Matheran is the smallest hill station in Asia measuring just 7 sq.km in area. This beautiful place lies 800m above sea-level and has a population of around 5000 people. Ministry of Environment, forest and Climate change has declared Matheran as an eco-sensitive region. The roads here are unpaved as motor vehicles are not allowed here. Any moment, you may find horses running on the trail, rising the red dust everywhere. There are around 2000 horses in Matheran. The locals as well as the tourists travel on horses or rickshaw. The people here resent not just modern transport facilities but also modern gadgets and so keep them away from Matheran. Other than tourism, the Matheran locals earn their living by selling leather goods and ‘chikki’ a popular Matheran sweet. The red mud on the streets have turned the leaves and branches of the trees into red hue. The air too is dusty.
The galloping horses never let the mud to settle down. The dry mountains, the muddy forest, the horses and the Parsi bungalows will take you back to good old memories of yesteryears. The only vehicle allowed to enter Matheran is a municipality ambulance. But then, the locals here are usually very healthy and very rarely need the ambulance. The fact that the only place where you find smoke is in the kitchens of their homes must be a reason for their well-being. The main attraction here is the mountains to watch sunrise and sunset. There are many sunrise points here like the Panorama view point which gives you a fascinating view of sunrise. The Charlotte lake which provides drinking water for the whole Matheran and the Sri Pisarnath temple on its bank are other major attractions of Matheran. The market here is opened till late night and has game stations, a wax museum and a cricket bowling machine to engage the visitors. There are also a Pay master park and Sivaji park for amusement. Earlier there was a toy train service to Matheran. Unfortunately, the railway track here was destroyed due to heavy rains in 2016 and there is no longer any train service to this region. The railway station and the tracks are now covered with red mud. Route to Matheran - Drive via Mumbai-Pune highway, turn left at Lodhivali Chowk and reach Neral point. From here ride through the Ghat road to Dasturi for 8km. Dispatch your luggage in any of the hand rickshaws and travel for another 4km either horseback or handcarts to reach Matheran. This place is 72km away from Navi Mumbai. There are lodges available for stay at Matheran.
