Kass Pathar

kaas Pathar : Valley of Flowers

 Maharashtra’s ‘valley of flowers’ (even though it is a rocky plateau), Kaas Pathar is located about 300km from Mumbai by road. Towards the end of the monsoon (usually September to early October), the barren plateau dons a mantle of green dotted with variegated flowers. Beds of yellow, pink, white, blue, even mixed hued blooms stretch as far as the eye can see. But what was known to a handful of researchers and nature lovers for decades turned into a popular attraction since 2012, when the Western Ghat hills were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a biodiversity hot spot.

To the untrained eye, the plateau appears barren for the greater part of the year, breaking into a profusion of blooms during late monsoon. According to scholars, it is a unique system harbouring a large number of flora and fauna. Apart from small mammals and birds, there are also reptiles and amphibians. According to news reports, a biodiversity expert has recently discovered the lesser striped necked snake here.

Most are herbaceous plants; some are so tiny that they are hardly visible. One of the most striking features of the plateau are the pink balsam flowers spread over large areas. Some of the commonly seen plants include the white Habenaria (ground orchids), the bright yellow sonki, the easily distinguishable Smithia (Mickey Mouse flower), the rare Ceropegia, insectivorous plants such as the Utricularia (Sita’s tears), Bladderwort and Drosera (Sundew), etc. Flowers, such as the Strobilanthes, bloom every seven to nine years.