Ovlekarwadi Butterfly farm - A photo blog

Amidst all the concrete jungle of Mumbai, there is a quiet place off Ghodbunder Road in Mumbai where a naturalist Ovalekar has created a butterfly garden which is an absolute haven for kids to learn about nature, life cycle of butterfly, how even kids can contribute to conservation efforts, its importance and at the same time get to see a significant variety of butterflies and photograph them. The place is quite easy to identify as the location is available on google maps. Its a small turn off Ghodbunder road and about a km from the main road. Its open only on Sundays between 7AM and 2 PM. Ample parking space is available. There is a small registration fee which is charged. You can order break fast as well over there if you prefer. Its a simple food - no varieties but serves the purpose. Its served along with tea or juice. 

There is a small session where the owner takes you through the importance of conservation measures, how everyone can contribute towards the same, basic life cycle of butterfly etc. Then there are session where you can see the live birth of the butterfly. Kids also get to hold the catterpillars in their hand ( not directly but via leaves ). Its an excellent opportunity for kids to be introduced to these winged creatures. He also takes the kids around and introduces them to the various species of butterflies in the place. Its a real delight to watch the winged creatures at such close quarters and in such large numbers. 

The butterflies generally tend to come out when the sun is out. So in winter especially, they take their own sweet time to come out ( Just like we snug into the blankets in winter ). So you go too early, you may be disappointed. Also a little patience helps especially if you are there to photograph. People get frustrated and leave by 10-10.30 AM in the morning while many of the butterflies tend to come out in large numbers after that. For best results, visit the place twice - one during winter and another during October for best results. You will get to see most of the species which come over there. 

The below photos were all taken two visits - Feb 16 and Oct 16. 

Common Jezebel

Blue Tiger

Glassy Tiger

Glassy Tiger

Danaid Eggfly

Pea Blue

Great Orange Tip

Common Bluebottle

Striped Tiger

Common Bushbrown

Common Pierrot

Psyche

Common Mormon

Tailed Jay

Common Crow

Grass Demon

Common Mormon

Blue Oak Leaf

Thats the plain tiger emerging

Name not sure. May be Common Gull

Lohagad Fort & Pawna Lake

This was our 2nd trip for the monsoons of 2016. We visited Lohagad Fort near Lonavala as a day trip. The drive to the place is quite easy and with google maps there is no chance of getting lost. Vehicles can go right up to the base of the fort. Ample parking is available but it does get crowded in the weekends due to its proximity to Lonavala. Stock up some water on the way up as don't remember seeing any shops selling them on the way up. 

The climb is a pleasant one of about 300-350 steps with lot of photo opportunities on the way. Especially during the monsoon, the place is a great with moss covered fort walls presenting a pretty picture. In many places the water just flows down the steps and hence some people may find it slippery but there is nothing to worry about. Few stretches in the climb are tricky due to the broken rocks. So if you have small kids, do hand hold them. 

The day we visited the top, clouds had engulfed the entire area and hence visibility was only a few metres. The wind was beating on us as well. My daughter - 6 years old was happily struggling against the wind to move forward but its supremely pleasurable. There is nothing much of the actual fort left on the top or may be they were just no visible to us on the day. On a clear day, the locals told me, you get panoramic views upto the Pawna Lake, Tung and Tikona fort as well. There is the famous scorpions tail at Lohagad which is a single long stretch of the fort which resembles a scorpions tail but due to the weather conditions we didn't make it there but the photos I have seen online are amazing. 

There are no shops on the top. A small temple is there where people can rest for some time. Not sure if its safe for camping. Another piece of advice is to reach the place early if you want some quiet moments. By 12-1 pm the place is just bustling with people. Climb down is quicker for obvious reasons. 

At the base of the fort there are enough shops serving a variety of food and snacks. There are lot of monkeys around especially during the initial stretch from the base of the fort. So don't go around munching away on a pack of chips unless you are keen for their attention. Many people also trek upto the base of the fort and the road in google shows as Lohagad trek road. This is a longer option and if you are with friends definitely something to do especially in the monsoon. The place is also best visited during that time only. 

For people with a little more time, once you drive down from Lohagad fort, the straight road takes you to Lonavala but the left takes you to Pavna lake and the start of this road is Dudhware Khind which is a small stretch of road cut through mountains. It presents a great sight during monsoons. An absolute green drive of about 6-7 kms will take you right to the banks of the Pavna lake where you can catch on a few photo opportunities with the Tung / Tikona fort in the background. A further drive would take you to the Pavna dam which would present a great sight when full during monsoons. You can then reverse and take the same road back to Lonavala.