The first reaction from a lot of people about my trip to Nighoj was to ask why we needed to go up to Nighoj to see potholes when we had so many of them in Pune!
Jokes apart, I saw Milind Gunaji review the potholes or Raanjankhalge at Nighoj on some Marathi travel show on television. I thought it was an interesting place and further research on the Internet convinced us to give it a shot. We combined the trip with a visit to Morachi Chincholi village. Nighoj is about half an hour’s drive from Morachi via Takli Haji. You need to continue to the end of Morachi village and take a right turn. The distance is around 20 kms.
What we saw was something I can never forget. The place is made up of thousands and thousands of potholes, of all shapes and sizes, through which the water flows in and out as if it is playing for its own amusement. Another unique phenomenon is the white rock sandwiched between layers of gray rock that looks like ridges from a distance. We also spotted nests of the swallow bird in the rocks.
We trekked right up to the source of the river near the bridge on one side (The rocks are slippery so please be very careful). The phenomenon is out of the world and leaves you wondering how long it must’ve taken for the rocks to get worn out in this fashion. Perhaps thousands of years! Nighoj is one of nature’s mesmerizing miracles.
The place is clean by average standards in India, but can be much better maintained if some more awareness is generated and some discipline in the form of fines for littering are introduced. Perhaps a small entrance fee would also help maintain and keep the place clean. A board with some historical and other information of significance will be more than welcome.
Currently, there is nothing else in the area, you won’t get any food or water or even a cup of tea. There is a large temple complex being constructed (I wonder why we cannot have any tourist place in our country without a temple!!) with restrooms planned, so in a few months that may become available. You can easily spend a couple of hours in the area. It may be best to avoid the monsoon, because if the water level is high, most of the potholes may be hidden.
My verdict: 4 out of 5 – this would’ve got a full 5 if it had more in terms of infrastructure. Again, it is an experience for all age-groups. Best time to visit is in the winter, may be a month after the monsoon.
Jokes apart, I saw Milind Gunaji review the potholes or Raanjankhalge at Nighoj on some Marathi travel show on television. I thought it was an interesting place and further research on the Internet convinced us to give it a shot. We combined the trip with a visit to Morachi Chincholi village. Nighoj is about half an hour’s drive from Morachi via Takli Haji. You need to continue to the end of Morachi village and take a right turn. The distance is around 20 kms.
What we saw was something I can never forget. The place is made up of thousands and thousands of potholes, of all shapes and sizes, through which the water flows in and out as if it is playing for its own amusement. Another unique phenomenon is the white rock sandwiched between layers of gray rock that looks like ridges from a distance. We also spotted nests of the swallow bird in the rocks.
We trekked right up to the source of the river near the bridge on one side (The rocks are slippery so please be very careful). The phenomenon is out of the world and leaves you wondering how long it must’ve taken for the rocks to get worn out in this fashion. Perhaps thousands of years! Nighoj is one of nature’s mesmerizing miracles.
The place is clean by average standards in India, but can be much better maintained if some more awareness is generated and some discipline in the form of fines for littering are introduced. Perhaps a small entrance fee would also help maintain and keep the place clean. A board with some historical and other information of significance will be more than welcome.
Currently, there is nothing else in the area, you won’t get any food or water or even a cup of tea. There is a large temple complex being constructed (I wonder why we cannot have any tourist place in our country without a temple!!) with restrooms planned, so in a few months that may become available. You can easily spend a couple of hours in the area. It may be best to avoid the monsoon, because if the water level is high, most of the potholes may be hidden.
My verdict: 4 out of 5 – this would’ve got a full 5 if it had more in terms of infrastructure. Again, it is an experience for all age-groups. Best time to visit is in the winter, may be a month after the monsoon.
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