The Arthur Lake setting amidst forests is an exhibition of alluring beauty. Surrounded by the dense canopied forests of the Sahyadri hills, the Arthur Lake gets its water from the meandering Pravara River. The enchanting view of the Radha falls pouring down from the Arthur Lake is bound to steal your heart away. The Radha Falls also serves as a hydropower generation.
Bhandardara hosts the famous Wilson Dam. This is a 150 m high and the largest earthen dam of India, besides being one of the oldest in Asia. All the nearby farms are watered by the Wilson Dam. The Umbrella Falls, which looks majestic in monsoon, streams from the Wilson Dam.
On the bank of Pravara River is the Agasti Rishi Ashram, attracting thousands of visitors. Ghorpada Devi temple is also nearby.
Bhandardara offers some perfect destinations for the trek lovers. Mount Kalsubai with a height of 1646 m is Maharashtra’s highest peak, could be reached from Bhandardara. Ratnawadi at a distance of 22 km is a days trek from here.
The other notable attractions are the Amruteshwar temple built in 8th century and the 400 year old Ratnagad Fort which are very interesting as well as adventurous climb.
From Konkan Kada sky rising peaks of the Sahyadri hills can be seen. This entire region comprises of a wide variety of flora and fauna and is a wildlife sanctuary.
Bhandardara is a place where you should be when you really want to be away from the hefty works of the city life. The best time to visit here is during or after the monsoon, when you can still smell the wet earth and sense freshness among everything.
Getting there:
The nearest station is at Igatpuri. Mumbai is 185 km via road.
