The Place
Khardi, a village in Shahapur Taluka of Thane district, comes alive in monsoon, with each tree and shrub preening in a different shade of green. Not far from the Bhatsa dam, which supplies Mumbai city with water, Khardi has its own share of streams which pop up during the monsoon and make for a pleasing sight.
In a brush with fame (or infamy), Shahapur recently featured in an episode on water scarcity of the serial ‘Satyamev Jayate’ hosted by the popular Bolywood star, Aamir Khan. The village suffers the trafic fate of not having sufficient potable water despite being surrounded by water bodies.
Getting There
On Central Railway’s suburban network for local trains, just a stop before Kasara station,Khardi is an hour’s drive away from Thane via the Eastern Express highway-National Highway 3. (Visit maps.google.co.in for directions)
Accommodation
With bungalow projects like ‘Our Town’, ‘Highland Park’ and ‘Thapar Nagar’, Khardi offers a few privately owned bungalows on rent. The developer of ‘Our Town’ township is also currently constructing a guest house.
Things To Do
Trek to the Bhatsa dam, visit Dahigaon village with its lake and temples, or go across to the check dam. If you’re not in the mood for so much action, just dip your feet in the gushing streams or enjoy the greenery enveloping you on a long walk as you listen to birds and crickets. Glow worms floating around in the night make for magical moments. In fact, one of my favorite memories is a vast glass façade of a rented bungalow, twinkling with glow worms on a dark night.
For more general information on Khardi