harshad : A Wonderful Day Trip from Pune - Weekend Idea - Bhigwan Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary

Looking for Flamingos - Bhigwan has the answer

Where is Bhigwan?

Bhigwan is about 100 km from Pune on Pune Solapur highway. The drive from Pune to Bhigwan takes about 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.

The road beyond the Pune City limit is 4 lane NH 65. This road is divided with adequate beam cutting plants therefore the lights of the vehicles coming from opposite direction do not bother you. The surface of the NH 65 is very good.

Bhigwan is almost at the end of Ujani Lake, the backwaters of Ujani Dam on Bhima River, about 35 km downstream from Bhigwan.

Why is Bhigwan famous?

The year-round fame of Bhigwan is for the Tilapia Fresh Water fish that is the main catch of Ujani lake adjoining Bhigwan as also Bird watching and wildlife watching (more so, bird watching). Bird watching gets into another higher dimension in the months of December to March (and sometimes till end of April) every year when migratory birds like Flamingos, Painted Storks, Bar Headed Geese, etc make Ujani Lake their home in winters.

Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary

Just about 10 Km from Bhigwan, a detour of about 5 km from NH 65 is a small village called Kumbhargaon, this is where Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary is situated (Colloquially called Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary). It's a small village with a local atmosphere but a bit of modernity.

Visiting Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary.

There are many establishments conducting the boat cruise to watch the birds, native and migratory, into the Lake.

It would be prudent to search Google and identify a good Boat Operator cum home-stay owner. The advantage of doing this is, one, you can make an overnight program. Reach by Lunch, have lunch there, do evening boat cruise, dinner, night stay, morning boat cruise, and then return. The second reason to recommend this is, safe parking for your vehicle and the availability of toilets, etc when one reaches there even if just for one boat cruise.

All such people can serve rustic but authentic breakfast and meals. They have boats and guides and the facilities like parking and toilet are complimentary.

Planning a Visit.

Those coming from Pune have four good options to visit the Bird Sanctuary. Two options are little tough ones and the other two simple ones.

(a) Option 1 - Leave at 4 am, reach Kumbhargaon around 6.30 am. Start the cruise around 7 am. tour lasts 1 hour 30 min (can be done for 3 hours if one is ready to pay double charges) and current charges are Rs 1000 for this trip. Leave for Pune post breakfast.

(b) Option 2 - (Needs advance room booking) - Leave Pune at around 4 am, reach Kumbhargaon by 0630. Do the first cruise starting at 0700, finish it in 1 hour 30 min (or double the time at double the cost). Have breakfast and lunch, relax in the booked rooms. Do another cruise starting at 5 pm. Post cruise, one may stay overnight and leave after night's rest the next morning or the same day without having dinner or post-dinner.

(c) Option 3 - Leave Pune around 1330. Rach Bhigwan town by 1530. Have lunch in the town. Reach Kumbhargaon by 1630. Do an evening boat cruise starting at 5 pm. Return to Pune post the cruise.

(d) Option 4 - (Needs advance room booking) - Leave around 1330. Lunch ay Bhigwan. Reach around 1630, check-in. First cruise at 5 pm. Dinner and rest post-return. Do another cruise in the morning at 0700. Depart for Pune post Breakfast.

Bird Watching and Photography.

The time spent on the boat cruise is used to do quality bird watching and photography (with advanced mobiles, everyone is a photographer today). If one owns a DSLR with an adequate zoom lens (zoom lens is never adequate as much zoom one may have, there will always be things beyond the reach of the zoom one has), this photography is even better fun.

What will you get to see and photograph? Here is my photo gallery for your to see (contributions are mine and of my daughter using DSLR as well as i-phone).