashtavinayak. Visit Morgaon, Siddhatek and Theur. From Theur visit Ranjangaon. From Ranjangaon proceed to Ozhar via Chakan-Manchar-Narayangaon-Ozhar. From Ozhar go to Lenyadri. If reqd take a night halt here, Hotel Girija is good where I had recently stayed. From lenyadri proceed to Mahad via Narayangaon-Manchar-Chakan-Talegaon-Pune Eway-Khopoli. Either do Mahad first or Pali and visit the remaining Ganapati and proceed back to Navi Mumbai through E-way.
Hope this helps.

[nomadabhi]

Infact Blue Mormon is the only place to stay near (not at) Bhimashankar as it is 9Kms before the Temple.
The climate now is the perfect to visit the place. Resort is budget cheap and nicely maintained with good valley view.

[longford]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

I suggest

Thu---- navi mumbai-nh17-nagothane-pali-mahad-nh4-kolhapur.

fri------kolhapur-satara-vathar station-lonand-nira-morgaon-supe-choufula-theur-pune.

sat-----pune-nh9-patas-dound-siddhatek-ranjangon-shikrapur-chakan-manchar-bhimashankar

sun---bhimashankar-junnar-lenyadri-ozar-narayangaon-nh50-chakan-talegaon-nh4-mumbai.

This itinerary is not as per norm of starting ashtvinayak from morgaon but you can do pali and mahad while going back to mumbai.

Bhimashankar stay option '' Blue mormorn resort''.


If you want to start from morgaon,
then

thu
mumbai-kolhapur

fri
kolhapur-satara-vathar station-lonand-nira-morgaon-supe-choufula-nh9-patas-dound-sidhatek-dound-patas-nh9-theur-pune.

sat
pune-ranjangon-shikrapur-chakan-nh50-narayangon-ozar-lenyadri-junnar-bhimashankar.
stay either at junnar/lenyadri or bhimashankar.

sun
bhimashankar-manchar-nh50-chakan-talegaon-old nh4 till lonavala-eway upto khalapur toll-pali-mahad-mumbai.

Thank you very much for the clarifications n suggestions.
Planning to make a few small changes but not sure if i can pull it off.

Thu - Navi Mum-Panhala-Kolhapur ( Staying at Hotel Opal )
Fri - Kolhapur-Moregaon-Siddatek-Ranjangaon-Theur-Pune ( Plan Staying at Hotel Sapna)
Sat - Pune-Ozar-Lenyadri-Shivneri-Bhimashankar (Plan Stay at Blue Mormon)
Sun- Bhimashankar-Mahad-Pali-Navi Mumbai.

Got excited about touching two of Shivaji's forts and hence included them as they were pretty much en route.

Day 1 looks ok to me if I leave home by 8-9 am.
Day 2 looks crazy hectic and not sure if I will be able to achieve both Ranjangaon and Theur in the end. Crunching it because, Lenyadri will take time (mom climbing/ palki-500 bucks) and want to make it Bhimashankar by evening but with Shivneri included. Then relax.
Day 3 depends on Day 2. The Bhimashankar temple visit can get deferred to Day 4 if darkness falls.
Day 4 - Lazy morning and cruize drive back home touching Mahad and Pali and since it is a home run, ok with driving in late also.

If I miss Ranjangaon/Theur on Day 2 that puts additional time pressure on Day 3 and considering that the route from Junnar to Bhimashankar are the inside state roads, don't want to risk driving fast. Alternatively, the route via main highway to Macchar and then onto Bhimashankar also appeals but will drain more time for the longish route.

Also look forward to eatery recommendations and preferred petrol pumps along these routes.

[longford]

For Panhala on NH4, I take the right at the Vathar-Vadgaon Road intersection. Correct?

[deepaktpatil]

Ozhar also has good place to stay. Temple trust has a good guest house. You can call on 02132288440/02132288330 for availability. I think I had booked 2000 Rs AC room which was pretty good. I had started from Sangli in morning at 6:00 and had reached Ozhar in evening after completing Morgaon, Siddhtek, Theur, Ranjangaon in my Accent back in May. I was lucky as the crowd was very sparse except for Morgaon. So keep this option open.

[longford]

Thanks Deepak.. thats excellent news that you covered all these temples in one day!
Very encouraging and now hopeful of the day 2 itenary. Thanks a ton.

Added the Bhimashankar leg at the end, so that
a) Shivneri Fort can be visited
b) Bhimashankar Jyotirling and
c) Relax a bit at that resort.

Any suggestions on eating and fueling pit stops?
Good to see you doing it an accent. My kind of car.

[deepaktpatil]

Also check the directions mentioned in one of the other Ashta Vinayak threads ( I think it was by Ashish Pollad) for by passing Daund on the way to Siddhatek, you can easily save around 30 mins each way.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

As this is pilgrimage, i suggest

day 2

kolhapur-satara-lonand-nira-jejuri-morgaon-sidhhatek-theur-pune.

day3

pune-ranjangaon-ozar-lenyadri-shivneri-junnar[ stay at junnar or ozar], if you can push it, stay at bhimashankar. junnar-ghodegaon-bhimashankar direct route.

day4
bhimashankar-manchar-chakan-talegon-lonavala-pali-mahad-mumbai.

Day2, addition of jejuri temple not to be missed.

There is no byepass to daund while going to siddhatek.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

There is no byepass to daund while going to siddhatek.

Ashish Bhau,

There is a byepass to Daund while going to Siddhatek which is from Kurkumbh phata. Accidentally I had taken this route to reach Siddhatek and did not go through Daund at all. While coming from Siddhatek I took the route through Daund town to reach Patas and subsequently Pune-Solapur Highway at Patas phata.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

There is a byepass to Daund while going to Siddhatek which is from Kurkumbh phata. Accidentally I had taken this route to reach Siddhatek and did not go through Daund at all.

I don't know that such byepass exist.
At kurkumbh, while coming from pune, right goes to 12mati, straight goes to bhigwan/solapur, left goes to daund.
From where the byepass to siddhtek starts at kurkumbh?
hows road condition?

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

I don't know that such byepass exist.
At kurkumbh, while coming from pune, right goes to 12mati, straight goes to bhigwan/solapur, left goes to daund.
From where the byepass to siddhtek starts at kurkumbh?
hows road condition?

You are right. If you take left from Kurkumbh phata you are on the Daund Baramati road. I dont exactly remember the area (was it Boravkenagar or something) but there is a fork where one road goes straight and the left proceeds to Siddhatek. This road is actually the bypass road for some sugar factory and is in serious bad conditions in some stretches.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

You are right. If you take left from Kurkumbh phata you are on the Daund Baramati road. I dont exactly remember the area (was it Boravkenagar or something) but there is a fork where one road goes straight and the left proceeds to Siddhatek. This road is actually the bypass road for some sugar factory and is in serious bad conditions in some stretches.

Now, i am confused.

Edit:

Now i got it.

It dound sugar factory.
It seems that there is byepass to daund town.
Dound sugar factory is owned by political heavyweight from my city, so, offcourse, the byepass may be newly laid or repaired to carry sugarcane carts to the factory.
I will try this byepass in coming days.

I have edited this post deleting earlier matter.

[longford]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

As this is pilgrimage, i suggest

day 2

kolhapur-satara-lonand-nira-jejuri-morgaon-sidhhatek-theur-pune.

day3

pune-ranjangaon-ozar-lenyadri-shivneri-junnar[ stay at junnar or ozar], if you can push it, stay at bhimashankar. junnar-ghodegaon-bhimashankar direct route.

day4
bhimashankar-manchar-chakan-talegon-lonavala-pali-mahad-mumbai.

Day2, addition of jejuri temple not to be missed.

There is no byepass to daund while going to siddhatek.

Thanks Ashish for the Jejuri inclusion.

Was blissfully unaware and did not realize of the importance of this place. So, have included the same and the day 2 fight continues.

Still hoping to make it to bhimashankar on day 3 as planned. Would that route Junnar-Bhimashankar get very risky if dusk falls?

would love to hear your tips on eating points in pune and these places.