Jawhar - Peace and Tranquility

Hello friends,

Have been away for far too long I know and apologies for that. Actually didn't have much to say about my travels since I did not get the chance to really for some time. But now I'm charged and back...

Recently went to this little hill station called Jawhar near Mumbai - to be precise 120 kms from Mumbai  for shooting a punjabi music video and I was quite surprised. It is a quaint small town - termed as a hill station now by Maharashtra govt, but has a charm of its own. The Government has plans to develop it but I guess only if some funds are remaining after every one gets their share of the pie. As would generally happen in India, I expect there will be no development since all the sarkari naukars will eat up the funds and show some progress on paper.

Jawhar in Thane district is located at about 150 Kms from Mumbai and is a perfect weekend picnic destination from Mumbai. Pune - Jawhar distance is about 250 Kms. Jawhar is on the SH 26 and the roads leading to this little hillstation is pretty narrow however in good condition for most parts. Jawhar doesnt have a rail head, Igatpuri the nearet railway station from Jawhar is 70 Kms away from Jawhar.

The princely state of Jawhar was originally founded in 1343 AD. As a princely state, it became a part of Bombay Presidency during the British Raj. The last Princely Ruler of Jawhar at Indian independence was HH Shrimant Raja Patang Shah V (Yashswant Rao) Mukne.

Jawhar has this palace which is called Jai Vilas Palace and is the most popular historic sightseeing destination of the city of Jawhar. This palace is also known as Raj Bari and used to be the residential palace of the kings of Munke family. This palace is located on a hill top and due to its location it was used by the kings to keep an eye on their enemies. Its most attractive feature is its domes while its surroundings comprise of lush green forests. The interiors of this palace display the culture and lifestyle of tribal kings of Munke family. This palace has been shut down now due to the recent earthquakes in the area. They are observing the seismic activity in the area and will open it most probably after a few months. Have been waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of our heritage.

Dabhosa waterfalls is a waterfalls in Jawhar that could remind one of the majestic waterfalls of the western ghats in Karnataka and Kerala. Approximately 15 Kms from Jawhar Dabhosa offers a splendid view of the water gushing down 100 ft even during summers. There is a rocky trail which one could trek down to reach the small pool of the waterfalls. Its a beautiful spot which is always crowded during the weekends.

Warli paintings originated in the adjoining tribal pockets of Jawhar. Now highly popular and commercially a successful art form Warli paintings depict social life with scenes from daily life created in a rhythmic pattern. The symbolism of Warli paintings depict harmony and balance.

These paintings look so beautiful and you will get a few items to buy if you are interested in them. But unfortunately this is an art which is also dying like all arts and efforts are on to retain them. The locals and a few art aficionados are working in that direction.

Jawhar is actually a tribal belt and you will see a lot of adivasi women over there. In fact most of the land belongs to them and they do their quite farming over there. We were trying to click a picture of this tribal women, she happily posed and then after we were done, asked for money. The tribal women have also become smart now and we cant just take advantage of them.

But there was this other woman who was happy to oblige and gave us a cute smile... they work hard all day long in the fields and are an inspiration for us who live in the cities all day long on their laptops.

There's a lot more that I can say about Jawhar, since I just love the place and plan to go back again and again. There are a few resorts there, but the best one we found was this Shanti Sarovar resort. The caretaker was very helpful and our crew stayed there for the shoot. In fact we mostly shot around his resort since it had such lovely views.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the civilized world, Jawhar offers peace and tranquility in the cradle of nature.

If you want a short holiday, then get in the driving seat and take off to Jawhar. You will enjoy it as I did!!!