Matheran is one of the famous spots for tourists andadventurers “ but for the first time “ a group of Mumbai-based youths havedocumented what can be described the A to Z of this hill station. It tookRainbow Adventures “ a group for nature education and conservation “ more thana year to document Matheran. They have come out with a book 'Matheran: APractical Guide'.
“There are some books about Matheran, but this is for thefirst time we have come out with a complete book. It has its history,geography, wildlife, heritage, market places, its people and so on,” saysYogeshChavan, who is an acupressure therapist and yoga trainer.
“The book or theguide helps anyone in successfully plan and execute trip to Matheran enablingthem to distribute time well between sightseeing, travel, shopping, eating andresting,” he said, adding that the guide has been planned in such a way that itcaters to every segment “ be it a common tourist, adventurer, wildlife lover,nature lover. The book has more than 200 coloured photos of the places ofimportance of this hill station located in the Karjat taluka of Raigaddistrict.
Chavan, who has been visiting Matheran since 1991, said thatevery tourist point has also been detailed. “We have done lot of research. Wehave not only given the exact height of the place, but also the GPS referencepoints,” he said. For example, the Honeymoon Point is located at 2350 feet andGPS reference “ N18 59.307 and E73 15.699.
They have devoted separate chapters for discovery ofMatheran by Hugh Pointz Malet, the British era Collector of Thane district(1850) and the mini train railway that connects Neral to Matheran “ by SirAdamji Peerbhoy, a well-known millionaire of Bombay in those days (1907). Thebook also points out the visit of Mount Stuart Elphinstone, who in 1850s wasthe Governor of Bombay.
The places of worship that has been included in the guide “among others are Pisarnath Mandir, Jain Mandir, Ram Mandir, Buddha Vihar,Ganpati Mandir, Radhakrishna Mandir, the mosque in the main market and StPaul's Church.
Chavan has also given details of the Aborigines of Matheran“ Gavlis, Thakars and Katkaris and also prominent personalities of Matheran “Veer Bhai Kotwal, Raghunath Kadam and Krishnaji Sabaji Sawant.
When it comes to flora and fauna, the book details itminutely. It provides a checklist of birds, butterflies, reptiles, insects,moths, archhinda, mammals, amphibians and fishes. “It is not a tourist guide,but much more than a tourist guide with the common man being the focal point,”added Chavan.
