Matheran is a world famous hill station in the Karjat Tahsil of the Raigad District of Maharashtra State of India. It seems that Mother Nature has bestowed all her bounties upon Matheran as the place boasts of matchless natural beauty. Matheran is the smallest of all the hill stations in India but attracts innumerable tourists throughout the year.

Where is it located?
Matheran nestles in the Western Ghat ranges at an altitude of around 800 m (2,625 feet) from the sea level. It is around 120 km from Pune and 90 km from Mumbai. This propinquity from the metropolitan cities makes Matheran a favorite choice as a weekend getaway for many urban dwellers.

The name Matheran:
‘Mathe’ in Marathi means ‘top’ in English and ‘ran’ is the Marathi equivalent for English ‘forest’. Thus the name ‘Matheran’ means ‘forest on top’.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India has declared the place as an eco-sensitive region. The speciality of Matheran is that this is one of those rare places in the world where vehicles are not allowed. We cannot imagine life without vehicles today. But in Matheran you realize that such a life is possible and is indeed a pleasure. You can feel the soothing touch of Mother Nature in the cool and fresh air of Matheran.

Despite the fact that thousands of visitors come to Matheran throughout the year, the place has retained its serenity and tranquility.

History of the Place:
The then collector of the district of Thane discovered Matheran in May 1850. Lord Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay played a major role in the development of the place as a hill station. As it was very hard for the British Officers to bear the scorching heat of India, they developed Matheran as a beautiful summer resort.

Private vehicles are not allowed in this area; but to solve the problem of transport Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy built the Matheran Hill Railway in 1907. The railway has secured a place in the reputed list of World Heritage Sites inspected by UNESCO.

The only automobile allowed here is the ambulance which is necessary in case of emergency. Otherwise the means of transport are horses and hand pulled rickshaws.

Being the place at high altitude, the climate of the region is cooler and less humid. This makes the place a pleasant tourist spot especially during the months of summer with temperatures ranging from 16 degree C to 32 degree C.

The forests of Matheran house a number of medicinal herbs and plants. You can see here a large population of monkeys. These include Bonnet Macaques and Hanuman Langoors.

There is a beautiful lake called Lake Chaarlotte near Matheran. Water supply to the city of Matheran depends on this lake.

The main languages spoken here are Marathi, English and Hindi. You can see a number of beautiful Parsi bungalows in Matheran. Old British style architectures here add to the beauty of the place. Roads in Matheran are made up of red laterite earth on which you do like having a long walk.

Matheran offers many viewpoints from where you can enjoy the panoramic beauty of the hill station. It is also said that in a cloudless sky at nights, one can see the lights of Mumbai.

Other Attractions near Matheran:

1) Charlotte Lake:
As mentioned earlier, Charlotte Lake is one of the picturesque sites near Matheran. It is also known as Sharlott Lake. On the left side of the lake you have two beautiful picnic spots called Louisa Point and Echo Point. While on the right side of the Charlotte Lake you see an ancient Pisanath Temple.

2) Mount Berry:
Around 5 km away from Matheran is a popular tourist destination called Mount Berry. From here you can have a bird’s eye view of the Neral junction. The slow train chugging up the lush green hill amidst the consummate natural beauty is the main attraction here. You can also see the Matheran Peak from here.

3) Lookout Points:
Around 38 different viewpoints in Matheran from where you can have an aerial view of the deep valley are the turn ons for the tourists.

4) Honey Moon Point:
Here is something for those who love thrill and adventure in their life. At the Honey Moon Point, you can have a thrilling experience of crossing the valley by a rope.

A couple of lakes and a couple of parks along with 4 worship places and a racecourse are some more places to visit in Matheran. A one day trip to Matheran from Pune is possible but a two three day stay here is advisable.

How to Reach?
From Pune it’s a 120 hour journey to Matheran. Start off with your journey heading towards Mumbai on the Pune-Mumbai Express Highway. Leave the Express Highway at the Khopoli exit as you pass Lonavala-Khandala. Take the old Pune-Mumbai road. After you cover the distance of around 18 km, turn to your right and follow the signs form thereon. This is how you can reach Matheran.

Food and Accommodation:
Good facilities of food and accommodation are available in Matheran and thus your stay here will be pretty comfortable.

So plan a trip to this beautiful hill station and enjoy the bounties of nature.
If you have visited Matheran, please tell us more about this place through comments.

Matheran on Map
Matheran