Nestled in the lap of mother nature in the ranges of the Shayadri in Mulshi taluka of Pune, Maharashtra, lies Girivan.
Girivan- 500 feet above Lonavala
A one of its kind private hill station, which at an altitude of more than 2400 feet above the sea level is 500 feet even higher than the more renowned hill station of Lonavala, Girivan acts as a perfect getaway from the chaos of the city life of Mumbai and Pune.
Giri Van
My brother, who resides in Pune, zeroed in on Girivan as our destination to cool off and spend some quality family time, together. Thus, it was on a sunny winter morning just after Christmas that we set forth for Girivan, whose meaning in Sanskrit is a combination of two words Giri meaning Mountain and Van meaning forest.
Rural Heartland of Maharashtra
Located at a distance of around 45 kms from Pune, the road to Girivan criss crosses through the rural heartland of Maharashtra and is scenic but narrow, with stretches of it in a pretty bad shape. It was after 2 hours that we were at the gates of Girivan on a steep incline that takes you further into the private hill station.
Dense foliage
The serpentine road onto the Hill Station is dotted with replicas of wild life and the view of the valley beneath and the surrounding mountain ranges is breathtaking. As we climbed higher and deeper into Girivan, the roads gradually became non-existent and the foliage became greener and denser.
The road? to Laxmi Holiday Home
Our Abode
Recreational Facilities
Playtime @ Laxmi Holiday Home
It was here in the midst of greenery and away from the madding crowd we found Laxmi Holiday Home, our abode for the next two days. The quaint two storied cottage had a large compound in which hens, dogs and cats all roamed around nonchalantly. For recreation, there was a badminton court and also a mounted basket to play basketball besides a swing between two big trees.
Evening snacks
The caretaker of the holiday home also resided within the premises with his family in a separate cottage. His wife doubled up as our cook and it was she who brought us tea and fried vegetable crispies for our evening snacks.
The Sun sets over The Shayadris
After snacks, we strolled around to get a feel of the place and to view the sun set over the Sahyadris.
Getting ready to Kill the Chill!
Ammunition to overpower the Chill!
There was a nip in the air and as twilight gave way to the darkness, we thought of converting the verandah of the cottage into our bar area for the night so that we could soak in the beauty of the place, sipping our drinks and feasting on the hot dry chicken and egg bhurji prepared by the cook. The entire family transcended around the table, reminiscing about good old days, catching up with newer present developments and discussing future courses of action while the kiddos chatted and played around.
The family that Eats together-Stays together
Simple, tasty Dinner
With the drinking session over, it was now time to have our simple but very tasty dinner of hot rotis and chicken curry along with platefuls of farm fresh vegetable salad and home made traditional Maharashtrian pickle.
Ditching the beds ….
….For the Mattresses
Laxmi Holiday Home- The night just began…
We dutifully retired for the night after our dinner but the kiddos ditching their beds for mattresses on the floor started off their next round of fun and frolic. For them the night had just begun.
(End of Part 1)
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