Lonar – Communion with the Universe -
If there is a place in the middle of nowhere that you can never forget, it is the crater lake of Lonar. Trust me on this – you travel through miles of countryside in Marathwada and Vidarbha – dusty terrain, straggling crops and a twisting, pot-holed road. Nothing extra-ordinary till you reach the town of Lonar. Nothing extra-ordinary about the town either – the same sacred cows squatting in mid-street, the shops selling 'Bombay Readymade', the noisy bazaar, the tea shacks, children playing with a an old bicycle tyre. A sensory experience for foreign travellers, ho-hum for Indians. Till you stand at the edge of the crater – and suddenly hear the deepest voice of the universe itself.
.jpg)
(Marshy edge of the lake. Stand and hear the voice of the universe)
If I may be funny, you might hitch a ride on a meteorite heading for Planet Earth. Wear a radiation suit reinforced by ceramics, for the landing is likely to be rough. Involving an ear-shattering explosion, a minor earthquake, tons of flying debris and ash, and a huge fireball. Well, that's how Lonar Lake came to be born – the rains filling a giant crater on the Deccan plateau, when a meteorite crashed into the basalt rock fifty thousand years ago.
But for those already on planet earth, more mundane options are available. The nearest airports are Aurangabad and Nagpur; the nearest major railway station is Buldhana. You can do what we (my family and I) did – hire a taxi from Aurangabad. It will cost you up to Rs. 2000 for a return trip (Rs. 7 – 10 per km, depending on whether the vehicle is air-conditioned or not). It takes about five hours to travel one way from Aurangabad.
.jpg)
(The unsuspecting road to Lonar)
If you are more adventurous (or your wallet is limited), you can take a State Transport Bus from Aurangabad or Budhana. Contrary to urban opinion, these buses are quite comfortable. The windows (on the older buses) are a bit small though. Whether you take a car or bus, do start well before sunrise, so that you can reach Lonar before it gets too hot. If you plan to stay, get to Lonar in the evening, and do all your activities in the early hours of the morning before it gets too hot to bear.
.jpg)
(Lonar lake view with ruined temple in foreground)
Do carry a hat of some sort that protects both your face and your nape. A wet hand towel tucked into your hat, and covering your nape and ears can be quite comforting. The heat in the region can be quite oppressive throughout the year, so may also want to carry a parasol. Also carry sufficient water and food ; the facilities in the town are quite basic.
It is best to visit Lonar during the monsoons, when the weather is tolerable. However, the roads may be worse for driving, and the path to the lake can be quite muddy. You can try winter, but the daytime will still be oppressively hot. Not a place for the fainthearted, Lonar.
There is a guest house operated by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), at the edge of the lake, on the outskirts of the town. It is about the best place in the area. Alternatively, get a place to stay in Aurangabad (which has hotels for every budget), and make a day trip.
If you are adventurous (having a burning desire to experience the 'real' India counts), you can stay at a dharamshala. There are a couple in Lonar, near the temples by the lake.
.jpg)
(Tracks to go down to the crater)
Most people who go to Lonar ignore the lake. Even though it is a crater with a diameter of 1.8 km, and is 135 metres deep. That's because it is a pilgrim town of regional importance, with several temples at the edge of the lake. The most frequented one is the Gomukh temple, with a spring or 'kund'. It has been turned into a soapy tank, where devotees gather for their ceremonial bath and clothes wash before they enter the sanctum sanctorum. To the left, as you face the lake, is a large banyan.
.jpg)
(Spectacular even when ruined: Shiva temple halfway down to the crater)
It's important to note the kund and banyan, because the way down to the lake proper is a tiny track from the left of the tree. It is a fairly steep descent, and passes through thickly wooded territory. A number of ruined temples dot the path down; some of them going back centuries. The whole descent will take you between fifteen to twenty minutes, going down about 200 feet. At the time I visited, steps were being built to go down into the crater. If you're lucky, they may have been built.
.jpg)
(Another magnificent, but ruined temple)
You may notice a few boys from the town there, wondering what these crazy people from some faraway big city are doing. For the few chaps who come to marvel at the lake happen to be city-slickers, although they are a growing tribe now. The track ends near a banana orchard, and you can steal a few bananas if doubly lucky (i.e. the caretaker is not there and there are bananas on the trees).
The final approach to the lake is muddy and marshy, so ensure you have a good pair of shoes. Rubber boots would help (Strap them to your back during the descent, and change into them once you reach the lake). You can walk around the edges of the lake, and visit a few more ruined temples. The place is also a happy hunting ground for butterfly watchers. Many of the visitors to the lake are of the winged kind, including egrets, herons and other waders. Looking up at the sheer cliffs on all sides, you might feel you have reached the bottom of the earth.
Once you've had your fill of the lake and the spectacular scenery around it, you can begin the ascent. It is, surprisingly, easier than the descent.
.jpg)
(The edge of the lake. DO NOT ENTER the lake, it is highly caustic)
Caution: DO NOT attempt to bathe or splash in the lake (you can do that in the kund above). It is an alkaline 'soda' lake, with a pH of 10. That's enough (I know that because I once did some research on it) to cause serious burns and rashes on your skin. The only things that live in the lake are some strange bacteria.
.jpg)
(Ornately carved pillars of the Daityasudan temple, Lonar town)
.jpg)
(Partially restored Daityasudan Temple, Chalukya era)
If you have the inclination, you can visit the Daityasudan temple. It is in the centre of the town, and you have to pass through a maze of tiny streets, through which a large vehicle may not pass. Nevertheless, the temple is an architectural marvel, being more than 800 years old. The architectural style is very similar to that of the Hoysala temples at Halebidu and Belur (though the Hoysalas never reigned in this region). An archaeological mystery for you to solve!
If you want your regular restaurant mix of Chinese-Punjabi-South Indian, please buy it at a restaurant in Aurangabad or Buldhana and carry it with you. Lonar has little to offer in that respect. You could get some breakfast snacks like poha or shira though. A few of the eateries do a frugal though decent Marathi lunch (poli + patal bhaji + patal dal + chhaas). However, you can get hot, sweet tea spiced with ginger or cardamom in abundance at any tea shop (Lonar does not lack in these). It is quite refreshing, and strongly recommended: just the right pick-me-up for the dehydrating heat of Lonar.
The only shopping you may want to do, apart from food, is to buy camera batteries. For once you see the lake, you are going to snap so many pictures that your camera will run dry. Luckily, AA cells are easily available in several shops. Lonar is not a tourist trap (yet), so there are no souvenirs to buy. A shop near the Gomukh temple does sell some Marathi booklets and pamphlets about the lake though. These are quite detailed, explaining the history and geology of the meteorite impact and its consequences.
A trip to Lonar is fairly light on the pocket, costing anything between Rs. 2,000 – 10,000 (excluding airfares). You will however, have to plan well in advance. With Mumbai as base, your expenses will include a train to Aurangabad or Buldhana, a bus or taxi from there to Lonar, as well as staying at hotels. If you are planning a weekend getaway with friends or family, you can have quite an experience.
Closure
But whatever you do, once you have stood at the rim of the crater and peered down, you are transported to the heavens. For the crater so suddenly tells you how small we all are, and how small our planet is, in the great scheme of the universe.
Leave a Comment
2 Comment
Thanks Rahul! Do visit and write to us in case of any doubts:-)
Informative . Looking forward to visit Lonar , it has been pending since long.