Chowk Point in Matheran

Thursday, November 1, 2012

In about 20 minutes time we reached Chowk Point. On the way we saw a barricade from where we were able to get an amazing view of the landscape below.

Why is this place called Chowk Point when the view is not as good as the one you can get at Little Chowk Point?

This stretch on the way to One Tree Hill from Little Chowk Point is called the Chowk Point

There are no hotels here; it’s just on the way to One Tree Hill. If you come on horseback then the guide will show you the Point but if you come alone then do ask Ravi at Little Chowk Point and he will guide you to Chowk Point. Having seen the view here, we headed off to the Market as it was growing dark.

Little Chowk Point in Matheran

Monday, October 29, 2012

It took us around 20 minutes to reach Little Chowk Point from Olympia.

The view from here is just amazing; we could see Gabut point and a few plateaus in the distance along with the hill ranges and valleys. There were hamlets in the middle of nowhere. Where is the access rood to these villages, I wondered. I couldn’t see any.

Directions to Little Chowk Point on a structure. One has to stand on this structure inorder to sit on the horse

 The view from here was a bit foggy. It was difficult to understand why that should be so, especially as it was hot. Perhaps the culprit was global warming. You never know.

There is a small refreshment stall here named “Sahayadri Cold Drink House,” manned by Mr. Ravi. As he busied himself in the preparation of some Ice Cold Lemon Sodas that we had ordered, I busied myself in asking him a few questions about this place.

View of the Matheran from Little Chowk Point

 But before I could start, he started telling me about this place. He said, “Karjat Film City can be seen from here when the weather is clear. There are many other villages in the distance that can also be seen from here.”

He spoke about the celebrities who come here, the heavy rains and the hailstones that fall and the monkeys around that don’t hurt people unless you get scared.

Another view of the Little Chowk Point

I asked him about Panthers Cave. And he told me that it was just behind the Race Course. I told him that we had come from there but had not sighted the cave, nor did any of the villagers know of it.

He then told me about the water tank behind the race course. Apparently a road there led to the caves. I decided to follow it the next day as I had still to cover Chowk Point and head back to the Market before it got dark.

Olympia Race Course in Matheran

Thursday, October 4, 2012

On our way to Little Chowk Point we asked a few villagers for directions to Olympia as we had been able to locate it on our map, but there were no signboards to help us.

The villagers were carrying bales of hay on their heads. I wonder how much they get paid just to cut the dried grass and sell it off to the horse owners.

The villagers gave us directions to the race course, but when I asked them about the whereabouts of Panther’s Cave, they said they didn’t know about it.

Olympia Race Course in the middle fo the thick jungle on Matheran

This was a momentary setback, but then we figured that if the name, Panther’s Cave, featured on the map, then it meant that the place did indeed exist. Perhaps it was known by a different name locally. That would explain why the local people had not heard of it.

It took us around 25 minutes to reach Olympia from Rambaug Point.

In the midst of thick forest suddenly there was a huge open ground. It had two tracks, one on the inside and the other on the outside. I guess horse races take place on both the tracks.

The  horse hooves in the mud at the Olympia Race Course

I located a horseman here and decided to bombard him with a few questions. “When are these races held, and who participates in them?” He told me that the races are held in the month of May and that local horses from Matheran participate in them.

I decided that I would get the exact dates of the race out and try to see one for myself, but he didn’t provide me with the dates.

The outer track clearly showed the imprint of the horses’ shoes on it. Perhaps the horses had already started practicing for the championship.

I imagined the stadium full of people sitting and cheering and thud - that was the sound of the gun, marking the start of the race. Horses racing in the mud, struggling to be the first to arrive at the finish point. The sound of the hooves and the loud cheering of the crowd adding to it, it would surely be a sight to see.
I then headed off to see Little Chowk Point.

Rambaug Point in Matheran

Monday, October 1, 2012

It took us 30 minutes to travel through the forest to reach Rambaug Point. Again it offered us a beautiful view of Gabut Point and Alexander Point.

Board with instructions at the point

Thank God there is a hotel here that offers refreshments. Actually, the place is not so much an actual hotel as a private residence that doubles up as a vending place for refreshments.

View of Alexander Point and Garbut Point

I really envied the people who live here. They enjoy their daily quota of the most beautiful views of the hills and valleys. I wish I had a home here so that I too could enjoy the beauty of nature.

Thats me exploring the way to the village below

There is a village below which has been a home to tribals for hundreds of years. I met a few at the hotel and asked them where the way down led to. One of the ladies replied, “Gavat,” meaning, their village.

The home cum hotel serving refreshments

After having a couple of cold lemon sodas here we decided to visit Little Chowk Point