Saputara, the only
hill station in Gujarat is located in Dangs, on its border with Maharashtra. With an altitude of around 800 meters, Saputara is the second highest plateau in
the Sahyadri range running through the Gujarat State. The plateau overlooks the green valley
stretched over a length of about 24 km. Contrasting any other colonial fashioned
hill stations; Saputara has no majestic colonial buildings or view points named
after former British rulers.
The name Saputara,
i.e. abode of serpents is derived from the snake deity of the local tribals. A
small stone idol of the serpent is located on the banks of Sarpganga lake where
the locals congregate during the festivals of Holi and Nagpanchmi to worship
the deity.
Saputara is an
excellent get-away for the pollution hit and heat-scorched lives of the plains
and the metros. It is a hill that heals. With stunning sunset, vibrant sunrise,
cool winds and quiet solitude; Saputara is an ideal spot to chill out. Monsoon
is the month of magic. Clouds clap hands with the surrounding hills and a
strange mist and fog engulfs the area.
Getting There
and Away
The nearest
airport is Nasik, 80 km and another at Mumbai is 265 km away. Nasik road (80 km) is the nearest railhead on the Central
Railway; Bilimora (110 km), Valsad (135 km) and Surat (160 km) are the rail links on the Western Railway
in Gujarat. From Mumbai, a tourist can drive by NH3
to Nasik and take the state highway over the
Sahyadris via Dindori, Vani and Borgaon. Mumbai-Nasik-Vani-Saputara is 255 km. From Ahmedabad, a tourist can reach up to
Kharel cross-roads (15 km from Navsari) on NH-8, take a left turn
and reach Saputara via Rankuva cross-roads, Vansda and Waghai.
Getting Around
Saputara is a very
small town, so you won’t find auto rickshaws or taxis here. Most hotels arrange
for pick and drop from Nasik or within the town. You can easily cover the town on foot.
Places of
interest across Saputara
Lying on the
religious Surat-Shirdi route, Saputara has enough attractions to make a night
halt amidst the hills. It gives one a feel of rural and tinge of urban surrounding.
Swagat
Circle,
situated right at the entrance of Saputara, is the geographical hub of this
place. .
Sarpganga Lake
Located right at
the centre of the Saputara valley, this is a 70 feet deep perennial lake flanked by picturesque
hills. There are paddle and row boats available for boating. A long walk along
the lake-side pathway is a pleasure trip.
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| Sarpganga Lake, Saputara |
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| Boat Riding at Sarpganga Lake, Saputara |
Governor Hill
(Sunset point – Hill No. 1)
At a
distance of around 1.5 km from the Swagat circle, the Governor hill
is a place to capture the sun going down the valley. It is called Governor’s
hill because there was a plan to have Governor’s holiday residence over here.
However the plan did not materialize. One can have a panoramic view of the
Saputara down the valley. Apart from facilities for horse and camel riding and
amusement facilities for children, the spot has some sweet-corn and tea stalls
for refreshments. A steep hike to the hill does
not give the idea of the vast table land here. Big vehicles like buses and low
powered two wheelers find it difficult to reach the point. In monsoon, the hill gets covered with mist
and fog after the rains – a spirit of bonhomie floats in the air with the
clouds.
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| Sunset View Point at Governor Hill, Saputara |
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| Governor Hill, Saputara |
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| Camel Riding at Governor Hill, Saputara |
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| Governor Hill, Saputara |
Sunset Point
(Hill No. 2)
Also known as
‘Gandhi Shikhar’, the sunset point lies opposite to the Governor hill. Apart
from the vivid sunset, a traveler can have a breath-taking view of the
surrounding tribal villages down the valley. A 10 minute tour across the valley
through ropeway brings you to the Governor Hill.
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| Sunset Point, Saputara |
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| Sunset Point, Sapautara |
The Ropeway
Operated and
maintained by the Vaity Hill Resorts, the ropeway starts at the Governor Hill,
reaches the sunset point across the valley, takes a mid-way halt and then takes
a U-turn and proceeds back to the starting point.
Sunrise Point
(Valley View Point)
Sunrise point is around 1.5 km away from the Swagat Circle. One has to leave the vehicle near the
Jain temple and has to trek the remaining hill to reach the sunrise point. Tourist
can have a spectacular view of the sun spreading its beautiful
soft-morning-rays and can spend a leisurely morning.
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| Sunrise, Saputara |
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| Sunrise, Saputara |
Museum
Anthropological museum at
Saputara is located at a walking distance from the Swagat Circle. The museum gives an
introduction to the lifestyle, costumes, heritage and ecology of the tribal
Dangs. Established in 1970, the museum exhibits Dangi tribal art, culture,
clothes, musical instruments, ornaments, paintings, agriculture implements,
proto-typehouses, grass ornaments, stuffed birds, masks used in dance-dramas
and objects of day-to-day use by the native Dangis. The famous snake sculpture
of Saputara is housed in the museum campus. A small and beautiful aquarium is
located near the museum within the same campus.
Gardens
There are several
gardens across Saputara. Lake garden, Step garden and rose garden are
some of the scenic spots for tourists to catch a breath. Step garden is a
garden set up in steps. Developed and maintained by the Forest Department, the
garden has a forest hut for tourists to stay in. Tourists can have an excellent
valley view from the garden.
View Points
Important view
points worth a visit include Echo point and Valley View point. Echo point is
located en route Navagam. Amidst the cool natural ambience with a hill
in the background, one can hear the echo of what one says through resonance.
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| Echo Point, Saputara |
Temples
The three
important temples across Saputara include Nageshwar Mahadev Temple, Jain Temple and Ganesha Temple. The Nageshwar Mahadev temple lies on the
Sarpganga lake. The old rock cut snake deity of Saputara lies near the temple
on the banks of the lake. The Jain temple houses 508 years old idol of Shri
Chintamani Gajabhishek Parshwanath. Temple has marvelous carving on the gates and the
temple. Ganesha temple is situated at village Navagam, around 1.5 km from the Swagat circle. This is a
beautiful Ahtavinayak Ganesha temple with eight different forms of Lord
Ganesha.
Ayurvedic Garden
The garden lies en
route Governor hill at a distance of around 1 km from the Swagat circle. Established in
1966 on the recommendation of famous Ayurvedacharya Shri Rasiklal Parikh, the
garden contains various ayurvedic medicinal plants, shrubs and trees.
Loghut
Built in 1977 from
Valsadi teak, the Loghut is based on the design of loghuts in Scandinavian
countries. Ground floor is an RCC structure whereas the top two floors are
entirely made up of teak wood. It is a Rest House run by the Forest Department.
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| Loghut, Saputara |
Honey Bee
Centre
Located opposite
to the Lake View garden, the Honey Bee Centre (apiary) is
place where honeybees are reared and pure honey is extracted and sold at the
market price. One can watch the process of domesticating wild bees (apiculture)
in artificial movable hives made from hollow logs, wooden boxes, pottery
vessels and woven straw baskets.
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| Honey Bee Center, Saputara |
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| Honey Bee Center, Saputara |
Excursions
in Maharashtra
Hathgadh Fort
Located 6 km from Saputara on the Saputara-Nasik highway, Hathgadh Fort
is based on Hathgad Hills commanding spectacular views of surrounding areas. An
antiquated fort of Mulher area in the Nasik district, this fort enriches
the beauty of Sahyadri Hills. It is believed to be constructed by the great
warrior and King of Marathas Chattrapati Shivaji way back during his reign. At
the top point is located a beautiful idol of lord Ganesha. The best way to
sample out this archaic architecture is to walk down with a guide.
Saptashrungi Devi Temple, Vani
Located 50 kms from
Saputara off Saputara-Nasik road near Vani, a village in Maharashtra,
Saptashrungi is a site of pilgrimage where goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini (Durga
Devi) dwells within seven mountain peaks. This place is one of the 51 shakti
peeths (power centers) where goddess made her presence felt. The other three
peeths in Maharashtra include Tulja
Bhavani at Tuljapur, Amba Bhavani or Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur and
Renuka Devi at village Mahur.
The
devi is carved on a rock cliff on top of the mountain Saptashrung at an
altitude of 1230 meters above sea level. The carving is eight feet tall and is
carved on a single rock face. Devi holds a weapon in each of her eighteen arms.
The temple is located at N 20° 23’ 28.6” and E 73°54’25.1”. There is a road,
which goes up to and altitude of 1150 meters, from here there is flight of 470
stairs, which goes right up to the shrine. Two fairs are organized every year:
one on Chaitri Full Moon Day which runs for 15 days and the other on Navratri
which runs for 9 days. The temple is well connected with the city of Nashik and
Saputara.
Fairs and
Festivals
On 15th
October every year, a cultural mela is organized by Bhasha Research and Publication Center, Vadodara. On this occasion the tribal
artists gather to present their theatre, songs, folk epics, dance and music.
Shopping
Shopping complex
situated near museum off the Nasik road and numerous sidewalk shops
surrounding museum entrance are the primary shopping locations in Saputara. Bamboo
artifacts, curios, seasonal fruits and dry fruits, toys, several confectionary
products including the famous Lonavala Chiki and usual array of knick-knacks
typical of tourist haunts are on display. For crafts and finer metal artifacts,
a visit to Chacha Emporium situated on the corner of the road towards Sarpganga Lake is recommended.
Medical
Services and other facilities
A Government
Primary Health Centre (PHC) and a chemist shop near Swagat Circle are the only medical services at Saputara.
Across the Border in Maharashtra, two Private Clinics operate at Borgav, 10
km from Saputara. A PHC at Shamagahan, 10 kms down the hill on Gujarat side from Saputara, does have certain
basic medical facilities. However, it is advisable to carry a small stock of
essential medicines during the journey.
This apart, the
only petrol pump in Saputara is located near the Maharashtra border on the Saputara-Nasik highway.
