Travalouge- Trimbakeshwar, Nasik, Sapta Shrungi devi...

We started at 9 am from Palava. We filled petrol near Kalyan; I set navigation on google maps for Nasik then caught NH 160. Right after Kalyan I started looking for a breakfast daba. After a while I saw Shivsagar restaurant and stopped for breakfast. We ordered dosa, idli  vada, uttapam and coffee. We all liked the food.

Shivsagar Restaurant on Mumbai Nasik Highway

We then restarted towards Nasik, road was smooth to drive on a high speed and we reached Igatpuri very fast. We enjoyed good landscape of small hills near Igatpuri. After Igatpuri I was looking for a left turn from where we can take a detour to Trimbakeshwar.  I saw a board for Trimbakeshwar, which I confirmed with google maps and then took the turn

In between the small hills, we were on a narrow road. Road gave us a closer look at village life of region. After a while we saw a picturesque lake, we could not resist stopping and taking photos.

Between Igatpuri and Trimbakeshwar 

Lake near xyz

We reached Trimbakeshwar sometime in the afternoon and it didn’t take much time to do puja and Darshan in temple.

We then started towards Nasik on NH 848. After a while, I stopped the car and then searched for Sula Vineyards. Vineyards were nearby within 6 kms. So I set navigation on google maps and followed it to Sula Vineyards.  Sula Vineyards where a small building in middle of grape fields.

Sula Vineyards: Indian wine

We clicked photos with a human sized wine bottle near restaurant garden and wine tasting facility. We then visited sovereign shop on ground floor. On first floor there was a wine tasting facility which we didn’t visit.

From Sula Vineyards we directly went to Nasik where I searched a hotel and checked in. after getting refreshed in hotel, we went to Panchavati on foot which was about 1.5 kms from Hotel.

In Panchavati, we visited Kaleram temple and Kapileshar temple. We then asked for a vegetarian restaurant. Pancharatna was suggested by 3 people so we went there and ordered meal. Food was good and mild in taste. We then came back to hotel on foot and slept.

Next day morning we started for Saptashrungi devi. We filled petrol at Bharat petroleum in Nasik. Petrol pump didn’t have a swipe machine so I got my 2k note exchanged. We then kept going on Saputara Nasik road and after an hour we saw a board for Saptashrungi devi, there we took a detaur and begin ascending the small hill.

Saptashrungi Devi

Saptashrungi: View from temple

When on top we were stopped by first shop owner.  He requested us to park the vehicle in front of his shop and in return we bought Prasad from his shop.

We then started climbing the stairs, someone was saying that there are 500 steps. We just climbed up in 15 mins. It was fun to move up the stairs. I also let Prathamesh, my one year old son to climb some stairs. Here also crowd was so less that we got darshan in just few minutes.

View near Saptashrungi

We then started toward Shirdi.

We were not carrying much cash due to recent demonetization so we were looking for a daba where card payment can be done. An interesting incident happened.

Somewhere between Saptashrungi Devi and Shirdi, daba guy said that he was accepting card payment so we got down and had food there. All the workers in daba were from Nepal and we asked them about hometown.

At the time of billing daba guy said that he did not have card payment machine.

I told him that I have no money and asked him to swipe card in any nearby shop. He said that there was an ATM in nearby petrol pump and I could take his bike to get the money. However I asked him to come in his motor bike after my car. In Petrol pump, surprisingly ATM had no queue. There were only 2 people, who were facing some problem in swiping of their card. I tried my card and in second attempt my card got recognized and a new 2K note came out.   After paying daba wala, we had 1600 extra cash.

We reached Shirdi around 5 in evening.

When we reached temple road, there were many people who wanted to guide us to parking or hotel. I asked one such guy about hotel, who told us about a hotel. He wanted to come inside the car and show us the hotel. But I was little skeptical getting that guy in the car, so told him that I will reach the hotel myself. To my surprise he ran in front of car on foot to show us the hotel, he ran for half kilometers.

Hotel was okay so we took the hotel.

Crowd was very less here well so we had darshan in about one hour.

Cane sugar juice

Next day morning we started toward Shani Shingnapur. On highway, we enjoyed fresh Guava and Pomegranate from road side temporary shops. We had uneventful darshan and then came toward ahmadnagar. Near Shani Shingnapur, there were many shops of cane sugar juice, we stopped in one of them and enjoyed the juice.

Daba : somewhere in Ahmadnagar Kalyam Road

Pimplegoan joga dam.lake

While coming back to Mumbai we had lunch at daba and enjoyed beautiful evening at Pimplegoan joga dam.