Malshej Ghat is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats range in pune district of Maharashtra, India. The site is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats. The best time to visit is between August and September. At this time of the year, the hills are clothed in a soothing shade of mint green and the weather is cool due to the monsoons. Known for its misty tops and ice cold cascades at this time of the year, the site is a very popular weekend getaway for most of the city's residents at that time of the year. It has got number of waterfalls and the greenery is just awesome during the monsoons
The site is home to hundreds of different kinds of flora and fauna especially the avian population such as quails, rails, crakes, flamingos and cuckoos.
For trekkers and hikers, it is a heaven of sorts as the solitude of unending rolling hills provides quite some experience. One can scale the peaks or explore the intricate jungle paths below. The Shivneri Fort is also the birthplace of Shivaji — one of the great past rulers of Maharashtra. Often dense fog covers the peaks of the hills. The site is also devoid of the mad rush of tourists that normally accompanies most other locations near the city. However, weekends attract many people during the monsoon.
The ghat has the dubious distinction of being a graveyard for small birds during the onset of the monsoons. Most of the birds nest among the cliffs of the Western Ghats. In this season, strong gusts of wind, heavy rain and dense fog often result in the birds getting disoriented. As many of the birds gravitate to the bright lights of the passing vehicles, the birds hit the cliff faces often leading to their deaths. However this phenomenon has decreased in the recent years according to local naturalists.
Nearest airport is Mumbai, 154 kms.
Nearest railhead is Kalyan.
Mumbai-Malshej Ghat, 154 kms. via Murbad. Pune-Malshej Ghat via Alephata, 164 kms. Alephata-Malshej Ghat, 39 kms.
Do Explore these hill stations :
Amboli | Bhandardara | Chikaldhara | Jawhar | Khandala & Lonavla | Mahabaleshwar | Malshej Ghat | Matheran | Panchgani | Panhala | Toranmal
