Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Kaas 2010

Kaas Plateau - September 2010
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Kass Plateau
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I was fortunate to witness this wonderland twice in 2010, made two visits, one during monsoon and at the end of monsoon.Images compiled are from the trips,

Begonia crenata
Begonia


Kaas scape
kass scape

Utricularia Pururascens
Utricularia Pururascens

Distant view of peteshwar plateau
Kass_Wflower_hill

Millions of flowers of varied size and shape fill this wonderland during monsoon
Kass_y_flower

Eriocaulon tuberiferum
Kass_White_ballmulti

Diphadi midst of impatiens Lawii
Diphadi midst of impatiens Lawii


Kass_waterFG_hill

Urmodi backwaters
Urmodi backwaters
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Stream in between the flower beds,the color of flower beds changes once every week during flowering season (Sept/Oct)
Kass_stream

Murudania Simplex
Murudania Simplex


Kass_milestone_BW

Eriocaulon tuberiferum
Eriocaulon tuberiferum

"Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance,
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought."
-William Wordsworth
Thousands of Impatiens,Smithia dance gently in the open country,welcoming to their wonderland.
Impatiens Lawii
Impatiens Lawii

Kass_2pink

Pogostemon deccanensis
Pogostemon deccanensis

Fragile ecosystem sustain on this lateritic plateau
Fragile life form

Cascading waters
Cascading waters

Smithia Hirsuta- look at the charm in these beauties
Smithia Hirsuta

winding road to Kaas
Lateritic plateau
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Bamnoli lake
Distant view of Bamnoli lake

uncontrolled tourism - Large number of tourist visit this place during the monsoon, they pose great threat to this fragile ecosystem,people come here for picnic leaving the place littered with liquor bottles, plastic plates, covers and cups
Kass tourist


Ray of hope - Will this wonderland survive??
Ray of hope
This wonderland survives only because of people like Dr. Sandeep Shrotri and his NGO "Raanvata", based in Satara.They are the people with burden to conserve and protect this place from unethical minds.

My special thanks to my friend Mr.Vivek Kale who shared wealth of information about this place and for his time.



Kaas images from my previous visit,
http://samsoncj.blogspot.com/2009/10/kaas-plateau.html
Reference: Flowers of Sahyadri by Shrikant Ingalhalikar.
Equipment:Canon40D with Sigma 150mm and Canon 18-55mm IS lens
For any queries and suggestions please contact me at cj.samson [at] gmail.com