Kaas - Plateau of Flowers

Kaas : Plateau of Flowers

Trek: Leisure trek to Kaas : Plateau of Flowers
Base village: Kaas, Maharashtra

Height: 1200 metres

Grade: Easy

Trekkers: 20

Dates: 14th September 2014 (Starting on 13th September)

Trek coordinator: Trek Mates India (TMI)

Trek Lead: Manoj Kalwar
Botanist: Viral Patel

Prologue:

UNESCO had lately included Kaas plateau in its World Heritage List and hence it had just found a place in my " " list. As ideal time to visit this place is mid september -October, i was looking out for such an event on Mumbai Hikers website. Then i came across an event arranged by Trek Mates India which i choose to enroll. It was all inclusive Mumbai to Mumbai one day event for exploring Kaas plateau satara starting preceeding night.

So as per itinerary we all were to gather at Dadar near Swami Narayan temple at 11: 00 pm at night. From there we started for Kaas plateau at 11:30 pm in a mini bus. We were pick up few of our fellow trekkers on the way at chembur and vashi. Once they were picked up on the way, we continued on Mumbai - Pune Expressway and the Pune - Bangalore highway.

So by 5 :30 - 6 am we reached Satara. To reach Kaas on has to pass through  Satara city and ascend on ghats towards west. One can see entire satara city from the ghat area. The view of city with white clouds hanging over it was just awesome. 

Then after hour travelling through ghats we reached Kaas at around 6 :30 am. There our food and waiting facilities were arranged in local shack cum refreshments house. There we  finished our morning chores and had our breakfast.

Then at 7:30 am we started towards Kaas plateau. We had with us Manoj Kalwar as trek guide. Also there was a botanist and expert Mr. Patel who was is actually Phd student doing research on Kaas. He was there to educate us about various flower and guide us how to identify them.

One requires to obtain permit for entering the flowering area. There were police manning the entrance and after payment of due entry charges, we entered in flowering area. The entire area had road in between and flowering area on both sides of the road.  There was wooden and wired barricade to prevent haphazard eateries in the area. Specific entry points are marked for entry. There our guides gave us necessary instructions. Then we entered the flowering area.

It was one of the most beautiful sight i had ever seen. The entire landmass encompassing vast area appeared as if someone has spread a pink coloured carpet on it. Most important part is that it is all naturally created. No human interference or resources had been spent done to create the same. It was one of the wonderful creations of nature. The only human interference needed is to protect it from undisciplined human encroachers.

Some areas were covered with white coloured Flowers, some in violet, some in faint yellow. It was a visual treat to one's eyes.It appeared as if Mother nature has spread her canvas and was judiciously spreading bold colours on it. There is a muddy tract in between the vast expanse of plateau. 

 Nature has it own ways for making wonderful things; the plateau is one of such wonderfully made creations.

The flower bed is made of porous rocks with scarce layer of mud. The flowers blooms in the second half of rainy season starting September to October. The flowering season mostly depends on type of rains in early monsoon months. The flowering time of different coloured flowers varies in this flowering season; so that one can see pink flower bloom in one week and violet coloured flowers bloom in another week. The dried seeds of this flowers drop after bloom and remains in the mud for whole year. Once again in next in rains these seeds germinate to bring flowers to decorate the nature's coloured carpet. This cycle repeats year after year and will continue forever if there is no human interference in the same. We humans are notoriously known to interfere and pervert most of nature's creations and cycles.

Coming back to our strolling at Kaas, there are predesignated mud tracks between flowering areas which one has to follow. However many of times, people to get good clicks, step into the flowering beds destroying the flowers. There are police and guards to prevent such undisciplined humans. Moreover there are also snakes residing in the flower beds. But voluntarily little care and discipline is expected from humans to preserve such an wonderful creation of nature so that others can also enjoy its beauty.

By now sun had risen and the temperature had soared. Even when we were in September, the sun's rays appeared were burning our skins. The combination of humidity and sun's heat had bearing on our skins. So we along with our botany expert we were strolling in the muddy tracts. 

Botany Expert - Mr. Viral Patel

There he showed us variety of flowers with their peculiar features. I could not remember most of them leaving two; the Balsam- the most abundantly found flower on Kaas plateau and the mickey mouse flower. This flower which is exclusively found at Kaas is known as Mickey mouse flower as its shape resembles the face of mickey mouse of Disney world.

Balsam

Smithia (Kavala) - Mickey Mouse Flower

There we were able to identify variety of flowers including many exotic ones and few endangered species. They are as below:

Seeta's Tears

White seeta's tears

Elephant Trunk (Halunda)

Asiatic Dayflower

Jambhli Manjiri

Chavar

Exacum Lawii

Greater Cat Ears (Abhali)

Have Aria

Hill Spurge

Impatiens

Lantana with a pollinator

Nisurdi

snowflakes

Sonki

Tooth Brush Orchid

Tutari (Rhampicarpa Longiflora)

Yellow Jewelweed (Impateins dalzelli)

Our group pic - P. C. Kaustubh

Photographer of our group - Jal Panthaky

Then after 4 hours of strolling and studying variety of flowers we went down along the slopes to visit kaas lake.

Old Building built by British

There is an old building built some british officer on the way towards lake. There at the lake we decided to cool our by now burning bodies. But swimming in unknown lake is risky. However we unknowingly had a national level swimming champion Mrs . Patel with us, who assured us of her support in case of any misadventures. So along with her we heartily swam in that lake. It was a great fun and most welcomed activity after the hot sunny stroll.

After swimming till 1:30 pm, we all were very hungry. So much that we could hardly walk up the slopes to our hotel and needed food served immediately. We were so much delighted to find a hot non veg unlimited lunch awaiting us at our refreshments shack. Everyone literally gulping down the food. There was Tambda and pandhra kolhapuri rassa flowing on our tables. Oh what a gastronomic delight it was!! Words fell short of describe it. Overly hungry folks with such an non veg delight. Awesome.

The local Restaurant - Sahyadri Pushp

Then to top it there were cold drinks to wash down our food pipes which were by now burning with tambda rassa.

Then after lunch we strolled near by for few minutes so that our overloaded bellies were settled down. There we had fun on that natural lawn wherein we funnily revenged our botanist Viral patel for pakaooing us in the morning session. 

"बहुत शहाणा बनता हे, सुबह से पका रहा हे"

Fun on the natural lawns

Filmy Fun 

There at the green lawned slopes we had some photography sessions.  After the fun on slopes at around 3:00 pm we started our return journey to Mumbai. Following the same route from where we arrived we had a short tea break near Katraj to reach Mumbai by 9 :30 pm.

Epilogue: In short it was very well planned leisure tour to kaas. It was one of its kind visual delight to one's eyes. With cheerful and crazy trek mates along with gastronomical treatment to one's taste buds, it was one of the memorable trips ever.

Photo Courtesy:

All exotic flower pics above were photographed and were made available by Jal Panthaky, Viral, and Kaustubh 

Trek Guide:

Mr. Manoj Kalwar (Now co-founded travel group with Jal Panthaky named "Travel Trikon")

Mob: 98190 21806

Website: www.traveltrikon.com

How to reach Kaas

Kaas can be preferably reached by private vehicles as there is no railway network nearby. State transport buses can also be availed from Satara bus depo. It is around 280 kms from Mumbai and 135 kms from Pune.

Stay Facilities at Kaas

This tour can be done in one day flat. However if you want to explore the place at leisure then there are various lodging facilities available in the vicinity. Also One can combine this tour with visit to Thoseghar waterfall and Chalkewadi windfarms nearby.

Food facilities at Kaas, Satara - Maharashtra

Hotel Sahyadri Pushp (Click for Google map coordinates)

Both veg and Non-veg cuisine available. Unlimited Kolapuri Tambda- pandhra rassa not to be missed.

Mobile:  094225 92035

Happy Trekking, Keep Exploring!!!!