Marleshwar, the land of thousand waterfalls If peacock is a bird with thousand eyes, Marleshwar is a land of thousand waterfalls.

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1 Marleshwar, the land of thousand waterfalls If peacock is a bird with thousand eyes, Marleshwar is a land of thousand waterfalls. The craze for travel takes you to strange places. The more the number of places you travel to, the stronger becomes the thirst to go see the next one, seek the next story and live the next dream. But at times, there are a few places which draw you back to relive your experiences: to go back down the memory lane. I went to one such, last week.

2 They say the most beautiful things are hidden in plain sight, and so is a place of a thousand waterfalls Marleshwar in Maharashtra

3 They say the most beautiful things are hidden in plain sight, and so is a place of a thousand waterfalls Marleshwar in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Hidden in the Sahyadri, Marleshwar is just 75km away from one of the most famous beach temples, Ganapatiphule. A place deep in the forest with no mobile network, and hardly touched by the symbols of modern civilization, Ganapatiphule is home to the beautiful Dhareshwar waterfall. Only a poet can do justice in describing the overflowing streams, the flooded little bridges, misty cover, thick forests and the curvy roads leading to Sahyadri. The landscape which I saw from Devrukh to Maraleshwar was like a song of nature. Mist filled air hits you giving you that fresh smell you crave for in the cities, some drizzle from outside the window that just doesn t allow you to close the window, chitter chatter of kids, laughing and fighting, living in their own world, and lots of happy faces around. It was such a pleasure to run away from the agenda driven, self obsessed world of the city to nothingness of Marleshwar. After floating in a dreamy landscape for close to an hour, I finally reached Marleshwar. When I got down, I blanked out for a minute or so. I just stood there, staring up at the mountains, lush green forest with multiple step waterfalls all around, and a big stream by the side. It was the sound of the bus restarting which brought me back to my senses, and memories of the last trip flooded. Last time I was here, I had slept in the tapri next to the stream. It was pretty cold in the night. There were just 3 of us in the forest- the hotel guy Kishore, a Sadhu, and me. Kishore had told me that he d been sleeping alone in the forest for 14 years and this time I remembered it was his 15th. I wasn t sure if he d recognize me, but he did, the moment he saw me approaching his hotel. He welcomed me with a broad smile and a loud, kaisa ho? I knew I d had a friend in him.

4 I just stood there, staring up at the mountains, lush green forest with multiple step waterfalls all around, and a big stream by the side. It s a remote place and as far as I know the nearest basic accommodation is an hour and a half away in Devrukh. The society is mainly an agrarian one their world is small and very simple. A weekly market in Devrukh is a sought after getaway for kids for shopping. This part of the world is rich not only in nature but also in the way people live. With a few good words about the place, you get to know their family history. Everyone has a story to share or a hero to admire. For some, its Shivaji Maharaj, and for some, its Salman. This time I was travelling light. All I was carrying was my camera, cell phone and wallet all in my camera bag. I left my camera bag with him and headed to the forest. There s a waterfall in the middle of the hill where no one enters it s secluded but safe. Kishore had told me about this place last time I was there. I climbed a few slippery rocks and almost fell twice, as water

5 was gushing down, but finally reached the middle of the waterfall and sat under it. When cold water hits you with such force, it makes you forget every damn thing you had on your mind. I sat under it for I don t know how much time. I was just staring at the waterfall on the opposite hill. I might have sang a few old songs and of course, threw a lot of stones down. All acts of a sane person! In the summer, cobras come out of the cave temple and move around although they say that till date, they have not harmed a devotee. Post the shower, I came down towards the main temple complex. People found me amusing as I was walking all wet while the rest had colorful raincoats on and an umbrella. Probably, I love walking in the rain is only a page to be liked on Facebook! The sight of Dhareshwar waterfall beats everything I ve seen in the Sahyadri s. At least 30 small waterfalls coming together, merging into one and plunging down as one huge fall.

6 When it rains heavily, it s a treat as more number of smaller ones become visible. If peacock is a bird with thousand eyes, Marleshwar is a land of thousand waterfalls. To call this sight mesmerizing is a huge understatement. One has to be there, stand there and experience it themselves. In the summer, cobras come out of the cave temple and move around although they say that till date, they have not harmed a devotee. They call Marleshwar the Jaagrut Dev. There s a huge following of Marleshwar, especially around Shivaratri. The water was seeping from the cave roof and floor was wet, but so was I. With a few oil lamps lit and dhoop, it was ideal for meditation. I returned to Kishore s hotel and had smoking hot bhajia, vada, missal, sabudana khichdi and chai; all this sitting on a bench under a tree, attached to a huge stream. I wish I could do this every morning! Few places around Ratnagiri, a small town, is home to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the greatest freedom fighters.

7 Bal Gangadhar Tilak s memorial home in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Ganpatiphule is 2 hours from Ratnagiri and is worth a visit with its 400 year old beach side temple. The route to Ratnagiri has misty mountains of mango trees that makes it all the more a destination that one should not miss. How to get there I took the Mumbai- Mangalore Express from Panvel at in the night. It reached Ratnagiri at 4.50 in the morning, giving me ideal time to freshen up and get on to the first bus from Ratnagiri at 6.30 to Devrukh. One has to go to Devrukh from Ratnagiri, which takes 100 minutes, and then catch another bus to Maraleshwar, which takes another cool 75 minutes. So expect to reach Maraleshwar close to 10, if you catch all the first buses. Only MSRTC buses ply in this route and are in decent shape to give you a comfortable ride. Now, if you re imagining VOLVO comfort, this doesn t really come close to that! Expect few

8 broken window glasses and rusty window sides. Pics: Prabhav Garudadhwajan