Thursday, 22 October 2015

Saputara Hill station














Saputara Hill Station


Nestled in the Sahyadri range, at an altitude of about 1000 metres, Saputara is a beautiful and densely wooded hill sta tion town situated in the Dangs district of southern tip of Gujarat. Saputara means the 'Abode of Serpents' and a snake image on the banks of the river Sarpagana is worshiped by the Adivasis on festivals like Holi. It is the only hill station of Gujarat. It is a well planned hill station having services like hotels, boating parks, swimming pools, club, ropeways, theatres and a museum.

Saputara Lake is one of those places where you can breathe unpolluted air while enjoying your holiday out of the hustle and bustle of polluted city life. You can even go trekking down to nearby villages.

The climate of Saputara is very cosy with summer temperature of around 27 to 31 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures from 9 to 20 degrees Celsius.

The places of interest are: Artists Village, Boating Club, Echo Point, Forest Nursery, and forest log huts, Hatgadh Fort, Honey Bees Centre, Lake View Garden, Museum, Nageshwar Temple, and Purna Sanctuary.

Saputara is best known for its wildlife excursion tours. It is rich in wildlife resources and scenic beauty. Some of the places are: Botanical Garden, Gira Falls, Mahal Forest, Unnai Mata Temple and Hot Springs, Jambalaya, Girmal Falls, Dangs Darbar, Hatgadh Fort, Saptashringi Devi Mandir.

Artist Village: You can not only buy the tribal artefacts but also try your hand at Warli painting or craft tribal objects.
Vansda National Park: Originally a private forest of Maharaja of Vansada, the park now covers on area of 24 sq km. Prior permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden, or DFO, Ahwa, is required before visiting the park.

Purna Sanctuary: Covering an area of 160 sq km, Purna Sanctuary is part of a dense moist deciduous forest in the Western Ghat. Situated at Mahal, 60 km north of Dangs, the sanctuary is crossed by Purna and Gira rivers. There are bamboo-lined pathways for trekkers. Prior permission is necessary for visiting.

Boating: The Saputara Lake surrounded by greenery is ideal for boating.

Sunrise Point: It is a point which offers the best view of Saputara. It gives a breathtaking view of the Dang Forest and nearby villages.
The Ropeway: A ten-minute ride across the valley to the sunset point.

Gira Falls: An excellent excursion just 52 km away from Saputara. Should not be missed especially during the months of June to November.

Rose Gardens: A spectacular garden with many rose varieties.
Step Garden: A garden set up in steps laid with beautiful plants and flower pots.
Lake Garden: On the banks of Saputara Lake, an excellent picnic spot.
From Saputara you may move to the wildlife sanctuary in the Mahal Bardipura forest, 60 km away. The forest is offers excellent walking and trekking options.

Saputara is 420 km from Ahmedabad, 300 km from Vadodara, 589 km from Bhavnagar, 603 km from Rajkot, 172 km from Surat, 80 km from Nashik, 185 km from Mumbai, 80 km from Billimora, 51 km from Waghai. The Maharashtra state border is only 4 km away from Saputara.

By Road: There are State Transport buses and private luxury coaches from Waghai and Ahmedabad. By private car, the National Highway may be quicker, but the state highway offers a stunningly scenic drive.

By Rail: The nearest railway station is Waghai, on the Billimora-Waghai narrow gauge section of the Western Railway. For those coming from Gujarat via Surat or Ahmedabad or even from Mumbai, Billimora is the more convenient rail head, and a direct bus service is available from there.
By Air: Surat is the nearest airport, 172 km away. Saputara may soon have its own airport.

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