Sahyadrica

Nagla Block – August 10th, 2009 A fine day to explore! Thought I, and headed to the ST stand on a Sunday morning. The day was bright, sky open and faintly blue. No cloud was in the sight, and the effect of the Sun was already setting in. The air was humid, scarce and smelled of fresh vada paav and chai. It was a busy morning, as usual, with beggars going about their business, students going to tuitions, travelers unloading, workmen rushing, trekkers grouping and drunkards blissfully sleeping. The scene at the city street was as normal as expected, which relieved me. I hoped for some early morning rains but the sky was devoid of it. I sighed and waited for a friend – and we boarded the Virar bound ST. We were heading Nagla Block. When I think of Nagla Block, I think the word “different” expresses it well. For it is indeed differently beautiful compared to SGNP or Yeoor. Comparing Nagla to the latter places is righteously possible since Nagla is indeed a part of SGNP. Lying north of

Karjat - 31st July and 1st August, 2009 Sweat trickled down me brow as I awaited the coming of a train with the symbol ‘S’. An hour passed and the train arrived on platform 2, when it was to arrive at 5. Such things happen here that leaves the commuters fuming; nonetheless it did not bother me from being absorbed in the countryside, a dreamy world that shows up only during Monsoon. Aboard the filthy, hot and cramped train and with a burden on shoulders, I managed to find a place and settled. It was a two hour journey. Two hours of boredom, chaos and waiting. It was that moment when I achieved a seat at the window that I breathed easily. The view out of the window changed dramatically – from tall buildings to slums and from slums to huts. Then followed fields of lush green grass and crops, and mountains called Sahyardis – the northern mountain ranges of Western Ghats, standing tall on the plains of Maharashtra. The weather was warm and humid, cloudy and sticky – a good day to expl