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Close to Mumbai is
a tiny hill resort where a little train wheezes it way up into clear
mountain air.
As you move away from
the tinsel town of Mumbai towards Matheran the buzz of nature is
heard. Eight square miles of dense woods, silent jungle pathways and
occasional mists is what Matheran is all about. There are no manmade
tar roads. Just pathways, plain and rustic. In the midst of woods
stand quaint bungalows with tiled roofs and long berandahs. Most of
them have owners in Mumbai and wear a deserted look.
Matheran is full of
resplendent view points. Hart point, Chowk Porcupine Point, and
Louis Point are the main attractions. But the more romantic ones are
Panorama Point overlooking the metropolis of Mumbai and the silver
ocean. Then there is Honeymoon Point where one can lose one’s
inhibitions and One Tree Hill where one can coin a poem. At Sunset
Point the curtain rises on a glowing, receding ball of fire.
The Matheran Light
Railway starts from Neral (on Mumbai-Pune line) which is well
connected by Mumbai suburban trains. The toy train to Matheran is a
one and a half hour journey. The toy train runs between sunrise and
sunset. |
