Saputara- a perfect getaway

We love exploring new places, admiring and soaking in the beauty, imbibing the local culture, and cuisine. But I also long for a quiet stay, just lazing in the room with a scenic view outside the window. This was what I was craving during our visit to Saputara, ‘the abode of serpents’ in Gujarat. When you search the net for hill stations in Gujarat, it is Saputara’s name that pops up first.

I have to say that the stay in Saputara was beyond my expectation. It soothed my craving soul, balanced my inner self and filled me with peaceful energy! Saputara, at an altitude of 1000m, is nestled in the Sahyadri range. It is located on a plateau in the Dang forest area. The river Sarpganga flows through the town.

As we started driving into the ghats, I could feel the change in energy around me, as if I was entering into a world of spiritual energy. Later I came to know that tribals live in the area (which explained the difference in energy), who revere snakes, giving the name ‘Saputara’ which translates into ‘abode of snakes’ to the place. The best thing I loved about the place is that it is minimally commercialized.

A place to stay

We drove around searching for a place to stay, visiting different hotels. Considering the facilities provided and the charges, we were not happy with what we came across. Just then I saw a board ‘Home stay’ on the way.

We reversed and went in, and really liked the place. From the window in the room, the forest like surrounding was visible and my happiness knew no bounds.

Home food

After the rich food we have been consuming while attending functions, our stomachs were crying out for soothing food. The lady of the house was ready to provide us simple meals of kadhi, khichdi and sabzi. We took some rest after the lunch and went out for a walk.

The Shiva temple

Very near to the place of stay we saw an old Shiva temple with the idol of standing Goddess Parvati behind the Shivling.

The surrounding was mesmerizing, with a lake close by.

I was feeling levitated as I sat there with closed eyes. The temple was open and a person nearby told that the pujari has gone out for some work, but he would come for the aarti at 7 pm. We made a mental note to attend the aarti in the evening.

Gardens galore

Saputara has many landscaped gardens where one can relax. The three main gardens are Rose Garden, Lake Garden and Step Garden.  A wide variety of roses sway in the wind in the Rose garden, while one can admire the arrangement of flowers in the Step garden. Lake garden is situated on the bank of Saputara lake and it has a variety of multi-hued flowers.

Activities for the ‘rajas’ people

While I was looking for a peaceful stay, it was interesting to note that Saputara provides a variety of activities too. We passed by the lake which has boating facility, offering paddle and row boats for hire.  The Boating Club has amusement facilities for children too.

We were surprised to see that Saputara has facility for paragliding also. Having had the experience of paragliding in Dharamshala, I liked the arrangement in Saputara and thought that this is better suited for amateurs.

So here you can fulfil your dream of flying like a bird, accompanied by trained pilots.

For the more adventurous ones, there is facility for trekking also in Saputara. To groom the youngsters in the field of adventures and environmental awareness, ‘Invincible’ NGO organises the most interactive adventure & trekking camps here. Being an adventure and nature education camp, it has activities like Trekking, Rock Climbing, Rappelling and River Crossing.

References:

http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/12/116

https://www.tourmyindia.com/blog/saputara-beautiful-hill-station-of-gujarat/

https://invinciblengo.org/upload/event/brochures/saputara-adventure-camp-the-danges-south-gujarat-LiiaCLc.pdf