Koyna Dam

Koyna Dam

After many many years I had the chance to see  a star studded sky. We were on top of a plateau in the Sahyadris, overlooking the Koyna Dam. It was a long week end and Koyna Nagar was just seven hours drive from Mumbai via Pune and Satara. We were four friends out to make the best of the long week end. The drive was comfortable on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and then the National highway four. The road was lined with blooming Bouganvilla and many shrubs and bushes. We turned in towards Koyna Nagar at Patan and reached our destination, the Hotel Presidency. The place  was neat and clean with well manicured gardens and a hospitable staff. After a long time I found the perfect peace and quiet on this plateau. I enjoyed the Sun rise over the Sayadri Range with dew and grass at my feet, and the gorgeous panorama of wind mills lined up at a distance on the next Plateau. After sundown I enjoyed the vast star studded sky that seemed to engulf you. I think I could sit on this lawn endlessly and watch the days go by. What else could one desire?- Pollution free air and the distinct and clear call of the birds.  But then I did want to explore the area.

    So we went down to the lake, Shivaji lake (Koyna Reservoir) , formed due to the dam. This lake extends up to Mahableshwar, North of Koyna. An hours boat ride in the lake was exhilarating. The lake was not up to its maximum capacity, so the red soil was visible patterned in horizontal striations marking the level of water as it receded over the year and waited in expectation for the next rainy season. The boatman explained as he took us across the lake and along the banks. He told us that leopards living in the forest lining the lake, were spotted sometimes. And then we found something very very interesting. The exposed red soil of the banks was temporary home for migratory birds. They had made tiny caves for their eggs and chicks. The birds were grey with orange beaks. We could get a glimpse of the newly hatched chicks. They were all huddled together because they were not old enough to fly. We did want to see the Dam  an engineering feat ,at close quarters. We were four friends with a scientific temper, and wanted to see this marvelous engineering project with as much details as possible. But without an earlier permission we were not allowed to visit the Dam from within. At the nearby Nehru Park there was a small theatre and exhibition hall that projected the history and development of the project. It is a huge project that began in 1960 and has followed up to the fourth stage over the years and there is scope for further development to satisfy the growing needs of the population in this region.

     We could not miss the wind mills that beaconed us. So we drove down to Patan and turned towards Whaga-gaon. It was an uphill climb for an hour and half via narrow winding roads to Whaga- gaon on top of the plateau. The vast flat space had 107 wind mills spread out. The land is leased out to “Suzlon” for this green and clean energy source. We drove around the wind swept plateau with the windmills towering above us and dwarfing the trees. We chit chatted at the “Suzlon” office and substation premises and just before sun down we were back at the hotel and plateau over looking the Koyna Dam. Once again the beautiful starry sky enveloped us as we relaxed with “chai” and “pakoras” on the hotel lawns. The next day we were back on the road to Mumbai. This time we took another route that was slightly longer than the previous but just as interesting. This time we descended from the plateau via a road that took us to Chiplun,  that is situated at the base of the Sayhadri range. Here we picked up crates of “Alphonso” mangoes and then moved in the direction of Highway sixty six that took us back to Mumbai. We did take a detour just on the outskirts of Chiplun at Parshuram Lote temple. Its location is at the perfect height that gives one a birds eye view of the valley below. Absolutely picturesque with meandering rivers , villages and lush green lowland.

   This highway  too was tree lined almost all the way. Closer to the Mumbai region, the tree lining gave way to a lot of construction and thus barren land. We had a comfortable journey along this route too, and that left us less exhausted.

Sunrise over the Sahyadris

Parshuram Lote Temple

The Dam and Reservoire from the hotel premises

Windmills at Whaga-gaon

Substation at the Whagha-gaon Plateau.