I bet you will agree that the year 2020 has been an year of the FIRST. My worst nightmare of stuck inside my home came alive and there seems to be no clarity for how long! By Sep’20 I needed at least an outing as badly as a poet needs pain. Finally in Oct’20 I decided it’s now or never. Thanks to Gandhiji’s birthday at the beginning of the month, I was ready to hit the road.

Why did I choose Pelhar Dam?

There are innumerable places for a day outing from Mumbai. Unfortunately, it only adds to the confusion to decide on a single destination. After lot of research I chose Pelhar Dam as its not a prime destinations for tourists. I anticipated low footfall of visitors, thereby probably reducing the risk of infection. Secondly, my car have not gone on a drive for quite some time and thus it definitely required a bit of practice. Not only were my critical anticipations turned right but I am equally glad that I found such a jewel, which otherwise would have been ignored in a non pandemic era

What is special about Pehlar dam?

• While researching about the destination I learnt that the dam was made in 1975 and it is a source of drinking water for the Vasai- Virar area.
• It provides 10 million litres of drinking per day and is 26 metres high and 701 metres in length.
• It is located amidst the Tungareshwar mountain ranges and thus also known as Tungareshwar wildlife Sanctuary

If you love trekking there are multiple options which you can choose from. I am not a trek enthusiast and thus my objective was primarily to laze around and relax. The additional perk was to catch up some some fresh breath in the midst of nature and soak in as much as sun as possible. As I reached the Pelhar dam, I discovered a natural shallow swimming pool below the dam gates. Unfortunately, I was not carrying any extra clothing and thus reluctantly had to forego the temptation of jumping into the water. I hope you won’t miss out on this opportunity now

In the last mile please be prepared for a really bumpy ride where the tarred road turns to chip and boulders scattered around. Please drive slowly especially if you have a back problem.  About 50 metres from the Dam please park beside the cowshed rather than going upto the main gate. The road there are filled with muck and a Hatchback/Sedan can easily get stuck into it. But if you are going on a 2 wheeler you need not worry!

I strongly recommend to check out the route in Google map before starting your journey. Please pack some snacks and carry enough water. The entire stretch did not have any shop which was open. I am sure as the Pandemic slows down you will have options to visit restaurants on the highway

The trek from the parking to the Dam is about 200 metres and can easily be manoeuvred. Though, not recommended if you have mobility issues or knee problem. The view from the top of the Dam is mind-blowing and the entire place was peaceful and serene . If you have a couple of camp chairs do carry it as it would allow to sit for a longer period of time. There were absolutely no sound except the trickling of water slipping out through the dam gates. The entire experience was therapeutic and much required after a stringent lockdown

There are no toilets and thus be prepared to go out in the open. My humble request would be to ensure that the urine does not trickle down to the water of the dam. I assume all of us can easily demonstrate this basic civic sense

The duration of the stay can be 1 hour, unless you are not swimming. I hope my blog will help you take this journey sooner than later!

If you have been to Pelhar Dam, please share your experiences in the comment section.We would love to hear from you