Lakes of Maharashtra – Pawna & Tungarli

Road trips needn’t be long mega trips to far off destinations , they are meant to be experiences deeplymoving from within and hence disance actually does not play much role in this . Keeping this in context let me go down memory lane to uncover the delightful trip to the Maharashtra Ghats .

This is a brief travelogue on a single day trip to two lesser known lakes of Maharashtra which in reality has numerous lakes spread all over its length and breadth. On this day I  journeyed to see Lake Tungarli and thereafter Lake Pawna, nestled in the Lonavla -khandala belt of the Sahyadris.

The starting point for this trip was Mumbai and one had to reach Lonavala prior to accessing these two lakes. Tungarli  is very much accessible from the town of Lonavala and the lake on has  a dam  constructed on it . The lake looks after the water requirements of Lonavala town. The dam was constructed in the 1930s and is in the foothills of the Sahyadris. In the monsoon this is the place to be, we did meet a group who were organizing a weekend camping for clients and based out of Mumbai.

I did indulge in a lot of photographs and also climbed the local hills overlooking the lake to get a view of the entire surrounding. It was a real peaceful time that I enjoyed to great deal with hardly any more people to intrude upon my solitude.

After spending close to two hours we then proceeded to Dhaba Kinara Village which is on the old Mumbai Pune highway just after exiting the town. A magnificent place it had great food and service coupled with ambiance and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Had a leisurely meal and then we proceeded towards Pawna Lake which is 22 kms from Lonavla towards Dudhiware Khind.The route is pretty simple and goes through the villages Kusagaon and Aundholi.Around 5 kms before the lake one come across a path cut through the mountain and on the left side of it there is a jungle trail quite predefined which is the trek to Lohagad fort which overlooks the Pawna Lake. Due to paucity of time I did not attempt the trek but it is quite popular amongst the local trekkers.

After Dudhiware Khind one can see the lake which is a vast expanse of water and the three forts of Lohagad, Tung and Tikona which used to guard the entrance to the valleys below in the times of Shivaji and Mughal Dynasty. I stopped at the Lohagad resort and Boating club which also has accommodation in case anyone wishes to stay and a small restaurant .I spent close to three hours at the lake and saw the sunset, wanted to also capture the full moon but the drive back was also there in the back of my head so after spending an enthralling time out here which included a ride on one of the boats, I bid adieu to a splendid spot so close peaceful tranquil and exotic.

FAQ

Nearest Town	Lonavala
When to Visit	Monsoons , Winter
Max duration of visit	03 days with two days in & around Pawna Lake
Activities	Boating , fort hiking and nature therapy
Mobile connectivity	Good
Conveyance	Get your own either personal or Hired
Tips	Avoid weekends , plan a slot in weekday