Wonderful Wai

After site-seeing in Mahabaleshwar, the cabbie enquired if we wanted to visit Wai which is situated about 35 kilometers from Mahabaleshwar. Post lunch we practically had nothing to do and therefore decided to visit the temple town. Wai is known for its ghats, especially the Ganapati Ghat at the banks of river Krishna. Perhaps, one of the attractions to visit Wai, was to visit this Ghat where movies like Swades and Gangajal were shot.

So, we were off to Wai, enjoying the strawberries available everywhere. Suddenly the air was cooler and dark clouds kept hovering over us. It was raining in short time. We were a bit tentative to move forward as it was raining and asked the cabbie if we can go back to Mahabaleshwar. He suggested that the highway was very good and there should not be any problem in driving the car on the Ghats even if it rained heavily. And thus we moved further exploring the postcard worthy landscapes.

The Sahyadri range looked beautiful amidst silky white clouds. The road was completely wet in a few minutes. The car kept speeding towards Wai as we kept exploring the brown mountains around the highway. The cabbie was a local and soon we found out that with him talk was never at a discount. He was a Maharastrian and just like others was proud heritage of the Sahyadri mountains which speaks volumes about the valor of the great Maratha ruler Shivaji.

Soon we reached Wai, while it was still drizzling. The Ganesh temple has a huge verandah and equally big and colorful is the idol of the Lord. The adjacent Shiva temple too has a beautiful architectural flourish and a mesmerizing charm. It seemed a visit back to time. After the darshan, we spent some time on the Ganpati Ghat and got a chance to relive the moments of the movie Swades where SRK performs a wrestling fight with the village postman who is a professional wrestler.

Wai is an ideal place for spiritual searchers who wish to step out of the fast life and share a few moments of calm. A visit to Wai - Always recommended.

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