Ulhas River

About:

The Ulhas River is a river flowing in the western part of India. It rises at the foothills of the Sahyadris near Karjat in the Western Ghats Range and starts flowing in the west direction. It enters the Thane and Raigad districts of Maharastra between Kulgaon-Badlapur towards the north of Ulhasnagar and then moves towards Kalyan. Then the river turns in the west direction towards Thane and a channel connects it to the Thane Creek.

During its course the Ulhas river meets the Barvi River, which is actually the discharge water of Barvi Dam. This meeting point is a tourist spot and a fishing spot for villagers. It is at Thane the river separates into two. One branch flows in the west direction and the other branch in the south direction. It is around the Salsette Island where lies the city of Mumbai. The two branches are estuarine in nature and they lie on seismic fault line.

The river then turns in the northwest direction towards Ghodebunder, where it opens into an estuary known as Vasai Creek.The Thane Creek flows in the south direction and empties into the Bombay Harbour. The estuary of Ulhas houses several historical ports of Kalyan, Kopri and Shurparaka. The important tributaries of the Ulhas River are Bharvi, Bhatsa and Kalu rivers.

Location info:

Address:Karjat,Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
District: Raigad District.
Nearest City: Karjat
Best time to visit: Nov to Feb and April to June.

Climate/Weather:

Climate is subtropical,with mild winters and warm summers.

History:

Interesting things to do:

River Rafting,Karjat:
Karjat on the banks of the Ulhas river is a perfect place for many water sports activities. River Ulhas tempts the tourists to have a great experience of river rafting in the most exciting cool and calm waters perfectly blended with nature, Karjat’s river rafting is really an adventurous experience, with many of the visitors offer themselves for the passion.

Trekking,karjat:
Karjat is a renowned area for trekking due to its undulated hilly terrains and slopes. Karjat offers medium to very demanding adventurous trekking trails. The adventurous trekkers can get the required level of challenge from the trekking tracks in Karjat. These trails are mostly unexplored and unspoiled. The cool and calm ambience makes it a perfect place for nature trekking.

Interesting things to Visit:

Kondana Caves:
Kondana Caves situated in Karjat offers the ancient lifestyle of Buddhist followers. Ancient rock-cut caves, Kondana Caves are very famous Buddhist caves. These caves enclose sculptures, vihara, cahitya and stupa. Sculptures and stupas are specimens of the ancient period Buddhist architecture. There was a natural disaster in the form of an earth quake in early 1900 by which many stupas, front entrance and floor of the caves were damaged.

Peth Fort:
Peth Fort, also known as Kotligad, is a major attraction of the small village Peth nearby to Karjat in its north east region. Peth is a conically shaped hill and it offers a panoramic view of the foothills. The fort is at the pinnacle of the mount and it is placed perfectly on the back drop of Matheran ranges and Western Ghats. One can view the Konkan country side from the fort and the beauty of this view is majestic.

 

Mobile range info:

How to reach?

Nearest Railway Station:Karjat.
Nearest Airport: Mumbai International airport.
Road Transport: Karjat is 100km from Mumbai. State buses ply from Mumbai to Karjat.

Nearest Visiting places:

Ulhas Valley:
This valley glitters with large flowing streams of Ulhas river. It offers breathtaking sights during the monsoons, when the water falls gush through the thick greenery of the valley. There are a number of tunnels in the Ulhas valley, which helps the trains to pass through the valley.

Bhor Ghat:
This ghat has a historical significance. It was the ancient trade route connecting the ports at Choul, Revdanda, Panvel, etc. on the Konkan coast and the hinterland on the Deccan plateau.

Kondheshwar temple:
This temple is located in Sandshi. The beautiful architecture of the temple makes it a favourite tourist spot.

Bahiri Cave:
This cave is famous for trekking. Its characteristic long and strenuous streches makes it a challenging trekking adventure. However it is advised that an expert should accompany a trekking trip in this cave.
This cave stands facing the Ulhas Valley at an altitude of 600m. this cave is religious for many Hindu devotees. On the day of Chaitra Purnima a fair is held in the area.

Nakhind:
Nakhind is a hill, that stands at an altitude of 704m high.This hill is marked by the flawless view of the ghats.

Chanderi:
This magnificient massif stands at a height of 790m . Chanderi is joined to a group of “four pinnacles” called Mhasmal. A cave at the base of Chanderi is famous for one-day trekking.

Bhimashankar Area:
Located in the Sajyadri ranges, Bhimashankar is a huge massif, with a thick reserve forest. It stands at an altitude of 1005m. At the top of this massif, there is a huge plateau where the Bhimashankar town and the Bhimashankar temple are situated. Bhimashankar is a popular pilgrimage spot, since the Bhimshankar templem dedicayed to Lord Shiva is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. The highest point of the massif is Nagphani, because it looks like the hood of a cobra from a distance. The Bhima river originates from here and flows down towards the Deccan

Peth:
An interesting conical hill, Peth offers a spectacular view of a thumb like pinnacle. The pinnacle is a fort, and is known as Kotligad. Peth oofers breathtaking views of the Konkan Country side, Western Ghats and Matheran Ranges.

Nearest Petrol Pump:

Available in Karjat Town.

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation:

Hotel Rahi,Karjat
Hotel Visawa,Karjat

Things to carry:

Tips & Suggestions:

Help Line/Phone Number:

Police Station: 100

Nearest Hospital:

Gokul Hospital,Karjat
Phadke Hospital,Karjat

Society/Community Phone Number