Matheran on the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) range was discovered in 1850 by Hugh Povntz Malet, the then Collector of Thane district. He climbed the hill now known as One Tree Hill and liked the general area enough to subsequently have a house built for himself. This house, ‘The Byke’, was the first house to be built here. Matheran became a popular resort through the patronage of Lord Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay in the 1850s. Elphinstone visited in 1855 and chose a site for the bungalow, still known as ‘Elphinstone Lodge’.
WHEN TO GO
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
Air
The nearest airport is Bombay, 102 km (64 miles) away.
Rail
One of India’s four and least well-known, hill railways links Matheran with the outside world. Take a Pune train from Bombay VT and change at Neral for the narrow-gauge train to Matheran. Several trains a day cover the 20-km (12 1/2 -mile) climb in about 2 hours. During the monsoons, the train service is reduced to one a day, and during heavy rains the service stops altogether because of the possibility of landslides. This is perhaps one of the best introductions to the Western Ghats, and one of the most leisurely train journeys in the world.
Road
Motorised transport is banned in Matheran; the closest cars can approach to the town centre is the car park 4 km (2 1/2 miles) away. Shared taxis are available from the nearest mainline rail-head at Neral.
GETTING AROUND
Matheran covers an area of 8 sq km (3 sq miles). Most visitors move around on foot; ponies and hand-pulled rickshaws are available for hire.
WHAT TO SEE
There are several places of interest at Matheran. Some of the major ones are Cathedral Rock and Charlotte Lake. Rambagh Village is 2 km from the post office at the start of a pleasant walk to Bhorgaon and back to One Tree Hill via Shivaji’s Ladder. A plethora of points offer lovely views of the plains or the ghats; their names pal homage to, amongst others, Artists, King Edward, the Landscape, Marjorie, One Tree. the Panorama and a Porcupine! Panorama Point 5 km (3 miles) from Matheran post office has spectacular views of Neral, Bombay and the ghats. This is a popular point to watch the sun rise Porcupine Point is where most people go to view the sunset.
RECREATION AND SHOPPING
The Olympia Race Course holds annual sports and riding competitions. A band plays on Pandey Playground in high season. Honey, footwear and decorative grasses are the local products offered for sale in Matheran’s main bazaar on Mahatma Gandhi Road.
