Mahabaleshwar, a hill less taken

Nestled high up in the Western Ghats, Mahabaleshwar is steeped in history and heritage, offering a lot more than fancy resorts and the usual viewing points, writes Riddhi Doshi

Perched at 4,500 metres, Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats, is Maharashtra’s favourite hill station. Walk into any open space here and you’ll be greeted with sprawling vistas of mist-covered mountains and valleys, especially during early mornings and evenings. Known as India’s strawberry capital, the town grows nearly 85 percent of the beloved red berry.

Its pleasant climate and verdant surroundings once attracted the British, who transformed the green town into a sanatorium for their army.

In 1828, the then king of Satara, Raja Pratapsingh, handed Mahabaleshwar over to the East India Company. Today, it remains a popular getaway for tourists from Mumbai and Pune. Visitors can be seen boating at Venna Lake, indulging in layers of creamy strawberry delights, enjoying hot corn on the cob and corn wada at food stalls, visiting the Mapro factory to learn how jam is made, and trekking to the sunrise and sunset points.

But there’s much more to Mahabaleshwar than just the usual tourist spots and plush resorts.

Honeybee tourism

“Do not make sudden movements, stay as still as possible, and don’t harm the bees if you want to avoid getting stung,” warns our guide at Madhuban Park in Mahabaleshwar. He then pulls out a plate from a box covered with hundreds of bees. “This is the bee colony,” he says. It turns out, it’s a female-dominated world, with the only male allowed being the one who mates with the queen. After fulfilling his duty, the bees remove his wings, leaving him to die a slow, painful death. Cruel, yes, but that’s the price it pays to provide us with the golden nectar.

At the park, visitors learn about the entire honey production process, from growing the bees in boxes to extracting honey. There’s also a mini-museum displaying pictures of different bee species, along with beekeeping tools and equipment. The real highlight, however, is the cute honey bee statues, perfect for fun selfies. Mahabaleshwar is also home to Manghar Honey Village, where most of the residents are beekeepers, growing and selling a variety of honey.

Ancient temples

I had never seen a Shiva lingam atop a damru (a small, two-headed drum) until I visited the Krishnabai Temple in Mahabaleshwar. Perched above the Krishna Valley and its river, this quaint temple, nestled amid lush greenery, offers a peace that will slow your heartbeat on its own. The temple, made of black stone, is simple in design, with no ornate carvings that might indicate its ancient roots. It’s believed to have been constructed by the Yadava kings in the 13th century. A few metres away stands the Panchganga Temple, or the Five River Temple. According to Hindu mythology, this temple marks the meeting point of five rivers — Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savitri, and Gayatri — though the latter two are mythical. Like the Krishnabai Temple, this one was built by the Yadava kings and later renovated by Chhatrapati Shivaji. A pond at the centre of the temple is flanked by small shrines dedicated to various river deities. Devotees still believe the water flowing in the pond is sacred, filling bottles with it to take home for loved ones.

Next is the temple dedicated to Shiva and the demon Mahabali, after whom the town is named. Built in the 16th century in the Hemadpanthi style (stone masonry without mortar), the shrine is thought to be older. The temple houses a six-foot, self-erected linga shaped like a Rudraksha seed, which is believed to be found nowhere else in India.

Colonial heritage

After the morning temple visits, I spent the evening admiring Mahabaleshwar’s colonial architecture. The hill station was designated the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency in 1829, and numerous colonial structures — bungalows, churches, and a public hospital — were built during this period.

One such structure is the Morarji Castle, originally a summer retreat for the British aristocracy and later owned by the Morarji family. The building is an excellent example of colonial architecture, featuring intricate carvings, wide verandas, expansive balconies, and manicured gardens. These structures were built with local stone and red sandstone.

The Babington House is another such example, with its cross-shaped layout, deep verandas, elaborate metalwork railings, and large outhouses.

Another noteworthy structure is the Morarji Gokaldas Rural Hospital (MGRH). Housed in a heritage building, its foundation stone was laid in 1914 by Lord Willingdon, the then Governor of Bombay. The hospital is still functional today and retains its original stone architecture, surrounded by lush greenery. Mahabaleshwar also boasts two colonial-era churches: the Holy Cross Church and Christ Church.

The former is the only Roman Catholic church in Mahabaleshwar, featuring classic colonial architecture, stained-glass windows, and Christian paintings. The latter, believed to have been built in the mid-19th century, is a Protestant church made with red sandstone and large arches.

Exploring these structures, surrounded by towering trees and filled with the sounds of birdsong, offers a true sense of Mahabaleshwar — a town nestled in the Western Ghats, rich in heritage and history. This essence is often forgotten amidst the tourist traps typical of hill stations.