Fireflies festival
Location - Bhandardara- Harishchandragad Kalsubai forest sanctuary.
District - Ahmednagar
State - Maharashtra
Season - Pre-monsoon
For the tourists who seek adventure and thrill in nature, Fireflies Festival in Bhandardara provides it in spades.
Fireflies emit light in their mating ritual and the mating period being pre-monsoon, many camps are arranged in the Valley of Shadows and the nearby Samrad village.
The forest camps are set in the region where thousands of fireflies abound.
It's just a boat ride away across Arthur lake.
The area is totally free from light pollution and hence is one of the darkest spots in the state of Maharashtra.
It makes it ideal for star-gazers and nature lovers to camp out here for the study of the stars and the milky way in addition to the observation of the glowing fireflies.
The thousands of glittering fireflies light up the dark forest parts and it goes without saying that the sight is ethereal to say the least.
There are a number of camps organized that the tourist can choose from.
These camps provide the members with all the necessary camp site equipment like tents, washrooms etc. Meals are also included in their plans.
They handle the transportation as well as the other necessary formalities.
The camps often have experienced guides to lead the groups through the forest trails up to the region where the fireflies are found.
It is a most enchanting experience that campers are sure to capture both in their cameras as also in their hearts.
( Other activities provided by the camps include bonfires, star-gazing, morning walks etc. )
( Picture by Andrew Bui )
