Kaas- the flower valley in Maharashtra
Recently declared as a Biodiversity World Heritage site by UNESCO, Kaas is home to innumerous species of naturally growing flowers. You can see bands of different colors formed as soon as you enter the Kaas plateau in post-monsoon season i.e. August onwards. The eye-catching colors and delicate flowers growing in groups are sure to make your jaws drop.
Such beauty is rare to watch. It gives you the feel of visiting Garhwal. Nature’s own children of enchanting color combinations, growing all over the 1,000 hectare plateau ought to leave you awestruck. Kaas is situated at about 22kms from Satara in Maharashtra. The Sahyadri ranges mother this plateau which surrounds the Kaas Lake that is as breathtaking as the plateau itself.
You won’t believe that this small plateau nurtures around 850 species of wild flowers including yellow and pink tweety-like flowers, orchids and even the carnivorous Drosera indica. 39 species right out of the Red Data book are found at Kaas. Nature has showered its blessings on this land in disguise of essential conditions for the growth of these endangered species of cute little flowers.
Yellow and pink tweety flowers, white mini-dandelions, purple violets, orange three-petal flowers in combination with each other, with yellow mini daisy-like flowers, with the village roads made of red mud and blue sky give you the idea of how many colors God has in his palette.
The rock on plateau is mostly basalt and due to uneven surface, a thin layer of eroded soil settles in the crevices of these rocks. In monsoon, water accumulates over this soil and facilitates growth of the dormant flowering plants. As soon as monsoon comes to an end, these plants and their seeds go back to dormancy.
You don’t have to visit Kaas exclusively for flowers as many other tourist attraction lie within 50kms radius of Kaas. Sajjangad fort where Saint Ramdas rests in peace lies on the road to Kaas. Vajrai which is now India’s highest waterfall, Koyna Dam and Kaas Lake all lie to the south of flower plateau and are places of serene natural beauty.
There are two ways which could be taken to reach Kaas. One is directly via Satara and the other detour via Panchgani. Panchgani is another great hill station to visit during monsoon. Strawberry and raspberry gardens in Panchgani offer delicious fresh fruits, jams, ice creams etc. It is one of the most visited hill station.
Don’t forget to grab your cameras and smiles to Kaas. You are sure to get great family pictures!
