Bhandardara
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Bhandardara is a holiday resort village near Igatpuri, in the western ghats of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The village is located in the
Akole Akole is a city and taluka in the Akole tehsil of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India. It is situated within the Sahyadri Mountains of the Western Ghats. The city has several historical sites that reflect its connection to the history an ...
tehsil,
Ahmednagar district Ahmednagar district (Marathi pronunciation: ɦ(ə)məd̪nəɡəɾ, officially Ahilyanagar district, is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical city of Ahmednagar is the headquarters of the district. Ahmednagar ...
of the state of
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, about from
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, from
Ahmednagar Ahmednagar, officially Ahilyanagar, is a city in, and the headquarters of, the Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impre ...
and from
Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...
. Bhandardara sits by the Pravara River, and the natural environment,
waterfalls A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several ...
, and mountains are notable tourist attractions. Bhandardara attractions include Wilson Dam and Arthur Lake. There are a number of historic and natural places of interest near the dam. From Bhandardara, visitors can climb up to see the
Ratangad Ratangad is a fort in Ratanwadi, Maharashtra, India, overlooking the locale of Bhandardara, one of the oldest artificial catchment area. This fort is located in the Ahmadnagar district of Maharashtra. It is on the boundary of Ahmadnagar and T ...
and
Harishchandragad Harishchandra Fort is a Forts in India, hill fort in the Ahmednagar district of India. Its history is linked with that of Malshej Ghat, Kothale village and it has played a role in guarding and controlling the surrounding region. History The fo ...
forts. Visitors can also follow the trails that lead to Ajoba and Ghanchakkar peaks. The highest peak in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, Mount
Kalsubai Kalsubai () is a mountain in the Western Ghats, located in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra. Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra and is located in Ahilyanagar district in Akole Taluka. Its summit, si ...
is 1646 m, and the starting point for the trek is Bari Village, located 12 km away from Bhandardara.


Tourist attractions

Bhandardara is home to Mount
Kalsubai Kalsubai () is a mountain in the Western Ghats, located in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra. Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra and is located in Ahilyanagar district in Akole Taluka. Its summit, si ...
, the highest peak () in Maharashtra. Another tourist attraction is the Wilson Dam on the
Pravara River The Pravara is the smallest of the major tributaries of Godavari river located in Maharashtra, India. Among the 7 major tributaries, it is the only tributary which originates in the Western Ghats akin to Godavari. Also, it is the only major tri ...
, which was built in 1910. The Umbrella Falls also draw visitors, although it can be seen only during the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
s between July and October. About 10 km away from Shendi Village is the Randhaa Waterfalls. The Ratangad fort is around 22 km from Shendi/ Bhandardara, and is connected by both roadway, and ferry across the Lake Arthur. On the Kalsubai side, at the far end of a 22 km roadway across forests and tribal villages, is Konkankada from where there are views of the plains. Harishchandragad is another nearby mountain hiking spot with an ancient temple on top. Bhandardara has a number of treking and hiking routes, including a trek to Ratangad fort, which is reached by boat over a small lake near the village Ratanwadi. Other attractions include: * Ratangad (Fort) * Agasti Rishi Ashram *
Amruteshwar Temple Amruteshwar Temple is an intricately carved Shiva temple in Ratanwadi. It is over 1200 years old and was built by the rulers of Shilahara dynasty in the 9th century CE. This is one of twelve Shiva temples built by King Jhanjha. It measures 61m ...
* Sandhan Valley *Randha Fall *Necklace Fall *Harishandragad (Fort) *Kokankada (Ghatghar) *Reverse Fall *Nhani Fall *Umbrella Fall *Fire Flies *
Nilwande Dam Nilwande dam, also called as Upper Pravara dam, in the Indian state of Maharashtra is the second largest dam on the Pravara river. The dam is located near Akole, Ahmednagar district. Specifications The height of the dam above lowest foundati ...


Places of interest

Wilson Dam: Built in 1910 across the River Pravara, Wilson Dam is situated at a height of 150 m above sea level. The opening of sluice gates creates two 60 to 80 feet cascades of water that plummet to the rocks below. Arthur Lake: The clear and placid lake is bounded by thick canopied forests of the Sahyadri hills. The Lake gets its water from the Pravara River.


Transportation

Bhandardara is easily accessible by road also from
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
which is around 185 km away and
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
which is around 191 km away. The nearest airport is in Nashik around 90 km, while
Igatpuri Igatpuri ( ɡət̪puɾiː formerly known as Egutpoora) is a town and a Hill Station. It is also a municipal council in Nashik District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Western Ghats and served by Igatpuri railway station ...
Railway Station, 45+ km away, has the nearest railhead. One can board a state transport bus from Igatpuri to reach Bhandardara.


References


External links

*
MTDC, Bhandardara

Bhandardara City Guide
{{Ahmednagar district topics Tourist attractions in Ahmednagar district Cities and towns in Ahmednagar district Hill stations in Maharashtra