[silverado]

Ganapati Festival is celebrated with lot of energy and enthusiasm in Maharashtra.

This is the time to leave City life behind and get back to your roots, your native place.

This is the time NH17 is choc and bloc with traffic.
This is time i look forward very eagerly for a long drive.

So it was on 17th sept , day before Ganapati bappa comes home that we started for Dindawne.

This is a place which comes once you get down from Karul ( Gaganbawda ) ghat in Kolhapur district.

We were to be joined by my uncle in his brand new VENTO Tdi, which was chauffer driven.We met at Baner ( Pune ) and started our drive at exactly 8.45am on 17th Sept.

Myself, wife,mom and dad joined my uncle and aunt at Baner.
Dad shifted in Vento , and now we were 3 on board our Nano.
This was to be the pattern in entire journey.
This was the reason why we had no issues with our luggage.

Since we had elders on board, regular stops enroute were necessary.
Thus McD atter Khed Shivpur toll was our first brief halt after which we stopped for breakfast at Hotel Mahindra Executive in Satara.
They served us really tasty poha and upma and the best part was that this is bang on highway just 2 km before Satara.

Road conditions were good, but there are few bumpy sections till Satara.
It is after Satara that you can maintain high speeds (which in Nano's case was 90-100) easily.

I must admit, that after 80 you have to be attentive all the time since braking is not confidence inspiring in a Nano.

Deceleration required steady hand and proper inputs on pedal to ensure brakes do not lock.

Vento was driven at sedate pace for its standards ( 100-120 ) and hence Nano was always 5-10mins apart from Vento.

The most fun factor driving a Nano on such a highway was overtaking trucks.Due to short length it was fun to chuck it between gaps and the peppy motor made overtaking quite easy.

Excellent roads and low traffic ensured there were no surprises and i was able to drive Nano above 90kmph on most occasions after Satara.
Saw another Nano with 5 on board and a loaded roof carrier doing 80kmph on the same highway.

Thus Satara - Kolhapur was covered in 1 hour 40 minutes without a break.
We took lunch at Hotel Ayodhya which has good parking facilities and is easily accesible once you enter kolhapur city.I would recommend this hotel since it has good food and equally good service.

Lunch completed, it was time to refill for Nano.
Based on Tankfull to Tankfull calculations, average was 23kmpl.
Interior roads in Kolhapur leading to Rankala are cramped, but there were no traffic jams.

We were able to view many shops selling the famous Kolhapuri Chappals.
We started from Kolhapur at 2.30pm

After kolhapur we had 2 options to choose.
Sh 115 - Gaganbawda route was only 65kms ( This is the route we always take )
Sh 116 - Radhanagari - Dajipur - Phonda was 113 kms long.
We decided to go for Sh116 since we wanted to experience that road.
So it was at Rankala lake that we took left for Sh 116.

The start itself was horrible, nearly 1km road was Dug up and we were down to Crawl mode.Vento had to be driven carefully, while i was least bothered about Nano and was not bothered to dig its wheels deep.

Sh 116 is a beautifull road especially in rains , but the experience in marred by bad sections which are mixed with excellent sections.
Radhanagari is a small town and once past it sceneray changes with mighty hills in view.

But as a driver you are busy dodging the bad roads most of the times and that takes away the fun.On one of the sections you get to see Radhanagari Dam.The Dam looks much more beautifull once you go ahead and view it from Top.

Sh116 then joins Dajipur - Phonda road and road conditions get a little better.This road runs right through Dajipur Sanctuary and at times you get through Narrow and really dense vegetation.It gives you a tropical forest feel.This road is so narrow at times , it can only accomodate a ST bus comfortably.

There were few rusty signboards which tell that you are in Bison country.
Also saw a signage mentioning prescence of MTDC resort in Dajipur.

Ghat roads are poorly maintained , hence unless you have a SUV its not recommended to visit Dajipur from kolhapur side.Dajipur lake was now giving us company and it was a beautifull sight since it was right next to the road for some time.

Since we were getting late when we reached Dajipur , there was only one break, hence no pics from Dajipur/Radhanagari.
This break was at the Top of Phonda Ghat.

PHONDA GHAT







I was always very curious about this ghat, and had heard that this was a beautifull ghat to drive.It surely was, this section of 13kms ( Complete ghat section ) was well maintained and fun to drive.
Both sides of Ghat road are clearly marked with white paint and there are road signs in most places.I had fun driving a Nano, i cant imagine what it must be driving a punto/polo/figo in here.

We reached Phondaghat village and then took right for Vaibhavwadi.
Took a tea break at Vaibhavwadi and reached my village Dindawne at 6.45pm.

It took us 4 hours 15 mins for 113 kms, i hope roads get better next time.
Next 2 days were spent enjoying Ganapati festivities and visiting our relatives in nearby villages.

Road in my Village is very narrow and due to heavy rains was in poor condition.It was a nightmare in case there was a oncoming vehicle.
It was as large as a Fortuner at times.

Village parking lot which is at Dead end.



My village Dindawne is at the base of Karul/Gaganbawda Ghat.Its a small village of nearly 40 houses.From my house we can view the Gaganbawda top and there are hills from 3 sides since my house is in a valley.
Water is an issue here from March to June and apart from elderly people most people dont stay here.( Since they work elsewhere )















But village comes alive during festivals and we all make it a point to visit it as often as possible.

Its a scenary to behold in most villages in Konkan belt during rains.









There is a small stream which runs behind my house and we all have fun playing in it.Also my house has a huge terrace which is my fav place to sip tea while looking at mighty Gaganbawda top which is covered in fog on most occasions.



2 days went by like a blink and it was time to be back on road.
We started at 8am and Nano managed to climb Gaganbawda\Karul Ghat without engaging 1st gear even once with 3 on board.

At top it was photo shoot time









After a tea break,soon we were on the way to kolhapur via Sh 115.Road is in bad shape , hence it takes 2 hours 30 minutes to cover 65kms.

We had a sumptous royal breakfast at SHALINI PALACE near rankala.
It is here that i ate one of the best omlettes in my life, really loved it and the old world feel of shalini palace.











Back on road, we reached Satara in 2 hours this time, and then had lunch at Hotel Rajtara.

This is one of the best hotels in Satara and a must visit for lunch/dinner if you are in Satara.After this we bought ourseleves few packs of famous Kandi Pedha for which Satara is well know for.
After a hearty lunch, we headed towards KAAS.

Having experienced KAAS in full bloom in my first Team Bhp meet , this time was a different experience.With no fog or rain we were able to view the entire topology clearly.







At KAAS, being friday there were few vehicles and we had a quiet walk around violet flowers.It was windy and chilly at the top and first timers in my family loved that place.



Back on highway we had a quick tea break again at Hotel Mahindra executive.We reached Wakad ( pune ) at 8.30pm.

Nano served us well on this trip as well.
Only minor hiccup was AC blower has stopped working on speeds 1&2, and only runs on speed 3 now.

Apart from that Nano climbed Gaganbawda ghat merrily and handled everything that was thrown at it without any fuss.

Its time to give our Nano a complete wash in the nearby service centre.
Facts and Figures
--------------
860 Km
3 on board
Pune - Kolhapur - Radhanagari - Dajipur - Vaibhavwadi - Karul (Dindawane)
Dindawne - Gaganbawda - Kolhapur - Satara - Kaas - Satara - Pune
Fuel Cost = 1100 + 800 +500 + 800 = 3200
Toll = 70 + 50+ 62 + 62 = 294 *2 = 488rs
Average on Tankfull to Tankfull basis based on petrol approximating @ 75rs per ltr = 20.16kmpl.
(3200/75 = 42.6 ltrs , 860/42.6 = 20.16 )
Shell Normal Petrol Hinjewadi Pune = 73.4rs
Normal Petrol Kolhapur = 77.45rs
Normal Petrol Phonda = 75.13rs

[amit_purohit20]

Excellent pictures, and you have a good village worth visiting every rainy season. I myself had been in Malvan for 3 years and 1 year in Savarde for my studies. I am in love with Konkan and the nearby places in the ghats.
Did I forget to mention that you are an excellent photographer .

[rajeev k]

Nice pictures and the village is so nice. Would like to see more pictures of the village and the houses. I had bycycled to lot of tiny villages on the Punjab Himachal pradesh border and your thread brings those nostalgia back.

[M@ndr@ke]

Lovely pictures and a nice travelogue to accompany them. Looks like Kaas has just begun to flower. Not many updates yet from Kaas.

[neoonwheels]

Hey I am planning to go to Tarkarli by the GaganBawda route, since you are from this area, could you please let me know the current status of this road? Is it okay to take this toute, or should we go by the Karad-Patan-Chiplun route?

Also, I would travel on 29th Sep, so any idea if my plan can go on toss because of the Ganapati immersion in Kolhapur?

[silverado]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Hey I am planning to go to Tarkarli by the GaganBawda route, since you are from this area, could you please let me know the current status of this road? Is it okay to take this toute, or should we go by the Karad-Patan-Chiplun route?

Also, I would travel on 29th Sep, so any idea if my plan can go on toss because of the Ganapati immersion in Kolhapur?

If your final destination is Tarkarli, why not try the Ajra - Sawantwadi route instead? This way you will be on Expressway for maximum time and you can bypass Kolhapur.

Kolhapur - Gaganbawda road is not in good condition, it took us 2 hours 30 minutes for 65 kms.

Originally Posted by M@ndr@ke

Lovely pictures and a nice travelogue to accompany them. Looks like Kaas has just begun to flower. Not many updates yet from Kaas.

Blooming was quite ok, but i was disappointed to see the scenary spoiled by ugly fencing since i had been to Kaas when there were no fences and it was raining heavily.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Nice pictures and the village is so nice. Would like to see more pictures of the village and the houses. I had bycycled to lot of tiny villages on the Punjab Himachal pradesh border and your thread brings those nostalgia back.

I will try to add pictures from my 2009 and 2010 trip in this thread.

[neofromcapone]

Great trip and some amazing pics. such peace and tranquility is so important to re-charge oneself. The Nano is one of the most underestimated vehicles, I am glad to see it handling the ghats without any issues.
2 quick Questions-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/custom...tar2584_19.gif

Was this with the AC on or off?
And lastly are the roads in Kaas fenced all over or in some parts?

Thanks in advance and drive safe.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by neofromcapone

Was this with the AC on or off?
And lastly are the roads in Kaas fenced all over or in some parts?

This was with AC in OFF condition all the time.
It was switched only for some time in Kolhapur city.

For Kaas - Road in the core area where there is blooming is fenced.
They have started collecting toll on per car and per person basis.
Many stalls have come up near the entrance of Kaas Lake.

We could also see construction for some resort enroute to Kaas.

[deutscheafrikar]

Silverado,
Nice travelogue. Enjoyed reading it and looking at the great photos. A nice part of the world you've shown us and thanks for that.
Maybe I can drive down that road to Goa, been wanting to do that for a long time
Best

[mayuresh]

Envious to have a home at such a beautiful village ;-)

I was planning to visit and stay for a day or two at Gaganbawda.

Are there good stay options at Gaganbawda? Web searches showed only Jivhala resort. How is that?

[silverado]

Gaganbawda - From 2009 archives



Some more Village pics from My 2009 and 2010 trips.

My sweet home.



Stream running behind my house



Road to heaven





Traditional House construction using Stones made in Devgad - Konkan.
Currently the cost is rs4000 for 200 such stones.

[balenopower]

amazing pictures mate and a very nice travelogue. Using the little Nano to the hilt. I own one and i still cant summon up the courage to drive it for such long distances.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by balenopower

amazing pictures mate and a very nice travelogue. Using the little Nano to the hilt. I own one and i still cant summon up the courage to drive it for such long distances.

Thanks.

I hope you went through the one mentioned below, that was using the Nano to the hilt for me since car was all alone in that trip.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ilgrimage.html

[ranjitp1]

Nice little travelogue and lovely pictures and you have a beautiful village.Thanks for sharing,

[Subrat Seet]

Excellent pictures. Lovely narration. Enjoyed thoroughly.