8/12/2019 Explore with HT on No TV Day

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Be explorer for a day

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02 | metro | HINDUSTAN TIMES, MUMBAIFRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014

Every day, leading up toNoTVDayonMAY31,we will suggest ways in which you can celebrate with friends and familDont miss: HTs exciting events and prizes. Join thecelebration on facebook.com/htnotvday and twitter.com/htno

WANDER Use the No TV Day weekend to go on a staycation,exploring history, heritage and natural beauty in and around Mumbai

Antara Sengupta antara.sengupta@hindustantimes.com

If youhadjustarrivedin Mumbai,whatwouldyoudo? Wherewouldyougo? Whatarethefirstsights youdsetoff tosee?

Nowask yourself howmanyof thosethingshaveyoudone inyourmany months,years or decades here. Not many, mostlikely. Thats why, around the world, anewvacation concepthas beencatchingon.Theycallit astaycationyou stayinyourowncity,butyouexploreasyouwouldif youwereatouristandnot aresident.

ThisNoTVDay,go ona staycationinandaroundMumbai. Experienceyourcity as if you were seeing Mumbai for

the first time. Youd be surprised howquickly youll forget that youre stillright hereathome.

Best of all, this is the perfect timeto see some of those sites that willsoon become accessible because of the rains like the Elephanta Caveson Gharapuri island, which becomeslargelycut off in themonsoon.

Youcanalso choosean overnightjauntand go camping with the kids or withfriends,spendingthenightin tentsorinlocalvillagershomesandthe daysfishingandbird-watching.Or youcan organiseapicnictourof theregionshistoriccavesand forts, trekking along ancient path-waysto experiencehistoryfirst-hand.

I have been to the Prabalgad forttwice with my group of friends, saysRatnakarSawant,28, amechanicalengi-neer. The view from the Prabalgarhand Kalawanti points is mesmerisingandneverfailsto leaveus speechless.

CAMPING & TREKKINGGO CAMPING AND TREKKINGAT KOHOJ FORTWeekend travel company Life Away FromLife is organising a trekking and campingweekend at Kohoj fort, which is about100km from Mumbai, in Thane district.

Wewillpitchourtents,builda fireandwatch thesungo downwithsteaming mugsofcoffeein ourhands.Thetrekis easyandsuitablefor beginners.Wewillcampatabeautifulspot,absolutelysafe forfamiliesand children.PRATEEKDEO,founder

COST:` 1,200 per head,including twin-sharing tents, allmeals and a guidebut not includingtransportation.

CALL: 6609-6693WHATSAPP:9869158351 or

URL: lifeaway-fromlife.com

FIREFLIES FESTIVALPurushwadi village in Maharashtra is known forits fireflies festival. Just before the monsoon,thousands of lightning bugs come togetherhere to mate, creating a fairytale illusion of dancing lights. Weekend travel company LifeAway From Life is organising a weekend triphere, where you can also experience village lifethrough activities such as milking goats, chop-ping wood and cooking on an open fire.

AGROTOURISM AT SAGUNA BAUGSaguna Baugis anecotourismresort seton a55-acrefarm inNeral,Raigaddistrict.Here,visi-torsgeta guidedtour ofthe farm, itsdifferentdepartmentsand production areas,in anattempttocreateawarenessabout theecology andtheimportanceof agriculture.Visitorsthenget topar-ticipate,helpingout withfish-farming,dairyfarm-ing,gardening, andspendingthe restoftheirtime

I would recommend this place to everycity dweller, as a tranquil and thrillingexperience, says Deepa Adka, 36, acharted accountant who went on thistrip last year.COST: ` 3,744 per head

CALL: 6609-6693WHATSAPP: 9869158351 orURL: lifeawayfromlife.com

The Guide

Mumbaihas always beenprimeprop-erty, and the forts built all along thecoastprove it.

Tourists flock from across Indiaandbeyond tothe sprawlingBasseinfortification in modern-day Vasai,Bandra,Mahim,WorliandSewri,andof courseto thescenicseafortsfurtherdownthecoast,in Alibaug,MurudandSindhudurg,among others.

Thecoast,however, isnot theonlyregionhome tothesebattlements.

Totheeastof Mumbai,tuckedawaybetweenPanveland Matheran,is the

picturesque Prabalgad. This hilltopfortis sowell mergedwiththe rockyoutcroponwhichit sitsthatyoucan-notatfirstbesurethatthereisa man-

madestructurethere atall.But there is, a ring of thick stone

wallscontainingancient stoneruins,rockcarvingsanda Ganeshatemple.

Itsabit of atrekto getthere,buttheview fromthetop iswellworthit adramaticsweepof theplateaufarbelow.

The route to Prabalgad goes viaPrabal Machi, a village that hasbecome an informal base camp fortrekkersand campers.Villagershelparrangingfoodfor visitorsandact asguidestoo,saysRatnakarSawant,28,amechanicalengineerwhohasvisited

twicewithfriends.Itis besttohirealocalguide,infact,becausethefortiscoveredindensefoliageanditseasytolose yourway.

Onanisland notfarfromMumbaiisa series of rock-cut caves that drawstouristsfromaroundtheworld.

Gharapuri islands Elephantacaves are in fact a Unesco worldheritage site.

A day trip here starts with a boatridefromGatewayof India, followedbya verybrief rideona toytrainandthen a walk up the rock-cut steps tothe cavecomplex.

Thefestive atmospherebegins here,with little stalls selling everythingfromsnacksand berries,tobracelets

andearrings madeof bits of stone.The caves themselves bear dra-

matic carvings, many in life-size orevenlarger.

Thecarvingsof Buddhaand Shivaarefascinating,saysRitu Bahel,24,amarketingmanager fromAndheriwhovisited the cavesin February.

Closer home, theKanheri cavesinBorivlilieattheend of sceniccyclingandjoggingtrailswiththe densefoli-age and occasional wildlife of thenationalparkon bothsides.

These caves bear dramatic archi-tecture,includingtwo-storeyveran-

dahsand pillaredporchesand halls.Also preserved here are statues of Buddha, intricate carvings andinscriptionsin Pali.In addition,thecaves,whichsit atthe topof agentleyetlongincline,offerasplendidviewof the national park.

FORTS CAVES

I LOVE EXPLORING DIFFERENT CULTURESAND I FOUND THECARVINGSOF BUDDHA ANDSHIVAAT THEELEPHANTA CAVESON GHARAPURIISLAND FASCINATING.RITU BAHEL, 24, a marketing manager from Andheri who visited the caves in February

FORT WATCHThe Sion fort is justone of a series of marvellous stonefortifications thatruns along the coast.

GO CAVINGExplore sprawling complexes of rock-cutcaves such as the one at Kanheri in Borivli.

AUTO-FOCUSWithin andaround the cityare picturesquetrekking trails,including these atPanchgani andMahabaleshwar.

CIGNA TTK HEALTHINSURANCE WORKSHOPS

CRICKET WITH DILIPVENGSARKAR Hone your crick-et skills with the legendaryformer India captain at anexclusive coaching session,followed by a cricket match.

AGE GROUP: 10 to 15TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV CC to 54242

GET GROOVING WITHSHIAMAK: Explore the world of dance with this legendarydance troupeWHERE: Andheri (West) and

Thane (West)TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV DANCE to 54242

SKECHERS PRESENTSGET EXPLORINGExplore the architectural gems and naturalhabitats of Mumbai with...

HERITAGE BUS RIDES acrosssouth Mumbai

TIME: 2pm, 4pm,5pm and 6pmPICK-UP POINT: Jehangir Art

Gallery EVENTIS FREE ANDOPENTO ALL.

NATURE TRAIL: Explore thenatural habitats of Mumbaiwith a forest tourVENUE: ConservationEducationCentre,BombayNaturalHistory Society,Goregaon

TIME: 8.30am to 12.30pmTO REGISTER: SMS NOTV NT to 54242

TREASURE HUNT: ExploreMumbaion NoTV Daywith anexciting treasure hunt organised

in association with Travel-LogsVENUES: Colaba, MatungaTIME: 4pm

TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV SM to 54242 forthe Colaba treasure hunt and NOTV CM to54242 for the Matunga treasure hunt

GET CREATIVE WORKSHOPSFOR CHILDREN

SCIENCE: Fun with principlesand reactionsVENUES: InOrbit Mall, Malad,and R City Mall, GhatkoparAGE GROUP: 8 to 15TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV SC

to 54242

MATHS: Learn about tangrams,symmetry, tessellations andmath puzzlesVENUES: Oberoi Mall,Goregaon, and R City Mall,Ghatkopar

AGE GROUP: 4 to 12TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV MH to 54242

PAINTING: Learn innovativeand beautiful designs

VENUE: Nirmal Lifestyle,MulundAGE GROUP: 2 to 15TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV PG

to 54242

STORYTELLING: Attend interac-tive storytelling sessionsVENUES: Kitab Khana, Fortand Landmark stores at InfinitiMall, Andheri, and InOrbitMall, Vashi

AGE GROUP: 3 to 10TO REGISTER: SMS NOTV LT to 54242

ALSO CHECK OUTSPORTS CAMPS AT WADALA:

The Sports Gurukul isorganising various activitieson No TV Day, at the AjmeraI-land Sports Academy inWadala. These include a

cricket coaching camp under formercricketer Balwinder Sandhu; an indoor

cricket tournament for families; dirt-bikingwith national champion Rustom Patel;rifle-shooting training and tenniscoaching. To register for any of theseactivities, call 90042-00200 or 92203-15243.

HINDUSTAN TIMESOFFERS YOU...ON NO TV DAY, YOUR FAVOURITENEWSPAPER HAS LOTS LINEDUP

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PHOTOS: HARSH SHARMA, HT ARCHIVES

swimming,fishing, paddlewheel-boating,bullockcart-riding andwatching culturalshowsput onby local Adivasis.

COST:Pricesstart at ` 1,250 perheadforaone-daytripincluding meals,cottagestayand allactivities

CALL:09370702932or 09209313174URL:sagunabaug.com

If youreless of ahistorybuff andmoreof anoutdoorsyperson,rediscoveryourcitythroughitscampsitesand trekkingtrails.

About three hours away from you,downthe old Mumbai-PunehighwayistheKoladcampingground,whereyoucanlive intents, swim ina river,go boatingorraftingandevenenjoya nighttrek.

Inthemornings,youcando yogaandmeditation with the rising sun and thesoundof theriver,says AmarGandhiof BigRed Tent, whichorganisescampingtrips here. A walk down to the river isbeautiful in the morning. And with no

cellphone connectivity, its the perfectwayto trulyswitchoff.

There is ample shade space to keepoutthesunasyoureclinewitha bookorenjoyyourselvesas a groupwith boardgamesor puzzles.

Eveningsarespectacular.We playedfootball inthe dying light,saysArunaJain,27,a digitalmediaplannerwhovis-ited Kolad in February. Then we gath-eredaroundthe campfirefora barbequedinnerandsang, chatted andstar-gazeduntilthe weehours.I couldnthaveaskedformore.

CAMPING: You can swim in a river, go boating or rafting and live in a tent at theKolad camping ground. PHOTO COURTESY BIG RED TENT