Three hours away from Mumbai, is Saguna Baug, a 50-acre farm in neral that promises an action-packed weekend getaway, from fishing and obstacle rope crossings to water buffalo rides
Three hours away from Mumbai, is Saguna Baug, a 50-acre farm in neral that promises an action-packed weekend getaway, from fishing and obstacle rope crossings to water buffalo rides
My visit to Saguna Baug in theu00a0 neighbouring Raigad District turned out as eventful as an average day in the newsroom! From watching a buffalo sinku00a0 under the the weight of a human, to witnessing an obstacle rope wall give way with the weight of nearly forty overzealous participants, all of it taking place in a span of 8 hours. So much for a sunny, action-packed Saturday in October.
Being a late riser didn't help, what with the 5.30 am start to my day. The 6.56 am Karjat-bound train from Dadar brought me to my first stop, Neral Junction, at 9.25 am. The folks at Saguna Baug have a pick-up facility from the station, so reaching our destination was a breeze. Off we went in a tempo, covered the four-kilometre ride in 20 minutes.
Take the agro route
Saguna Baug is a 50-acre plot, which has been divided to accommodate wooden cottages, a pond house, a fishing pond, a river where you can ride a water buffalo (yes!), rice and banana plantations, lotus and water lily ponds, a lake for boating and a pond for fish farming.
The place has a breathtaking view of lush forested tracts all around. Located amidst typically rustic settings, Saguna Baug believes in promoting agro tourism by offering you the real experience associated with simple living. It was Gandhian freedom fighter Harikaka Bhadsavle's dream to create such a space. His dream became a reality through his son Shekhar's efforts.
Like the hardworking farmer who needs tonnes of energy before setting out to toil in the sun, we gave ourselves a much needed boost with a hearty breakfast of Sabudana Khichdi, Poha and piping hot chai. Our group of 15 then set out to our first destination -- the rice and banana plantations. En route, we also visited a biogas plant before taking a breather with a round of refreshing Kokum Sherbet, a favourite cooler, particularly in the Konkan.
Finding Nemo in Saguna
An hour-long walk from our temporary base (a shed with cottages which doubled up as our meal area) past the lotus and water lily pond brought us to our rookie lesson in fish farming. Saguna breeds different types of fish, including Rohu (Labia), Cyprenus (Chinese carp), Sea Bass and Catla.
However, their star is the Tilapia, originally found in the Nile River. They also farm freshwater giant prawns in a pond, the variety that can easily give lobsters and tiger prawns stiff competition. Sighs expressing repulsion and shrieksu00a0 from some of the group members as they watched our guide Hiraman hold the prawn like a trophy.
the star attraction Rural youth often spend time in the river, bathing their cattle; Saguna gives you a chance to do just that with the highlight -- the water buffalo ride. When I read about this activity I was excited and apprehensive, but decided to give it a shot, nevertheless.
Gingerly, I steppedu00a0 into the pebbled water bed, keeping my balance intact. An ant-climax was to unfold. A group of guys had surrounded the buffalo, taking turns to sit on it. Biding my time, I waited my turn. The last member from the group was ready for his chance to mountu00a0 the buffalo. Unsure about his balance, and not being the quickest on his feet didn't help his attempt. To our utter disbelief, our star attraction buckled under his weight and went under water! Amidst peals of laughter, I looked at the buffalo, as he emerged from the water, clear that heu00a0 had had enough human interaction for oneu00a0 day, as he left the watery playground to graze.
Not left with much of an option, we headed back to basecamp for lunch, which comprised salad, papad, cabbage and aloo sabzis, brinjal, chapati, dal, and rice, rounded off with a bowl of gulab jamuns.
Post lunch, and a leisurely nap on a hammock under the open skies, we decided to try our hand at boating in a pond, which was barely ten minutes away. Okay, here's a tip -- boating isn't as easy as it looks on TV. Manoeuvering the boat in a particular direction can be quite a challenge as I discovered, so ensure you have a trained guide to accompany you on such trips.
Fishy business
We tried our hand at fishing too. A hook and rod in tow, we based ourselves at the nearby pond; the bait is a paste of wet flour. After three unsuccessful attempts, another important lesson was learnt -- fishing is not for the impatient and the noisy. Since I was guilty on both counts I had an empty rod to show. I didn't catch a single fish, but I did not return empty handed. Instead, I got a free session in the art of being at ease amidst nature.
AT: Saguna Baug, Village Malegaon, Neral.
Call: 02148238438. LOG ON TO: www.sagunabaug.com
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