Matheran

Matheran
Picture of Matheran hidden in clouds, from the tracks of the Matheran Toy Train
Picture of Matheran hidden in clouds, from the tracks of the Matheran Toy Train
Location of Matheran
Matheran is located in Maharashtra
Matheran
Matheran
Location in Maharashtra, India
Coordinates: 18°59′12″N 73°16′04″E / 18.9866°N 73.2679°E / 18.9866; 73.2679
CountryIndia
StateMaharashtra
DistrictRaigad
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Council
 • BodyMatheran Hill Station Municipal Council
Area
 • Total7 km2 (3 sq mi)
Elevation
800 m (2,600 ft)
Population
 (2001)
 • Total5,139
 • Density730/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialMarathi
 • SpokenMarathi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
410102
Telephone code02148
Vehicle registrationMH-46
Nearest cityKarjat
Websitehttp://www.matheran.net.in/en/

Matheran is an automobile-free hill station and a municipal council in the Karjat taluka of the Raigad district located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Matheran is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and one of the smallest hill stations in India. It is located in the Western Ghats, at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. It is about 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. This proximity to these urban areas makes it a weekend getaway for many. Matheran, which means "forest on the forehead" (of the mountains) in Marathi, is an eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. It is Asia's only automobile-free hill station.[1][2]

There are many hotels and Parsi bungalows in the area. Old British colonial architecture is preserved in Matheran.[3][4] The roads are made of red laterite earth.

  1. ^ Seminar. R. Thapar. 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  2. ^ Shyam Kishor Agarwal (1991). Automobile pollution: concerns, priorities, and challenges. APH Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-81-7024-414-1. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  3. ^ Modwel, Pallavi (18 June 2018). "Matheran – A Hub For Colonial Architecture And Heritage". Yatra. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Matheran".[dead link]