Wanderlust of Devkund waterfalls
1-day Sunday trek on a Thursday! This was my life's first mid-week trek. On 13th October 2022, when there was supposed to be the October heat, Mumbai and surrounding regions were experiencing extended monsoon, 7 friends decided to explore the Devkund waterfalls.
The blog post is divided into 4 parts as follows:
1) How did we go?
2) Time line.
3) Photography & Video.
4) Expenses.
Base village: Bhira near Patnus and Pali.
Base railway station: Khopoli.
Route: By car from Dadar - Pali - Khopoli - Patnus - Bhira - Car parked at Bhira - 7 km single way trek to Devkund & backtrack.
Top tip: Visit on a week day, to avoid 5000+ crowd on weekends and do not throw plastic bottles, wafer packets and chocolate wrappers en route & around the waterfalls.
The place is so pristine, that the reservoir formed by the waterfall, reflects the color of the sky. So if you are lucky and the sky is clear and cloudless, you will see blue waters. Devkund means reservoir of the Gods.
Devkund is also the UGAM or the origin of River Kundalika. The river that has been made famous for rafting at Kolad.
There were villagers all along the way at every corner or twist and turn in the path. And they were there to help us. Guide us. Ask them the way and they will always point you in the correct and safest path. There is enough food and water provisions made by these helpful villagers for the city people who come to litter their beautiful environment. So please leave only your footprints and take nothing from the jungle, but photographs and pleasant memories.
10:45 trek starts from Bhira
2 hours 45 minutes to trek up.
19:15 return car journey starts
Don't be fooled by the flat terrain even in the videos. There are uphills and downhills and it is long. Use trekking shoes always.
The dog who followed us right from the start till the top. Of course, it earned tidbits from us.
Photo courtesy: my friend with DSLR even in the rains, SM!
The bridge for safe river crossing.
60/- rick between home to railway station (twice taken).
20/- return train ticket.
4896/- = 306 km x Rs. 16 per km.
400/- driver's daily allowance.
205/- = toll of 40 + 40 + 125.
5501/- = 7 passengers + 1 driver in AC Innova car hired = 4896 + 400 + 205.
(At Bhira: 200/- unlimited vegetarian meal; 220/- unlimited non vegetarian meal; 20/- tea; 10/- changing room for bath)
40/- breakfast of 20 per tea + 20 for 2 vadas.
100/- delicious lunch of chapatis & mutter-paneer
60/- instead of 100/- as entry, because of check-in with Shelar Mama's home stay.
210/- = 30 per head contributed towards driver's meals.
Enjoy the short VIDEO of the beauty of the DEVKUND.
All done in our usual TTMM (non-commercial & cost sharing) way.