Today, ‘Footlooseinme’ will take you to a new destination that is not much known to the touristy world. This place is a geographical wonder in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The Kukadi River meanders through this vast landscape, scouring the bedrock to create a 3 KM long stretch of potholes-filled ravine with an average depth of 100 Feet. Let’s travel to Nighoj Potholes to unravel the mystery of Nature and witness this geological wonder.
The Kukadi River originates in the Western Ghats near Naneghat and passes through Junnar to reach Nighoj. (Read my post on the Rivers of India.) Kukadi River is the tributary of the Ghod River. It further branches into Dimbhe, Manikdoh, Pimplegaon Joge, Wadaj, and Yedgaon. (Read my previous post on Dimbhe Dam.) Originating from a high rainfall zone this river is a perineal one that supplies water to this region for irrigation.
On one fine monsoon Sunday we decided to go for a long drive but could not decide on the destination and the direction. After rejecting many previously visited sites we finally decided to visit Nighoj Potholes, which was on our list for a long long time. Even we missed out on Nighoj Potholes when we saw the nearby Peacock village called Morachi Chincholi a couple of years back.
With the ElNino effect this year, there is very little rainfall in Maharashtra and this gave us ample scope to explore Nighoj Potholes. Summertime is considered the ideal time to explore these potholes as the water level remains low exposing the natural sculptures in the bedrock (the potholes.)
Located close to Pune, Nighoj Potholes is an ideal destination for a day trip. Driving past the busy Nagar Road, and then taking the turn from Ranjangaon, the scene changed – the urban set-up gradually made way for views of farms and vast fields. The rural, narrow yet well-paved road winded through these vistas to suddenly reach a farm of Marigolds. It was the late afternoon harvesting time and the pretty lady workers were busy in their jobs.
We stopped and asked their permission to click the pictures and they happily obliged. They were so happy to see the beautiful photos that they called out their other companions to come near and get clicked. I was flattered by their innocence. Later, I continued capturing photos and videos of the field while they continued plucking the mature flowers leaving behind the buds and the yet-to-mature ones.
We moved on in the direction of the Nighoj Potholes through vegetable and sugarcane farms. Then we stopped on the bridge over the Kukadi River. On one side the course of the river was considerably thick while on the other side, it suddenly narrowed down. Probably this impacted the flow of the river and it started carving out potholes throughout the ravine or the canyon.
This canyon was formed due to some geological disturbances that occurred many many years ago. While gushing through this narrow bed the river erodes this Basalt bed to carve it into such wired forms. Further swirling of the debris-laden water within these fissures and cracks widens the holes and this mysterious land of potholes gets created. The flow of the river will keep changing the shape of its self-made sculpture with every passing year. We entered the designated parking area and parked our vehicle.
Two beautiful temples are located on either side of the potholes-filled ravine. This temple is dedicated to the local Goddess Malganga. The deity is highly revered by the locals and is considered the keeper of these potholes. Larger potholes on the upper bank beside the temples are named Ram Kund, Sita Kund, Lakshman Kund and Hanuman Kund. There is a small hanging footbridge connecting the temple side. This helps the devotees to cross the deep ravine and easily reach the other temple.
After spending a wonderful afternoon at this amazing destination, we decided to return back. We were in complete awe at the work of the river in creating such an intricate network of potholes. We left Nighoj Potholes and the Kukadi River to keep working on the ongoing play of Nature, where the river acts as an artist and creates such wonders to astonish human spectators.
Indeed a remarkable place. I’d certainly never heard of it before.
This place is not a very touristy destination so it is not known to many. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.