The train ride sets the tone for the rest of your holiday—languorous, and pleasant. Friendly dales, the shimmer of a lone waterfall, a brief length of tunnel, and loamy stretches of green sweeping upwards greet the eyes.

Nimble-footed school children spring expertly onto the running board and jump off a half hour later. Their village and school are a hill apart.

Fruit sellers perch themselves on the footboards of the train. People buy and savor the juicy sweetness of the fruit. After all, there is nearly an hour to go before you grind to a halt at Matheran station

The air is bracing as you move out of the station into the open. A babble of voices interspersed with neighing sounds greets you. You are in the tiny bazaar where stalls and teashops and rows of fine-boned horses abound. In line with the horses is another strange sight—of men standing as though tethered to their one-seat wagons. This will be your main mode of transport in Matheran—man-pulled buggy.

Somewhere deep down in your heart, you cringe at the thought of what you are doing—making fellow human beings carry you like beasts of burden, but after a while you get used to it. One could opt instead for sightseeing on horseback, but the buggy has a charm of its own. Besides, it is one of the chief livelihoods of these wiry mountain men, and their cheery faces and merry spirits do much to quell your conscience.

THE MARKETPLACE

Even the bazaar is just that—a small marketplace, not a commercial shopping complex. It runs the length of one street, and contains shops and stalls that sell the produce of Matheran. You can see workmen hunching over strips of leather, fashioning the Kolhapuri chappal that Matheran is famous for. Leather bags, leather belts, leather shoes…the workmanship is exclusive and the prices reasonable. There are also glass birds and dried wild flowers for sale that have a quaint appeal.

One other thing that dominates the market is chikki, a confection made of gram flour, jaggery and cashew nut. You could buy chikki in kilos to carry home; it is a universally popular sweetmeat.

FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION

Tucked away amidst these stalls are any numbers of hotels. Some of these are simple lodges, while a few up the hill are luxury places. The Regal Hotel at one end of the bazaar is the quintessential Gujarati eatery. Large gleaming thalis filled with sweet fragrant kadi, bajra rotla and ghee, dal and undhiyo. Waiters drift around on padded feet, refilling your glass of chas while carved murals in wood exude an ethnic charm.

As one goes up the hill, one comes to Scott Bungalow; that is part of the MTDC Holiday Resort, and is a carryover from British times. A sprawling, old-fashioned bungalow, its rooms are let independently to guests. The rooms are large with high ceilings, quaint long-stemmed fans and spacious verandahs.

Why is it that in Matheran, you think only the pleasantest thoughts, people have been known to wonder aloud. Perhaps it is because as you recline in your verandah, ancient trees with spreading branches rest quietly with you, and you are reassured of the sweetness of life and the continuity of things.

GETTING THERE

The nearest airport is Bombay (Mumbai), around 100 km away.

From Mumbai, one can take a local train to Neral, where a tiny toy train waits to take people to Matheran. Mumbai to Neral takes around two hours, while the toy-train journey takes an hour and a half.

Mumbai to Neral is around 90 km, while Neral to Matheran is 21 km.

WHERE TO STAY