Connecting with Nature

The green countryside was overly alluring to let the soul remain encased in the dreary city!

Tagging along with the foliagers, we rattled on to the obscure village Ajiveli, about 60 kms from Pune. 

This is a place where you literally get down to earth and walk through mud. The meandering unpaved road to the forest is a delight. You will get to see real architectural masterpieces. I saw these amazing ants nest. One on the ground, constructed like a fort and another on a tree, constructed like a pagoda. And with mud!

Slushy trek led us to the Devrai – a dense sacred forest, dedicated to local deities or tree spirits. 

The villagers ensure that not a single leaf or a twig is taken from this forest. It is believed that any sort of violation will offend the local deity and could cause calamities.

To connect with nature is an humbling experience. Everything that we require is provided by nature. Including the mechanism to fight the much threatening diseases. Yet, we clamor for stuffs to make our life easier.

There is a strong reason behind every belief and practices. Labeling such beliefs as superstitions, is not completely correct. The villagers believe it is bad karma if, even, a tiny dried leaf is taken from this Devrai. I don't want to analyse this belief. For this belief ensures a balanced ecology, conducive for healthy co-existence of all living creatures.

Sitting in a/c rooms, on cushioned chairs, we forget our very beginnings as we plan to garner more material resources, completely forgetting how we plunder the very earth that has sheltered us. The experience of   sitting on a wet, glistening rock, right in a dense jungle (where the sun rays tries to squirms in through the tall trees that forms a canopy of sort, as if protecting the earth from evil spirits),  and listening to running water, I tell you, this is the best music I have ever heard! 

Asia's largest potholes

Nighoj is a nondescript village with acres of eye soothing greenery. About 90 Kms from Pune, off the Pune – Ahmednagar highway, this place is definitely a must visit for those seeking to explore off beat places that leaves one gaping at nature’s craftsmanship. Right on the banks of the river Kukdi!

The Kukdi river boasts of Asia’s largest potholes. It is indeed an eye treat. Gigantic holes sport the river shore. Kukdi river, a tributary of the Bhima River, meandering through the Deccan Plateau has created this natural masterpiece relentlessly through the ages. The locals call the potholes, Kund.

"Believed to be the largest natural pot holes in Asia, the phenomenon known as giants kettles, giants cauldrons or potholes is caused when small hard pebbles are trapped in eddies and, over many thousands of years, drill circular holes into the riverbed."

On the sun kissed autumn morning that I chose to travel, I hardly found any excited human on the potholed bank, except the solitary fisherman trying his luck. One local, who escorted us around the village, tried valiantly to look excited when he told us that no one really knows the depth of this river.

Locals believe that on Janmashtmi ( The day Lord Krishna was born.) an earthern pot filled with water emerges from the main well ( barav). Right at midnight! This is displayed in the temple of Malganga for 3 days. On the 3^rd day, the pot is taken near the well from where it disappears. Goddess malganga’s miracle, local claims and no one questions.   

With not a soul around, gentle breeze, happy birds chirping and a relatively sleepy temple of goddess Malganga. I would say this is one place to go and gaze deep into the gorge and drown own stress.