Chankapur Dam, Maharashtra.

The only information we had about Chankapur Dam in Nashik District of Maharashtra is that it does exist. And yet we reached there pretty much without getting lost. All thanks to smartphones and GPS apps. Chankapur Dam is about 40-odd kms from Saputara.

The idea was to reach Chankapur Dam a little after noon and then probably take a bath in the water and head back Surat. And we pretty much stuck to the plan except the bathing part. Upon arriving at the landing point closest to the water (as far as the GPS shows), we found the water to be too muddy for a bath. So shed our plans of taking a bath and instead relax a bit before heading back. Thankfully, there was a tiny shack built to take refuge from the beaming Sun. Even though there was no name scribbled on this gift-wrapped gift, I’m ready to believe it was sent from God. After all, here we were in the harshest of summers sitting on the banks of river Girna, nestled between a hill on one side and an idyllic village on the other and staring at a 41m high dam in the distance.

The Sun was so harsh that none of dared to put even a finger out of the shade while resting in the shack. We spent about an hour resting and having conversations on topics ranging from food, travel, cricket et al. As the conversation steered towards their college days, my own mind wandered into the horizon. And how I managed a cat nap I don’t know, but it was one of the best I’ve ever had. And then it was time to head back to Saputara, where we had a unusually heavy lunch before starting on the return leg of our bike ride to Surat. On the whole it was one of the best rides I’ve ever had. And definitely the longest in a day. We had covered close to 450 kms in a day.

Getting-there: From Saputara cross the border and enter Maharashtra. After some 5 kms on the highway there’s a left deviation to Chankapur road.

Must-Do: It’s best to carry a GPS app with you, or simply rely of directions from people.
Must-Don’t: Avoid coming in the summer.

My Rating: 5/10