Monsoon Road Trip Through the Western Ghats- Route 1
- jeevan marketing
- Jun 7
- 5 min read
Pune → Manchar → Bhimashankar → Pune
Keywords: monsoon road trip Western Ghats, Pune to Bhimashankar itinerary, Hotel Jeevan Manchar, road trip Maharashtra, Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary, Rajgurunagar attractions, Chaskaman Dam, weekend getaway from Pune
Why Take This Route in the Monsoon?
Bold green hills wrapped in mist, sudden waterfalls cascading down laterite cliffs, and the sweet petrichor that only the Western Ghats can brew—this circuit packs all the classic Sahyadri monsoon drama without the highway nightmares of longer drives. By keeping Manchar and its hill‑top Hotel Jeevan as your hub, you get two unbeatable perks: a comfortable base on NH‑60 for round trips, and the flexibility to sample hidden ghats and temples without repacking every night.
Quick Stats• Total distance: ~310 km round‑trip• Ideal duration: 3 days / 2 nights• Best window: mid‑June – late‑September• Vehicle of choice: high‑clearance hatchback/SUV (road edges can crumble after cloudbursts)
Day 1 – Pune ➜ Manchar (60 km | 1 h 30 m)
Start Easy: Breakfast in Pune
Leave Pune after the early office rush—around 7 a.m. Grab a Maharashtrian misal pav at JM Road or a stack of fluffy medu vadas at Vaishali to fuel the drive. Hit NH‑60 (Old Pune‑Nashik Highway) before 8 a.m. to watch the rain clouds roll across the plateau.
Mid‑morning: Ghod River View
At Chimbali Phata, take a 5‑minute breather to watch monsoon‑swollen tributaries of the Bhima River spread like silver arteries across the fields.
Check‑in: Hotel Jeevan, Manchar
Perched on a breezy ledge just above Mahatma Gandhi Vidyalaya, Hotel Jeevan gives you 180‑degree valley views and safe covered parking—gold in the Sahyadri rains. Choose a Deluxe A/C room (₹2000 + taxes) if you want that picture‑window sunrise; large families can book adjacent Exclusive rooms and walk straight to the pure‑veg restaurant for unlimited thali. (hoteljeevanmanchar.com)
Pro Tip: Ask reception for a flask of masala chai before you dash out—the garnish of lemongrass here comes from their own backyard.
Afternoon Loop: Ozar & Lenyadri Ashtavinayak
Drop bags and drive 15 km to Ozar. The Vigneshwara Ganpati temple’s deep‑red shikhara pops even brighter against rain‑washed skies. Follow up with Lenyadri’s cave temple (10 km further).. Return to Manchar by 4 p.m.
Sunset Stroll: Dimbhe Dam Backwaters
A 25‑minute detour west of Manchar leads you to the quiet banks of Dimbhe Dam—mirror‑still except when the overflow gates open, releasing a roar that echoes off basalt cliffs.
Dinner Spotlight
Back at Hotel Jeevan, order their signature pithla‑bhakri with a side of fiery thecha—a local farmer’s favourite turned gourmet staple. Cap it with shrikhand made from buffalo milk sourced in nearby Narayangaon.
Day 2 – Manchar ➜ Bhimashankar (68 km | 2 h) & Return
Dawn Drive into the Clouds
Leave before 6 a.m.; the Kohinde Ghat hairpins are dreamlike when the first light of day hits low‑lying clouds. Keep windows cracked for that forest‑floor fragrance.
Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary
Park at Khandas base village and choose your adventure:
Trail | Duration | Difficulty | Monsoon Perks |
Ganesh Ghat | 4 h up & down | Moderate | Fern‑lined forest tunnels, safe for beginners |
Shidi Ghat | 3.5 h up, 2 h down | Challenging | Iron ladders dripping with moss—Instagram gold |
Expect Malabar giant squirrels leaping overhead and tiny neon‑green frogs on the path.
Sacred Interlude
At 3290 ft, the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple emerges from drifting mist like a charcoal sketch come alive. Spend 30 minutes inside; mornings have shorter queues.
Hidden Gem: Gupt Bhimashankar
Follow the stream‑side arrows 1 km to a natural Shiva‑linga under a waterfall. The trek is knee‑deep in wildflowers by July.
Lunch: Forest‑Side Maharashtrian Bhojnalay
Try a steaming ukadiche modak platter; locals claim the jaggery tastes sweeter in this altitude chill.
Optional Add‑On: Hanuman Lake
A 5‑minute walk from the main temple road; the still water doubles every colour the sky throws at it—perfect for reflection shots.
Twilight Return to Manchar
The downhill drive gifts you a panoramic view of Hotel Jeevan’s hilltop lights guiding you back like a lighthouse. Freshen up and sample their veg Kolhapuri with jawar bhakri before calling it a night.
Day 3 – Manchar ➜ Khed / Rajgurunagar (32 km | 50 m) ➜ Pune (75 km | 1 h 45 m)
Post‑Breakfast Roll‑out
Check out from Hotel Jeevan but leave luggage in the lobby if you plan a late‑evening return; the staff is happy to store it for free.
Stop 1: Chaskaman Dam (12 km east of Rajgurunagar)
Monsoon‑fed sluice gates thunder here; stand on the viewing bridge for rainbow spray photos. Early mornings often feature kingfishers skimming the spillway.
Stop 2: Hutatma Rajguru Wada
Inside Rajgurunagar town, this restored ancestral home of freedom fighter Shivaram Rajguru packs rare photographs of the 1928 Lahore Conspiracy Case.
Local Bites: Khed Misal
Don’t miss the iron‑kadhai misal at Hotel Sugandha—sprinkled with farsan and bathed in a crimson rassa that could wake a sleeping buffalo.
Detour (Optional): Rasalgad Fort (15 km off NH‑66 if you have an extra day)
Stone bastions overlook rolling Konkan hills—a fort trek where the clouds race you to the top.
Back to Pune
Rejoin NH‑60 and arrive in Pune by sunset. Drop off rentals, share the monsoon memories on Instagram, and start planning next year’s Western Ghats chase.
Spend Some Time in Manchar Itself
Many travelers treat Manchar as just a sleep‑over junction, but the agrarian town hides gems worth half a day:
Weekly Bazaar : Farmers roll in with turmeric‑stained hands and cartloads of exotic gourds, pink onions, and monsoon‑fresh sweet corn. Watching the bargaining theatre is almost as fun as tasting a roasted bhutta topped with lime‑salt.
Grape Vine Walks: Narayangaon’s vineyards (20 minutes north) offer impromptu tours from July onward. Sip on locally fermented grape soda—non‑alcoholic but bursting with flavor.
Panna Jewellers : A nod to Manchar’s long‑standing gold‑smithing lineage. Even if you’re not buying, peek in to see artisans hand‑carving wax molds for customized Maharashtrian ornaments
Spend the late afternoon at Hotel Jeevan’s. Monsoon clouds tumble across the valley here, sometimes so low you can run a hand through the fog.
Understanding the Monsoon Ecology of the Sahyadris
The Western Ghats are a UNESCO biodiversity hotspot where over 300 endemic species burst into life with the first showers. The downpours trigger something called ‘mass flowering’ in understory shrubs, which in turn attracts rare pollinators like the Blue Oakleaf butterfly. Keep an eye out for:
• Ephemeral waterfalls—they last only hours after heavy rain.• Bioluminescent fungi along decaying logs on the Ganesh Ghat trail after dusk.• Ground Orchids near Khandas; tiny but brilliant magenta.
Tread lightly on these fragile ecosystems: stick to marked paths, use reusable silicon rain covers for backpacks instead of disposable plastic, and carry spent batteries back to Pune for proper recycling.
Detailed Packing Checklist
Gear | Why You Need It |
Quick‑dry trekking pants | Jeans become cement once wet |
Poncho that covers backpack | Umbrellas flip in ghat gusts |
Micro‑fibre towel | Dries inside the car between stops |
Car vacuum flask | Keeps kadha (herbal decoction) hot for 6 hours |
Odomos/Natural Repellent | Gusty valleys breed creative mosquitoes |
Spare serpentine belt | Mechanics between Manchar and Bhimashankar are limited |
Safety & Responsible Driving
Excess rain sometimes triggers minor landslides near Kohinde Ghat. Check the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Twitter handle the night before for closure alerts. Maintain a two‑car distance on hairpins; brake lights bounce off mist and can blind the driver behind.
Remember, local shepherds often move their flocks along NH‑60 at dawn. Slow down, click a picture—after asking permission—and let the pastoral rhythm set the tone for the day.
Extend the Trip? Here’s How
If you can spare two extra days, consider looping south from Khed to Mahabaleshwar’s strawberry fields or continue west to dive into Konkan beaches once the monsoon retreats in September. This adds another 250 km but gifts you the scent
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