Readers' Forum
“A note of optimism”
I read Prof Farok Contractor’s letter about Matheran ("A note of optimism,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, February 21, 2013) with great interest, and an equal measure of nostalgia.
As a boy, I spent many a happy summer on that hill, sometimes for two months at a stretch. I must have been up more than two dozen times in my life, having walked up, run up, journeyed by car when there was a kuccha (unpaved) one-lane road in the ’70s, and of course, in the toy train. Back then, to telephone Bombay, one had to walk to the post office in the bazaar and place a trunk call, which would take half an hour to connect on a good day. I have also experienced Matheran’s abundant natural splendor in the thick of the monsoon. At least in those days, the hill was deserted during the heavy rains.
As an avid rider, riding on Matheran paths was enthralling. I have ridden most of the great Matheran horses of the ’70s. There is no greater thrill than to go full gallop at the edge of a cliff on a sure-footed equine, with the wind in your face and the valley at your feet. Those were carefree days.
I have walked the length and breadth of the hill, knew many of its bungalows well, having stayed in three of them: Summer Seat, Evergreen and Red House. Most of my visits have been to Lord’s Central Hotel, whose owners are close friends. My last trip was two years ago. I generally go mid-week in February, which is the lowest of low seasons; this way I get more of Matheran and less of the hordes.
Matheran will always hold a special place in my heart.
As a boy, I spent many a happy summer on that hill, sometimes for two months at a stretch. I must have been up more than two dozen times in my life, having walked up, run up, journeyed by car when there was a kuccha (unpaved) one-lane road in the ’70s, and of course, in the toy train. Back then, to telephone Bombay, one had to walk to the post office in the bazaar and place a trunk call, which would take half an hour to connect on a good day. I have also experienced Matheran’s abundant natural splendor in the thick of the monsoon. At least in those days, the hill was deserted during the heavy rains.
As an avid rider, riding on Matheran paths was enthralling. I have ridden most of the great Matheran horses of the ’70s. There is no greater thrill than to go full gallop at the edge of a cliff on a sure-footed equine, with the wind in your face and the valley at your feet. Those were carefree days.
I have walked the length and breadth of the hill, knew many of its bungalows well, having stayed in three of them: Summer Seat, Evergreen and Red House. Most of my visits have been to Lord’s Central Hotel, whose owners are close friends. My last trip was two years ago. I generally go mid-week in February, which is the lowest of low seasons; this way I get more of Matheran and less of the hordes.
Matheran will always hold a special place in my heart.
NEVILLE GOLVALA
New Jersey, USA
New Jersey, USA
Abundant natural splendor in Matheran
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