Tempest

Outside, a storm brews.

.

Gusts of wind blown across the Arabian Sea strike land,
Channeled by the geography of the Western Ghats,
Into nooks and crannies of the Sahyadri range,

Leaving no place for petty civilization to run or hide
Save for hutments of stone and lowly earth.

.

Like the Gods themselves blowing with all their might,
The gale brings forth rain and hail,
Freezing every living being to the bone.

.

Bhosegaon, off Panchgani, is one such nook.

Perennially engulfed in fog by the clouds funneled in,
With trees bent backward shorne of leaves, thrashing wildly about,

Buffeted by the very nature that created them,
Tugging at their roots, begging to be set free.

....

Inside, calm prevails.

.

Quietly curled up in woolens and warm blankets,
They stare at the grayness through the glass, eyes wide in wonder.

How two points in space, separated only by a few inches of wall,
Can have such different fates.

.

As branches snap and disappear into the distance,
And howling winds search for the elusive gap between door and frame, whistling their way in,

They huddle around a bowl of warm steaming Maggi,
Lost within themselves, enjoying the small pleasures of life.

Like a day spent lazing around, indoors,
Waiting, for a storm to pass...

....

Panchgani, Dist. - Satara, MH
19.09.16

...

Panchgani is a famous hill station in the Satara district of Maharashtra, approximately 285 km (or six hours drive) from Mumbai and 100 km (or two hours drive) from Pune. 

Situated at an elevation of 4,200 ft and named after five villages in its vicinity, it is a popular weekend destination due to its cooler climate in the monsoon months of June to September, and winter months of November to February. 

It is easily accessible by car or cab, and is also well serviced by popular luxury bus lines as well as state transport buses. Accommodation options include numerous hotels, resorts and home-stays. 

Tip: It is advisable to make reservations a couple of weeks to a month in advance, if travelling on popular weekends of the monsoon or winter season. Some facilities may be sold out.

Tip: Panchgani is an ideal location for the weekend, given the weather, view and the number of hotels, if you plan to run the Satara Hill Half Marathon, held every year mid-September at Satara city, 45 km away. Most facilities at Satara and Kaas Valley will be sold out on this weekend. It takes an hour and fifteen minutes to drive down to the Start/Finish line for the marathon.

We were at Exotic Homestay - Panchgani, off the Panchgani - Mahabaleshwar road, situated above Dhom Lake. The delightful caretaker family drummed up delicious Maharashtrian meals and made our trip truly memorable.