Matheran Hill Station

Matheran is a city and a Hill Station municipal council in Raigad district. It is a hill station in Karjat Tahsil and is also the smallest hill station in India. It is located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. It is located around 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. Matheran’s proximity to the three Metros makes it a popular weekend getaway for urban residents. The name Matheran means "forest on the head" (of the mountain).

Matheran is an eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. It is one of the few places in the world where vehicles are not allowed, which makes the place different from others. Because of vehicles being banned in Matheran, the place is quite peaceful despite the thousands of visitors coming to visit throughout the year.

There are lots of lookout points that provide spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Matheran has a reasonably dense forest cover.

Places of Interest

There are altogether 28 points, 2 lakes, 2 parks, 4 major worship places and a racecourse to visit inside Matheran. If you want to see all of them then you may need 2–3 days on your feet. One can move around on foot or horseback, but it is recommended moving on feet to take the best glimpse of nature. If you are on Horse back you may not be able to spend your desired time on the points. All the points’ gives a unique view and you can’t miss them. There are many walking paths for a leisurely walk. Points to see (Wikipedia source refers) :

• Alexander Point
• Belvedere Point
• Cecil Point(actually a water fall mouth)
• Charlotte Lake
• Chowk Point
• Echo Point
• Hart Point
• Khandala Point
• Little Chowk Point
• Lords Point
• Louisa Point
• Madhavji Garden & Point
• Matheran Railway Station
• Mayor Point
• Monkey Point
• Olympia Race Course
• One Tree Hill Point
• Panorama Point (Sun Rise Point)
• Porcupine Point (Sun Set Point)
• Rambag Point

Panorma Point provides a 360 degree view of the surrounding area and also the Neral town. From this point, the view of sunset and sunrise is breathtaking. The Louisa Point offers crystal clear view of the Prabal Fort.

The pictures are contributed by Brother Aslam Siddiqui.