Mrugaya, bliss in the cradle of nature

Hello everyone, a very happy new year to you all! As I write my first blog post of the year 2023, I wish everyone a year filled with exploration, discovery, and growth!

There still are a couple of interesting places from Uttarakhand about which I want to write. But, our experiences from the recent visit to Maharashtra are worth writing about, too. So, instead of adding to the writing wishlist, let me share them with you while they are still fresh on my mind. I pray god to always enrich my life with such experiences, keeping my writing wishlist overflowing forever!

So, which place in Maharashtra did we visit? I'm giving you some clues, and you've to guess. It is a laid-back hill station in southern Maharashtra, that lies in the Sahyadri hills and receives the highest rainfall in the state. Known for its rich bio-diversity, this place is swarmed by tourists during Monsoon season. Any guesses? 

The place is Amboli. Why did we visit this monsoon destination during the winters? There is a chain of events that lead to the choice. First of all, we had a couple of gatherings to attend in Pune during the Christmas holidays. We had 3 days of time in our hands to travel, after attending those and spending a good amount of time with my family. This looked like a great opportunity to show 'maza Maharashtra' to my Marathi kids who are are Bangalorians. We first thought of visiting Konkan, just to realize later, that we were too late to get a decent accommodation close to a beach. Thusly, we explored and explored, till we came across Mrugaya, a nature retreat in Amboli. We talked to the owner, Mr. Parag Rangnekar, who is a naturalist, wildlife photographer, researcher, and responsible tourism practitioner. The place, their concept, and the itinerary suggested by Mr. Parag, made us immediately set the seal on Amboli as our next travel destination.  

So, how did we like Mrugaya? We loved it. It is a quiet 'bed and breakfast' place located among trees. They have simple but very comfortable stay options devoid of any fancy amenities like Wi-Fi, AC, and a swimming pool. What they instead have are sit-outs under the trees and hammocks which allow people to mingle with each other, or be one with nature, or look within. They also arrange for activities like nature walks, trekking, night trails, and bird watching at additional charges. Considering that many resorts offer these activities, what's so special about Mrugaya? It is the fact that these activities are guided by experts in the field of biodiversity. The genial caretaker, Mr. Sudhakar, attends to all our requirements dutifully.

Mrugaya being a 'bed and breakfast' facility, any additional food requirements are taken care of with the help of a nearby restaurant that delivers the food. Being a family with small kids, a place with in-house food facilities, works better for us. But the overall experience makes this tiny problem worth accommodating. 

The night trail and bird watching were amazing experiences, given that we were experiencing them for the first time. They allowed us to learn a lot about a variety of creatures, their habitat, behavior, structure, and adaption. Moreover, ambling in a jungle on a dark night was an amazing experience, and it helped us get over the fear of doing so. 

During our stay at Mrugaya, we also visited Mahadevgad point and Hiranyakeshi temple in Amboli. We also had a one day visit to Konkan. I will be writing about these in a separate blog post. Before leaving, let me mention the beautiful lines of the Marathi song based a Thakars, tribal people who originate in the hilly areas of Sahyadri. The song was written by famous Marathi poet Na. Dho. Mahanor and paints a winsome picture of the nature in front of eyes.

आम्ही ठाकरं ठाकरं ह्या रानाची पाखरं
ह्या जांबऱ्या गर्दीत मांडुन इवले घर

ह्या पिकल्या शेतांवर, त्येच्या आभाळाचा जर
ह्या डोंगरवस्तीवर भोळ्या संभूची पाखर
त्येच्या पंखात पंखात नांदतोया संसार

आल्या बरसाती घेऊन मेघमल्हाराची धून
त्या झिंगल्या झाडांना बांधले पैंजण
चांदण्या गोंदून धरलीया झालर

Source: https://www.marathilok.com/lyrics/aamhi-thakar-thakar-hya-ranachi-pakhar/

For people who want to know more about the song: This post aptly describes the song in the context of 'sustainable habitats' and Sahyadri, and touches upon some of my experiences during the trip.