Matheran

One of the best getaways during your travel to Mumbai, Matheran was discovered in 1850. Amid the green Jambol forest, situated at 803 metres (2, 636 ft.) above sea level, this quaint little hill-station in Maharashtra covers an area of 8 square kilometers in Sahyadri. Its pastoral beauty is especially pristine thanks to a blanket motor transport ban. A human buggy is the main mode of transport in Matheran.

The light railway line was constructed by M/s. Adamji Pirbhoy in 1907 and was worked by an agency called the Matheran Steam Light Tramway Co. Ltd., Bombay. The Government authorized the construction, maintenance and working of the line by the promoter, while government land was provided free of cost. This line was afterwards taken up by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from April, 1948. Under regrouping of the Indian Railways in 1951, it was grouped under the Central Railway.

The Britishers built two churches here-the Anglican St. Paul's Church and the Roman Catholic Church. These and several other palatial buildings are still the pride of the town and a must for vacationers. The ideal time to travel to Matheran is between October and May. The Sahyadris attract the monsoon clouds and see heavy rainfalls every year. The hill-station is at its best for travel during the tail-end of monsoons. The season of breathtaking waterfalls, mist covered valleys, dew dripped greenery and floating clouds.