Ranshil - Bhimashankar

As we got off the bus near Nandgaon, a small village in Raigad district, I stood at the base of the huge mountain range of Bhimashankar spread north-south. On the left was the famous fort of Siddhagad. Nostalgia came over me since I was going to trek through the dense forest of the Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary after more than three decades. The last time I had climbed the mountain along with my friends from the adjoining Khandas village, I was still in my teens.

Bhimashankar is one of the twelve jyortirlingas [Shiva temples] sacred for the Hindus. Thousands of pilgrims visit the place all round the year [though they travel by road on the other side of the mountain range]. The tar road that leads to the shrine passes through a dense forest. But if one wants to “feel” the jungle then trekking through Ranshil Ghat or Ganesh Ghat or Vajantri Ghat or Shidi Ghat and some other offbeat tracks is the best bait. It calls for a good deal of mental and physical fitness to explore these routes as they bring a lot of challenge and test your stamina.

The morning was pleasant. We walked through a teak wood forest for some time. The ascent was gentle. Climbing from the West helped us beat the heat of the Sun. As we came closer to the mountain, the climb became steep and the woods dense. The massive rocks we ascended through was a gully that brings the water gushing down the slopes during monsoon season. It would be adventurous to take this route in the months of July-August owing to the heavy rainfall in the region. Huge creepers interweaving the giant trees and a thick layer of leaves spread on the rugged path indicated that we had taken the road less travelled. 

We left the gully behind and walked for quite some time through canopy of the branches of gigantic trees in this evergreen forest. The sunrays had to negotiate hard with the leaves to reach the ground.  The calls and songs of different species of birds that have made this jungle their abode welcomed us. Or else, the calls could even be a warning signal to the other birds and animals about the existence of “unwelcome guests”. This jungle is a home to different species of monkeys and reptiles too. Giant Squirrels [“Shekru” as it is locally called], the State animal of Maharashtra, are found in abundance here. You need to be lucky to spot this multi-coloured animal with a big fluffy tail. 

I passed by some giant sized ant colonies [anthills] on the way. These colonies are an exhibition of the spirit of camaraderie by this tiny insect about what can be achieved by collective efforts. That the seeds had become ripe, Balloon Cotton [mhaataari] separated from the milkweed floated in the air in abundance. Wild flowers were spread across the forest.

It was more than a couple of hours since we had started ascending. The group had split by now. I was now walking alone in the dense woods for quarter of an hour amidst tranquil surroundings. Tired by the steep ascend, I rested on a rock for a while. The climate was soothing, atmosphere calm. The ambience was peaceful and relaxing. The cool air was filled with quietness. A droplet of water, when dropped in the ocean, loses its identity and becomes ocean. Surrounded, as I was, with tranquility, calmness, quietness and serenity, I became peace myself. This day, I understood the difference between “to be at peace” and “to be peace”….. a feeling I was experiencing for the first time ever in spite of several such ventures in the past.

In a short while from here we reached the plateau of Bhimashankar. After  spending some time atop, we climbed down via Ganesh Ghat to village Rajape through a very steep gully traversing the Padargad Fort.  

...... Nishad Umranikar