If you take a car to this hill station of India, you will have to pay a fine, move around on foot or horse only.
Often people like to travel by car with their family and friends, whether going on any trip or going out with friends to hangout, most of the time you would choose the option of car. But if we tell you that there is a place in India where you can face a huge fine if you drive, then what would you say? Yes, there is a city in the country where there is a strict ban on taking vehicles. To reach here you will have to go on foot or you can roam around this place by taking horse riding option available here. Let us tell you about this unique city.
What is the name of this place
The name of this place is Matheran, which is present in Raigarh district of Maharashtra. This is the smallest hill station in the country. But you might be surprised to know that this is the only place in Asia which is completely free from automobile vehicles. You will neither see a car, nor an auto, nor a bike at this hill station, you cannot take anything here. Keeping the environment in mind, the government has declared this place as sensitive. This is the reason why you cannot take a car to this place.
Commute by horse riding
If you ever see Matheran, you will see many beautiful places including lush green nature. This place looks exactly like heaven. Now you must be thinking that how will people go here if vehicles cannot go here, then let us tell you, people ride horses to reach here. Not only this, making loud noise is also completely prohibited here. There is a complete ban on blowing things like horns here.
100 km away from Mumbai
This place is situated at an altitude of about 2600 feet above sea level. There are many places to visit in this hill station. It is only 100 km away from Mumbai. To reach this hill station one has to get down from the car a few kilometers before. After this, one has to take the help of horses to move ahead. While trekking from Louisa Point here, one will have to cover a distance of 1.5 kilometers. Charlotte Lake is one of the best attractions of Matheran, which gives a feeling of peace in the lap of nature.
This city of the world is also like this
Let us tell you, apart from Matheran, Venice is also the only city in the world where driving a car is not allowed. Actually, there are no roads in this city. Here people use Gondala to go from one place to another.
How to reach matheran
Matheran by Flight: The nearest airport to Matheran is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. You can take a flight to Mumbai which is well connected to all major cities of India and then travel to Matheran by road or rail. Tourists can also travel from Pune Airport.
By Road: The Mumbai-Pune Highway connects Matheran to these major cities. Regular state transport buses are available from Mumbai, Pune and Panvel to reach Matheran. However, buses are allowed only up to Neral. Buses can be taken till Neral.
By Train: Matheran has a railway station which is connected to Neral Junction via toy train and to Karjat Junction via local train.
