There is a distinct kind of frenzy that grips a traveller the moment the sky turns grey and the first drops of rain land on the thirsty earth. In Maharashtra, this delightful madness is a celebrated phenomenon, and it boasts five excellent locations to experience it. By June, the Western Ghats are already busy pulling clouds from the Arabian Sea. In response, the rivers swell, waterfalls hurl themselves from clifftops with wild abandon, and the hills turn a shade of green so intense it almost hurts the eyes.
Here are five getaways curated by the tourism department of Maharashtra.
Jawhar
Did you know Maharashtra has its very own Darjeeling? Tucked away in the forested hills of Palghar district, the former princely state of Jawhar is a secret well kept. While the magnificent Dabhosa Waterfall, plunging from over 500 feet, is the natural centrepiece, the true magic of a June visit is the profound quality of silence you will find here. These hills have been home to the Warli tribe for centuries, and their distinctive geometric art—striking white figures painted on mud walls—adorns homes throughout the village.
Chikhaldara
As the only coffee-growing hill station in all of Maharashtra, Chikhaldara sits at 1,118m in the Satpura Range, so removed from the usual Western Ghats crowds that it seems to exist in its own unique atmospheric bubble. In June, with its coffee plantations glistening in the rain, Chikhaldara becomes almost comically green. The nearby Melghat Tiger Reserve breathes a fresh mist into the valleys every morning, while the Bhimkund Waterfall thunders through the forest with a force so powerful it makes conversation impossible.
Matheran
As India's only hill station completely free of automobiles, Matheran truly comes into its own in June. This is when the narrow-gauge toy train makes its ascent through cloud-draped forests, and the signature red-mud paths are blissfully empty of the usual summer holidaymakers. Famous lookout spots like Echo Point, Panorama Point, and Monkey Point are often cloaked in mist, which is, paradoxically, when they are at their most enchanting. You find yourself hearing the valley long before you can see it. The entire town moves at a gentle pace enforced by the monsoon, a rhythm for which your soul will be quietly thankful.
Koyna Nagar
Koyna Nagar was embracing the philosophy of slow tourism long before it became a popular term. This small town in the Satara district is built around the enormous Shiv Sagar Lake, which was formed by the Koyna Dam. It lies within an eco-sensitive zone where development has been kept to a minimum, both by necessity and by choice. During June, the surrounding forests visibly thicken with each passing day. The boat ride across Shiv Sagar to the trailhead for Vasota Fort is one of those special journeys that makes the destination feel almost secondary.
Malshej Ghat
While the Konkan Railway often steals the monsoon spotlight, Malshej Ghat is Maharashtra's unsung poem. Here, plateau waterfalls cascade down the ghats in vast sheets. Flamingos sometimes take shelter in the water bodies near Pimpalgaon Joga Dam, and the whole landscape is draped in a near-constant veil of cloud. The formidable Harishchandragad fort nearby attracts serious trekkers, but the ghats themselves are perfect for anyone who simply wishes to stand in the rain and feel an unreasonable sense of joy to be alive.
A trip to Maharashtra in June comes with one simple request: arrive with a willingness to be rained on, to face delays, to be rerouted, and to find yourself occasionally stranded at a roadside dhaba with a warm glass of tea and no particular place to be. As it turns out, that isn’t a bad way to travel at all.
