Jocund Camping – Backwaters of Pavana Dam

            Pavana has always been on my mind ever since I moved to Pune back in 2013, however back then the campsites were restricted, not much adverts, no accessibility. Also, there were not many avenues to particularly plan well. Pavana river originates from Lonavala in the Western Ghats and flows nearly 60 Km to meet Mula river in Pune.

          To avoid the river bed getting further polluted and contaminated, as this water is used as a fresh source of Drinking water by Punekar’s, the authorities have curbed boating, access to the river, bathing or even fishing. In the recent past, the backwaters around the Pavana Dam has been open for camping with a few locals who own the land are doing such arrangements for their livelihood.

          We enquired some camps in an around Pavana upon checking online, however, most of them are pretty much the same, we zeroed out on one of them called “Sharayu Pavana Camping” luckily this place was exactly opposite to Tung fort, so it was a good photography exercise during sunsets. (Sunrise wouldn’t be that scenic as it rises from the opposite side of this lake), so this lake can predominantly be visited to check Sunsets and golden hour. Pavana is a great place if you wish to do overnight camping for photography/videography or even pre-wedding shoots.  The place is usually serene except for weekends and times when there are extended long holidays. Personal opinion, try going on a weekday you will have the serenest time, am sure!

The following video gives a clear insight into how beautiful and scenic this place is and also the Pavana dam and water clarity.

 

             The tents and around is clean and hygienic, however, I would suggest you carry mosquito repellent (yes there are loads of mosquitos) and probably a liner for you to wear over the blankets which they provide (they were pretty clean however don’t wish to compromise on hygiene right? 🙂 )

Activities at Camps:

Generally, most of the camps start by evening at about 4 PM and lasts until the next day till 11 AM. The following list gives a clear picture of the stay.

• Your evening starts with tea and some snacks to munch. Grab it quickly and explore the camping site.
• There are plenty of things to do until dinner is served. To name a few, enjoying the sunset, playing carrom, badminton, cricket, football, bow & arrow etc. Yes, you do have an option to play the music of your choice and keep shaking your legs. If you do not like these things, carry a book and enjoy riverside reading.
• At night get ready for the barbeque (both and veg and nonveg options are available) followed by dinner. Having a hot meal in chilly weather in a gardenia restaurant is altogether a different experience.
• You can continue with the music post-dinner if you wish to and the party can go on till dawn.
• Getup at your convenience in the morning, finish your breakfast and tea and then march towards the next spot/home.

Nearby Attractions:

From the picture I have posted above, you can see the Tung Fort Exactly opposite from the Pavana campsite (3,574 ft.) which is located in the vicinity of Malavli and also can be approached from Lonavala. Tung fort is also known as Kathingad Fort wherein the word “Kathin” means difficult.  The fort is conical and has steep climbs with a very narrow route on the edge of the mountain throughout. From Pavana dam, reaching this fort requires a 400-meter climb.

On the opposite side of Pavana Lake, there is Tikona Fort (Not in the picture) where you can perhaps do a morning hike the following day after camping at Pavana. One can plan a Trek to Tikona Fort in the morning after staying in the Pavana campsite the previous day.

You may want to experience the untouched Pavana lake right away because in no time this will be picked up commercially and there will be a lot of chaos around the same and this place would no longer be serene and pristine, like how it is right now!

I will be leaving some more pictures from the Camp and some information.

• Name of the place: Pavana Backwaters riverside camping
• Name of the campsite: Sharayu Camping (Shrikant Mohol)
• Best time to visit: November to February (Particularly winters, as summers and rains, are very hot and sticky simultaneously)
• Couple friendly: Yes
• Nearby Accessibilities e.g. Medicines, Grocery: None (You will have to travel to the main road which is 15 km approx.)

PS: Please do not create any environmental hazards during your visit, and please do not litter if you happen to visit this place, the municipal corporation seldom visits these places for cleanups and the locals have to do the cleaning themselves which is too tedious. Also, if possible please carry your own thrash yourself rather than disposing of there, let’s do a bit to support this green trail 🙂

PPS: It would good be also if you carry enough snacks, water, and medicines beforehand.

Please do not hesitate to express your doubts. If you need contact information regarding camping do let us know. Finally, comment and share if you like this article.

Happy Camping!

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