Has it ever occurred to you that you plan to go somewhere and suddenly a plan changes and you get to visit a different place all together? This is how our Ramdara trip happened. My friend had mentioned to me about this place earlier but got a chance to visit this one very recently. It is about 26 km from Pune.

To Visit Ramdara you need to follow Pune Solapur road. You will pass through Hadapsar, Manjari , National Research Centre for grapes etc. On the way you will see HP fuel tanks on the left hand side while going from Pune. You need to cross one bridge and immediately after the bridge take a right turn into Loni village.

You need to pass through the village to reach there. On entering the village you are greeted by  Ambernath vegetable market. You need to go inside for about 5.7 Km. Inside the village surprisingly there is a cement road though narrow. There are different shops on both sides. Once you cross the village a dirt road (kaccha road) will start.

The journey from here till Ramdara was a nature lover’s delight. There were fields on either sides capturing our attention. We saw Cabbage, Cauliflower, Coriander, Fenugreek fields. Also Sugarcane and Banana plantation were seen.

There is a slight slope and 2 sharp turns. Then you will reach an entrance arch welcoming you into the temple and its surroundings. On entering we saw huge trees of various types and greenery was in the air.

It is a great place to go with family and have your food in the shadow of a tree.You can relish  the beauty of  nature but you don’t have to worry about your safety and security. That’s a nice feeling.

There is a small temple like structure where 10 incarnations of Vishnu (Dashawatar) i.e.Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasinha, Vaman, Parshuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki are sculpted. It has been protected by grill in order to keep it safe, secure and clean.

Inside the main temple there are idols of Shreeram, Sita and Lakshman and in the same inner sanctum there is  a Shivling. In the temple, 15th Chapter of Bhagvad Geeta is inscribed on the wall in which God Krishna explains the Purushottam Yog: The realization of the ultimate truth. Surrounding this temple beautiful and colourful sculptures are present of various saints and sages such as Surdas, Kabir,Guru Nanak, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Tulasidas, Swami Vivekanand, Shankaracharya, Narad, Valmiki, Vyas etc.

This temple is surrounded by water from three sides, Just outside the temple few coconut trees are seen.

There is a picturesque nature trail circling the temple. You would get to see various birds like Coppersmith Barbet, Orange headed ground thrush, Black winged kite, Oriental white eye, Plum headed Parakeete,. There are sit outs/ huts like structures made to sit and observe the beauty of nature. We also observed the nests of weaver birds. Water body attracts many types of cranes, swans and ducks as well. A Massive tamarind tree was seen covered fully with mouthwatering tamarinds.

Children have a gala time when they are amidst the nature and we also set them free. Kids and adults can enjoy themselves by climbing on trees.

On many trees artificial softwood nests were attached. Those were used by birds for laying eggs. This place is a good collage of flora and fauna.

There are 2 small snacks outlet where you can get chips, water and other snacks like missal, Vada pav etc. But the real fun is to carry your homemade food in a picnic basket and enjoy eating it in the lap of nature.

Quick Facts:
Open on: All days from 6 AM to 6:00 PM
Entry fee: Free
Location: Pune Solapur Road near Loni kalbhor
Best time to visit : Dawn and Dusk( as you would get to see many birds and ideal for taking photos as well.)