We had heard and read that Saguna Baug is a good place for a one day picnic. Let me correct that: it is a great place to not only just spend one day, but I would strongly advise you to stay there for at least 2 nights to truly enjoy the spectacular elements of nature. My aunt summed it up beautifully, saying that you can enjoy all the elements of nature in one place, namely Sky, Earth, Air (Wind), Water and Fire.
Sky
If you are staying overnight, you can catch a glimpse of the sunset and sunrise. During the day, you will often see formations of birds in the clear blue sky.
On our last day we even saw the white streaks of a jet just below a very faintly seen half-moon.
Then there is the star-spangled night sky. On our last night, the electric lights were switched off when we were seated outside. Initially we thought the power had gone off. It was actually switched off deliberately so that we could see the star spangled night sky. We were given a brief astronomy lesson by Anil, a graduate from Dhapoli who is a member of the staff here. He pointed out the various stars: Revathy, Rohini, Kruthika. Then there was the beautiful formation of Orion. Sirius, the bright star at the very bottom, is the deer-hunter (called Vyadh), with the 3 stars in a single line at the center of the Orion formation being his arrow and the 4 stars around it forming the deer’s head, tail and feet. This sighting is known as Mrig Nakshatra Darshan. Just after sunset, we were also able to get a brief glimpse of a bright red star – we were informed that this was Shukra (planet Venus) and just below it the tiny star was Budh. We were informed that the owner plans to set up a permanent night sky observatory area in the coming months.
Earth
The roads are stony not just on the way to Saguna Baug, but also within the premises.
However, you definitely must go on a guided tour of the fields and get a botanical lesson on the various plants and trees, not to mention the fields where vegetables are grown (more of that in a later post).
Wind
Since we visited in January, we experienced chilly winds at night. During the day there was a light breeze and at around 4p.m. it would get a little stronger, enough to turn the porch fan’s blades! Generally it was really pleasant air. The wind would also create beautiful ripples on the surface of the pond, quite a mesmerizing sight.
Of course, being a natural retreat, the air is totally unpolluted and is only tarnished when a vehicle bringing visitors enters. Also, sound tends to carry, so if people are talking loudly, you can hear the conversation very clearly.
Water
You need to sit by the pond side for some time to catch a glimpse of fish jumping. During our stay, throughout the day and even at night, we could distinctly here the ‘plop’ of fish. You can get some great photos too of the reflection of trees in the pond. Don’t miss the sight of geese making their graceful way across the pond and diving head first to catch fish in their beaks. It is also quite funny actually to see them totally upside down, with their tummies exposed and webbed feet waving, thrashing around in the water to catch fish and frantically coming up for air after each dive.
Saguna Baug also touches the Ulhas river, where you can have a splashing good time!
Fire
On each night of our stay, our room attendant created a bonfire. Let me mention here that the fuel to set it up did not involve chopping of any plants or tree branches. The dried leaves and branches which were strewn around were used for the bonfire. Being cold, it was really good to stretch out our hands and feet towards the blazing heat. Nice!
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