Himvad Gopalswammy Betta

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta or Gopalaswamy Betta is a hill located near borders of Karnataka in vicinity of Gundlupet. The area falls under Bandipur national park and is extremely dense forest. It is also the highest peak in the Bandipur National Park. The hill is west off the Gundlupet - Bandipur road. The junction to get to Gopalswammy Betta is about 10kms from Gundlupet. Being a dense forest, wild animals are frequently spotted in this area. On top of the hill is temple dedicated to Lord Venugopal. The temple is estimated to be built around 14th century AD.

Rode to this place from Bangalore and the roads are very good except for the last patch from Gundlupet to Gopalswamy Betta. The distance from Bangalore is approximately 220kms. There are route markings throughtout hence finding this place will not be difficult.

There is a forest guard check post just before ascending the hill. There is a nominal fee for vehicles. For motorcycle it was Rs.10 back in 2009. Carrying liquor is strictly prohibited, also venturing around this place is not allowed as it falls under Bandipur National park. The place atop is very beauttiful. One can walk around the temple and enjoy the lush green forest. Venturing far is not advised. Also, the forest officials are always on lookout and will not allow anyone venture out of the temple complex. Entry for vehicles or general public is allowed only during the day time. Staying on top is not allowed. Carry of plastics bags is prohibited. There is no accommodation available except for a government guest house where only government officials on duty are allowed to stay.

Photos:

The right turn for Gopalswammy Betta

Road to Gopalswammy Betta

The start of hill climb

Beautiful hill view

Route Map:
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Slopes of Hell, Kamshet

The Slopes of Hell near Kamshet is a well know spot for off-roader be it a motorcycle or 4X4. Just an hour drive from Pune will take you to this place. Not sure about how this place was discovered, but the actual place hosts a relay tower on top of the hill. While scanning the areas around Kamshet on google maps, I stumbled accross this place. On further reading about on various sites, found out that it was quite a popular spot for off-roading. 

One fine Saturday my friend Sujay and myself decided to visit this place. The place is about 35 kms from Wakad. Once you reach Kamshet town, take the left turn towards Pawana dam. Just 2 kms ahead on this road one can spot a dirt road going on top of a hill. This is the road to slop of hell. It is quite easy to miss this road so better keep a lookout for relay tower on top of hill. Have shown the exact location in the pic below.

Also, keep a watch on the distance once you take a left from Kamshet. If you cross more than 2.5 kms than you have missed the road to Slope of Hell. Once you begin at this point, the ride uphill is quite exciting. The road is narrow and twisty, adding up to the bonus are the gravels. One wrong move could prove lethal. The place is quite isolated hence immediate help would not be available at hand incase things go wrong, so its better to go in group and enjoy this place. Once you make your way through the twist and turns of this rough road, you should reach the base to Slope Of Hell. Here it is where you can see this steep gradient. The road is paved with stone blocks and open on both ends. One can enjoy the magnificient view of the expressway from here.

This road leads to the top and quickly transforms to a much narrow muddy path with gravels. This is the path that is difficult to cover. Once you overcome it you can reach the top of the hill.

The place does stands well for it's name, indeed it was an adrenaline filled ride.

Photos:

The road going right off the main road lead to slope of hell

The base to Slope of hell, once you climb up the dirt road

The final climb to the top of Hill

The steep gradient of Hell

Riding uphill

View of Expressway

Sujay posing with his bike

View from the top

Mid Way to top

Gravel road

Location Map:


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Hadshi Vitthal Temple

Panduranga Kshetra, Hadshi Temple, Pune
The Vitthal temple at Hadshi built and maintained by Sathya Sai trust is one of well-maintained and cleanest temple I have visited. Just an hour drive from Pune makes it a good destination on Sundays.

The place is pretty big and on top of a hill. One has to drive to the top to reach the place. There are multiple options to reach this place, but the route via Paud road is a good bet. The rest of the road conditions are not that good. There is a canteen available here and the temple is surrounded by lush green trees. There is  a garden as well as small playground for kids. A perfect picnic spot for families. Definitel a must visit.


Photos:

Route map:
Route via Paud road


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Prati Pandharpur Near Lonavala

Prati Pandharpur 


Pandharpur is a very famous pilgrimage in Maharashtra, India. Prati-Pandharpur is replica of the famous temple.  Lord Vitthala who is considered as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu is the main deity in Pandharpur.Prati-Pandharpur is located in Dudhivare village near Pavana Dam. It is very near to famous Lohgad fort.

The temple is not well-know yet hence visitors are not very high. The temple is very beautiful and the place is well maintained with greenery all around.The temple is dedicated to Lord Vitthala and Saint Dnyaneshwar with idols very beautiful and carved out of marble. The roof has temple has intricate design with a beautiful chandelier at  the centre. This is definitely a worth visit.

One can take the Lonavala route or from Kamshet via Pavana Dam to reach this place. There are no clear signs or big hoarding, so one can miss this place easily.

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Map:


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Pavana Dam, Near Lonavala

Pavana Dam
Pavana Dam near Lohgad in vicinity of Lonavala is the dam which gives rise to the scenic Pavana lake. A very pleasant drive from Pune or Mumbai for one-day getaway. The place will be at its peak beauty during monsoon, however, the weather seemed pleasant enough during my visit in early March.

There are multiple options to reach this place from Pune. I took the Kamshet route. The distance is about 50 kms from north Pune. The ride till Kamshet is pretty smooth and the old Mumbai-Pune road is pretty good. At Kamshet, one should take the left at the main intersection where the highway touches the town. The turn is just before the ghats start.

The road from Kamshet to Pavana Dam is small road and not in very good condition. But this route is quite picturesque throughout. On the way one can see signs for Bedse caves which is just 4-5 kms off this route. There is not much options for food or water here. Once you cross the underpass for Expressway, take the right turn at Paud road junction. The dam is visible from the main road itself, but to get view off lake once must travel a bit ahead on the road which leads to Lohgad. This is the same route that will take you to Lonavala.

There are not many options for food that I could spot. On the way I came across Lohgad Resort and Boating club. They offer decent food. Tried the boating here, was quite good. They charge Rs.300 for scooter ride, and Rs.150 per head for motorboat. They do have nice speed boat but the charge was Rs.1200 for 4 person. As we were just two, we decided to take the regular motorboat. The ride was quite good and fun. The place is quite calm and good for small break from city.    

Photos:

At Lohgad Resort and Boat Club

On route to Pavana Dam

The winding road to Pavana

Pavana Dam

View of Pavana Lake

Speed Boat at Boating club

On old Mum-Pune Road

View of Lake

Spotted this Peacock at the resort

Route Map:


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