SOMETHING KHAAS ABOUT KAAS!

SOMETHING KHAAS ABOUT KAAS!

Within a stone's throw from Satara lies a lone valley littered with tiny blossoms! 

Come Autumn and the valley Springs forth in colorful hues...

The season being a huge constraint we had just 2 months to go. So, the third week of September saw us heading for Kaas Paathaar-'Maharashtra’s Valley of Flowers', also declared as a World Natural Heritage Site. ‘Kaas’ named after Kaasa Trees that abound the place and ‘Paathaar’ meaning valley in Marathi, the valley is just 26 kms away from Satara. 

Smithia Hirsute

My college friend and I set forth for this weekend trip with our families. Our jeep zipped through Lonavla, Pune and ultimately Satara. Reached Satara by 1 pm and post lunch, we were raring to go!

Soon as we zoomed through Satara into its outskirts, the weather mysteriously began to change! The clear skies began to show signs of grey. 

Tarred roads started giving way to redder soil and the stretch had fewer vehicles. 

Soon, shops and buildings began disappearing and were replaced by vales on one side and hills on another. 

As we trudged uphill, it was natural that we didn't need the AC. But as we slid open the windows, a gush of cold air startled us! A train of tourist jeeps and cars trailed along. We were assured that we were on the right track. Suddenly tiny yellow blossoms started dotting the scene!

Finding an isolated knoll, we parked the jeep and alighted. A layer of mist seemed floating around. Soon we found ourselves being pushed forward by unforeseen forces-the wind! From atop the cliff, the sights below seemed dramatic and clicks of camera were the only sounds heard. The Shivsagar Lake on whose banks is the Bamnoli Village, lay at the foothills.

The mead cloaked in velvety verdure suffused our senses with the fragrance of lushness, instantly rejuvenating us. 

We proceeded uphill and in minutes reached Kaas plateau. Parked vehicles alongside the road were indications. As soon as we stepped out, the cold breeze and a canopy of fog filled with droplets sent shivers down our spine! We were in for a surprise…this seemed like a hill-station!!

We trailed along the barricaded path and soon a few shrubs adorned with gay yellow blossoms appeared as though welcoming us. The howling wind echoed through the misty plateau and the tail-lights of vehicles outside began to dim.  

Lo & behold! Around us was a meadow awash with tiny blossoms, resplendent in myriad hues of blue, yellow, pink, purple and white! The whole field seemed like a sea of colorful waves being ruffled by the breeze. The swarm of blossoms twirled and swirled casting colorful ripples across the plateau. Yelps of glee mingled with sounds of snapshots.

Suddenly the lines of Wordsworth emerged forth the hinterland of my mind, “Ten thousand saw I at a glance, tossing their heads in a sprightly dance!”

Patches of purple interspersed with pink and speckles of white, dotted the mead. I must stress that the wind played spoil-sport blighting our efforts to capture the scene clearly.

So we waited with bated breath for the wind to abate. It was as if nature conspired to test our patience. Along with the howling wind, came the mist, shrouding the entire plateau! 

As we stood admiring, rays of sunlight trickled onto the field, lifting the veil of fog. It was as though a magic wand had stopped the ferocious wind! Again we began clicking a few snaps, when another gust of wind blew hard and long. 

And once again Mother Nature gently tucked her blossoms swaying on the flower bed in a blanket of mist!

Thanks to the vastness of the plateau that spans about 10,000 hectares, the swarm of humanity that had gathered was evenly distributed. The howling wind acted as buffers to human voices.

It was as if the sun and cloud were playing hide and seek! With hills and houses nowhere in sight and with just multitudes of wild flowers around us, it just felt magical.

Grazing cattle oblivious to the crowd that had gathered to witness the spectacle completed the picture...

By 5pm, when monsoon clouds began to loom large, the guards (shall we say the whistle blowers?), signaled us to vacate the place. Nature had her own way to indicate that time was up. Reluctantly we retraced our steps…turning our gaze backwards with every step we took forward. 

Kaas….it’s so near, yet so far…for, the valley bursts open in a riot of colors when autumn falls! So, even if we wanted to make another trip, given the proximity to Mumbai, we have to wait for another year…for it is only during Fall that the seeds of magic fall from Mother Nature’s golden pot!

Yellow Senecio Grahamii

Pogostemon Deccanesis

Pogostemon Deccanesis

How to reach Kaas-35 kms from Mahableshwar

Satara to Kaas-25kms

Mumbai-Satara-254 kms. You should reach Satara from Mumbai in 4 and a half hours time.

Best time to visit Kaas: Mid August to Mid October

Tip: Before you book your trip, check if the flowering season has begun. Book a hotel at least a week before your journey, because given the peak time, hotels will be full. There are no hotels at least 2 kms in sight, although few private cottages may agree to accommodate guests for a night.  

Caveat: Please avoid trampling on the tiny stems and flowers as you tread across. There're pathways carved out for people to amble along. Stick to this route.

Do carry light woolens and scarves, as it can turn windy. 

THOSEGHAR WATERFALLS

Kaas and Thoseghar go together. If autumn is the harbinger of the floral carpet that covers Kaas, it also marks the end of monsoon with sparse spells now and then. 

20 kms from Satara, Thoseghar undoubtedly is a crowd-puller! The retreating phase of monsoon is most alluring. With torrential rains having subsided, drizzles fall gently from the clouds above, cloaking hills and valleys in a velvety emerald. The remaining water empties from cliffs above- onto the vales below. 

The drive is something you’d die for! Snaking through bends, when you trudge uphill, the view below seems like a coiled serpent wading its way through the verdant plains. The fragrance of wet grass instantly revitalizes! 

Hues of green ranging from brownish green, olive green, yellowish green and emerald green seemed to spill forth Nature's palette, painting the tapestry in its entirety. 

With blotches of black stones dotting the different shades of green, it seems as if Nature has strewn these across to guard the scene from evil eyes!

Pretty Violet Balsam Blossoms 

Paved paths ensure an easy stride. 

The sound of cascading water breaks the tranquility. As we ascend a flight of steps, the sound seems clearer. 

And suddenly we come face to face with a surge of silver, gushing forth the green hills, forming another torrential rivulet on land! 

Tiny rivulets crisscrossing the luxuriance, is a sight to behold! 

Taking in as much as the eyes can capture, I capture more... on my lens that would perhaps serve as a memento later…

Outside is a small museum displaying the various blossoms blooming in the valley. Other significant details of Sajjanghad Fort and the nearby places are detailed too.

  

The verdant vales are a veritable haven in whose lap various flora and fauna thrive, occasionally peeking to witness the world of humans go by...