Lonar is a small village at 130 km from Aurangabad. It takes 2.5 hrs via Samruddhi
Expressway and an hour more via non-toll road.
Lonar, famous for its crater and rich historical background, is a hidden gem of the country not yet popularised by tourists. It doesn’t have many stay options. MTDC resorts
are generally reliable and didn’t prove us wrong. Vikrant Hotel is another option.
There are 2 ways to see this crater:
A drive around its circumference from the top. There are 3-4 watch towers to get the entire view of the crater.
Trek to the lake to watch it up and close- 5km (3hr) to and fro. On the way, visit a few temples and learn about our heritage.
It is very advisable to engage a tour guide. A strong recommendation goes for Amol Sardar 9975447088 to unravel the Mysteries of Lonar.
There is a possibility of doing the trek and returning back the same day but that would be hectic and rules out the option of trekking during the early morning hours when the weather is comfortable and bird sightings are best.
An outline of the itinerary is given below:
Day 1 Early morning | Aurangabad to Lonar |
Day 1: 4pm | Drive around Lonar lake by car (Autos and 2 Wheelers not allowed) |
Day 2: 7am | Trek to Lonar lake crater |
Day 2 Afternon | Lonar to Aurangabad |
"A need to tell stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens" -Reynolds Price
GEOLOGICAL STORY
From the large number of meteorites that have fallen on earth…
millions of years ago, during the ice age, one managed to create the Earth’s largest and only hyper-velocity impact crater in basaltic rock - on the Deccan plateau…
The Lonar crater is the best preserved impact crater formed in basalt rock.
This crater is filled with water from streams and rain over the years forming a lake.
The water of the lake is both saline and alkaline in nature, which makes it one-of-its-kind not only in India, but also in the world.
For many years, the Lonar Crater was thought to be volcanic in origin, due to its location in a basalt field made from volcanic rock dating back 65 million years. However, the presence of maskelynite, a glass that is only formed from high velocity impact, points towards its extraterrestrial origin.
MYTHOLOGICAL STORIES
Lonar Lake was formed when Lonasura, a mythical demon, who used to harass and trouble local people so much so that Lord Vishnu descended to earth to vanquish him, was pushed back into the netherworld with tremendous force by Vishnu. This created the crater and hence the name ‘Lonar’.
It has a reference as Panchapsar in the Valmiki Ramayan. This lake is visited by lord Rama, during his journey through the Dandaka forest.
As for the historical name Panchapsar, it was derived from the fact that there are as many as five different streams which feed the lake.
The Lonar Crater also finds a suitable mention in the Ain-e-Akbari which was authored by Abul Fazl during emperor Akbar’s rule. Supposedly, soap made in Lonar had medicinal properties and hence was used for beauty and healing skin ailments.
Another story about the name of the lake-
Some of the rocks found in the crater have a resemblance to rocks found on the moon hence Lunar which colloquially became ‘Lonar’
TEMPLES AROUND THE CRATER
Numerous temples surround the lake, most of which stand in ruins today, adding to the Mysteries of Lonar.
Temple of Daitya Sudan
It is at the centre of Lonar town. It was built in honour of Vishnu's victory over the giant Lonasur.
It is a fine example of early Hindu architecture of the Hemadpanti style- ( most of the ancient temples of Maharashtra are Hemadpanti-named so after the architect)......
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Motha Maruti Temple
The temple is unique owing to the fact that Lord Hanuman is seen in a reclining position.
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Gomukh Temple
The Gomukh temple complex is situated on the rim of the Lonar crater lake. There is a perennial stream that flows into the kund of the temple.
Ram Gaya temple
This temple is unique because there is only one idol of Lord Ram unlike many other Ram temples where idols of Ram, Sita and Laxman are always together.
Temple architecture
The temple architecture is fascinating.
Each figurine, each carving, even the structure has a story to tell and takes us back in time…
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THE STORY OF OUR TREK
Once you descend the steep and numerous stairs of the Gomukh temple, the trek along the crater rim begins…
You hear:
The flowing stream
The hoopoe, peacock, parakeet, doves, babblers.
You see:
Doves, Hornbills, monkeys
Neem trees, Eucalyptus trees
Spider webs, Ant hills
Butterflies and honeycombs
You feel:
The cool clean forest air which enhances the nature of the Mysteries of Lonar.
On reaching the lake you see lots of migratory birds doing their own thing oblivious of your presence.
The lake is high in salinity and alkalinity, as the lack of an outflow leads to a concentration of minerals as the lake water evaporates. Specialized micro-organisms such as anaerobes, cyanobacteria and phytoplankton survive in this harsh chemical environment. Outside the lake, there is considerable diversity of plant and animal life, as springs which help feed the lake provide a source of fresh water.
In July 2020 the colour of the Lake turned pink which was due to Haloarchaea bacteria culture that creates pink pigment and exists in saline water.
The soil in the Lonar crater has a very high iron content…
Even the stone used to build the temples is highly magnetic.
While returning we were daunted by the steep narrow stairs of the Gomukh temple but our guide showed us a technique to climb up- it is easier to climb such steps in a diagonal manner going from left to right.
Lonar is a repository of lores, legends, knowledge and beauty - nestled fairly unexplored remotely in Maharashtra.
References:
As told by our guide
Wikipedia
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