Shivapur

Overview:

There are no organized trips to the Dargarh, as it isn’t a tourist attraction. The entrance to the shrine is absolutely free, inviting anyone and everyone in. Visitors may add their contribution to a donation box, placed within the shrine, if they so wish. To be amazed or to become a believer, either way guests should hire cab services from Mumbai to Shivapur. It takes a good four hours of travelling by car to reach Shivapur from Mumbai, Via Pune. Daily trains do run between Mumbai and Pune, however the most convenient way would be to hire a rental cab. The town is just, half an hour drive from the city of Pune. "India is an ancient land; it has its own secrets. Known the world over for its tales of the spiritual and the paranormal. Although quite a few of them are of dubious nature, having little truth in them, some have continued to befuddle people from across continents for decades, or in some cases, even centuries. One such mystical story is that of the levitating stones in Shivapur, Maharashtra. The hills of Shivapur lie folded against the horizon, while tiny dust devils spin with gay abandon across the span of the sepia fields. The shrine of  Shivapur, is the only reason, that this remote village is highlighted on the map. Tourists and cynics, from all over the globe alike, visit this place to, view its levitating stones  in an endeavour to solve or to simply believe the mysteries held by the shrine. The easiest way of reaching the village is to book a cab from Mumbai to Shivapur. The cooler months between November and February are considered to be the best time in the year to visit the Qamar Ali Darvesh shrine in Shivapur.

Places To Visit:

The shrine is dedicated to the late saint Qamar Ali Darvesh of Shivapur. Legend dictates that, the local villagers during the time of the saint took pride in their muscular prowess. Qamar Ali Darvesh was the youngest in the family of wrestlers. Unlike his brothers, the saint dedicated his life towards gaining spirituality. The saint believed in the equality of all religions, castes and creed; revered for his miraculous healing powers, the saint had a huge following; at his deathbed the saint requested for two stones weighing more than 70 kilograms each or more, to be placed in the courtyard of the shrine. As a reminder to everyone, the saint promised that when eleven men of any religion place their right hand’s index finger, under the stone and remembering that they are all brothers, call out the saint’s name aloud, together; the stone would rise up above their heads. The stone would levitate only by this method, any other attempt to lift the stone would not succeed by more than a few inches. However, women are not allowed to partake in this activity. A group of Japanese scientists had visited the Dargarh to try and unravel the mysteries of the stone, and conducted various tests and experiments. The Japanese left bemused and confused.

Things to do:

Be a part of the ritual and experience either, the bemusement and confusion of the Japanese scientists or marvel at the mystery of the stones for yourself.

Tourists visiting Shivapur, could also travel to nearby Sinhagad Fort which is at a distance of 13 kilometers. The fort is an important part of Maharashtra’s history. Called 'Kondana' after the sage Kaundinya, the Kaundinyeshwar temple, the caves and the carvings place the fort to have had been built 2000 years back. The Sinhagad forest with its variety of indigenous flora and fauna also makes for an interesting journey.