Matheran – The hidden paradise

Truth be told, when me and my friend visited our college friend in Nasik, I was expecting to roam around the cities and come home within a few days. It was my first trip after the covid pandemic, and thinking back, this is the trip that truly opened my eyes to the joy of travelling and catapulted me into this life full of adventures.  

I didn’t even hear the name Matheran before. But oh boy, after that visit, Matheran still lies fresh in my mind, 2 years later.  

Sitting on the foothills between Mumbai and Pune, it was a gateway to a time far gone. We started our journey from Nasik to Kalyan junction and boarded a suburban train (Our first) to Neral. Expecting to board the infamous toy train from Neral, we were disappointed to know that the train was not operating through that route since the onset of the pandemic. Upon enquiry we were pleased to hear that the train still operated but instead of the 2-hour trip from Neral it was a short 30 min trip from a place called Aman Lodge.  

  We traversed to Aman Lodge by fixed fare taxi and slowly started our walk to the railway station. Little did we know that this was the last motor vehicle we were going to see that day. We reached the station and waited for the train to arrive. We were greeted with a far blown whistle accompanied by the chug-chug of regular trains, but what appeared before us was an entity comparable to an SUV rather than a train. With its small size and low number of compartments, it truly lived up to the name “The Toy Train”. After a few minutes, we commenced our journey to the paradise known as Matheran. 

Calling it a paradise feels like an understatement now. After arriving from busy city streets filled with dust and smog, we felt like we had teleported to a time far gone. The sight of cars parked in every sidewalk had been replaced by horses taking up the same role. Instead of rikshaws and trucks, there were masses of mules engaged with the task of transporting goods. There were countless viewpoints scattered across the place and it felt like it would take ages to cover them all. Hounds of dogs and monkeys walked freely without a care in the world. A multitude of people stood on the streets offering rides on their horses, but we opted to traverse by foot. Walking around, we felt like we were breathing the freshest air in the world devoid of any sort of pollution.  

Although we were not able to visit all the viewpoints, we still made sure to soak up as much of Matheran’s beauty as possible. The marvelous Western Ghats are a sight that one can never get enough of. Even though Matheran is one of the shortest hill stations in India, the views that beheld us were nothing ‘short’ of breathtaking. We made sure to experience the sunrise and sunset to bask ourselves in Mother Nature’s glory. There are countless places that garner tourist attention under the false pretense of Eco-friendly environments, but Matheran is a charming exception. It is a destination that everyone must visit at least once to reaffirm the values of life. It’s truly an escape from reality.