Welcome To Panchgani The Switzerland of India
Panchgani is christened based on ‘Panch” as it is surrounded by five hills of sahyadri, and “Gani” meaning settlement. This all season hill station elevated at 1305 meters above sea level and beaing an area of 6 sq. km is located 18 km eats of Mahabaleshwar on Mahabaleswear Wai road on the heavy rain and fog. it is also shielded from the east wind by
a larger extant of Table-land. The magnifcent scenary of Krishna Valley from West to East with its numerous hamlets, cultivated fields and picturesque view of the backwater of Dhom Dam can be seen along the whole northern ridge of the mountain. The total yearly rainfall
Scenic Panchgani was discovered by the British during the British Raj as a summer resort, a nd a superintendent named John Chesson was placed in charge of the hill station in the 1860s. He is credited with planting many plant species from the western world in Panchgani, including silver oak and poinsettia, which have flourished since then in Panchgani. Mahabaleshwar was the summer resort of choice for the British, but it was uninhabitable during the monsoons. Panchgani was developed as a retirement place for the British because it remained pleasant throughout the year. John Chesson was deputed to find a suitable place. He surveyed the hills in this region in the company of one Mr Rustomji Dubash, and finally decided on this nameless area in the vicinity of the five villages:Dhandeghar, Godavli, Amral, Khingar, and Taighat. The place was aptly named Panchgani, and Chesson was made Superintendent. To develop the infrastructure, Chesson encouraged various professionals - tailors, dhobis, butchers,vegetable vendors, building contractors etc. to also settle in Panchgani. The area below the bazaar was allotted to them, and is known as the gaothan. Chesson is buried in the graveyard of St. Peter's Church. In 1971 or '72, his death centenary was observed in a big way when for the first time, the town folk and the schools participated together in a ceremony to remember the founder of Panchgani. Geography and climate
Panchgani is nestled at middle of five hills in the Sahyādri mountain ranges, also there are five villages around the Pachgani are Dandeghar, Khingar, Godwali, Amral & Taighat.The Krishnā River flows nearby which made the lake of Dhom Dam on the Krishna 9 K.M. from Wai. BOUNDARIES:- The distances of Panchgani from major cities are as follows:
From Mumbai - 285 km, From Pune - 100 km From Mahabaleshwar - 18 km, From Satara - 45 km & From Wai - 10 km
The east of the Pachgani is Wai, Bavdhan & Nagewadi dam, at west there is Gureghar,at south is Khingar & Rajpuri,& on north is Dhom Dam. The temperature in Panchgani is around 12C during the winter, and sometimes reaches 34C during the summer; however the humidity level is very low. The Monsoon rains hit here hardest and the rainy season spans between June and February, allowing the region three months of relatively dry and sunny spring. View from Panchgani, Maharashtra
The five hills surrounding Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau, which is the second highest in Asia after the Tibetan plateau. These plateaus, alternatively known as "table land", are a part of the Deccan Plateau and they were raised by pressure between the earth plates. The area has high seismic activity, with an epicenter near Koynānagar where the Koynanagar Dam and a hydroelectric power plant have been built.
