BharatSangraha

Desh · Deccan Inland Plateau

Terrain and eco-zones

Semi-arid to sub-humid, and defined by a rain shadow rather than by latitude. The crest at Mahabaleshwar takes upwards of 6,000 mm a year; Phaltan, Man and Khatav east of it take 400–600 mm and are chronic scarcity talukas. Summers on the plateau run to 38–41 °C and break in early June; Pune's winter nights fall to 7–10 °C, and the plateau's altitude keeps its heat dry, unlike the coast below the passes.

Landforms

Deccan trap basalt — flood-lava flows around 65–66 million years old, stacked in horizontal sheets up to two kilometres thickFlat-topped mesas with vertical scarps, the direct product of that horizontal bedding — the physical basis of the fort systemBlack cotton soil (regur), self-mulching and moisture-retentive, weathered in place from the basaltLateritic plateau tops (sada or pathar) near the crest, thin-soiled and seasonally floweringThe Sahyadri crest and its passes — Bhor, Katraj, Khambatki, Amba, Phonda and KumbharliUjani and Koyna reservoirs, which converted two river valleys into standing water

Rivers and waters

Bhima — rises at Bhimashankar, runs south-east past Pandharpur and defines the northern basinKrishna — rises at Mahabaleshwar and drains the Satara and Sangli beltKoyna — the high-rainfall tributary dammed at Shivsagar, and the region's power sourceIndrayani — Alandi and Dehu both stand on it, which is why the two palkhis start where they doMula, Mutha, Nira, Ghod, Panchganga, Warna, Man, Yerla and Dudhganga

Through the year

SeasonMonthsTypicalWhat it is like
WinterNovember–February7–30 °CDry, clear and the region's working season — sugarcane crushing, jaggery boiling, jowar harvest and the wrestling calendar. Kartiki Ekadashi brings the year's second Pandharpur crowd.
SummerMarch–May22–41 °CWater tankers in the Man and Khatav dryland, hill traffic to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani, and the Mahabaleshwar strawberry season ending as the mango season starts below the ghats.
MonsoonJune–September20–29 °CThe crest is under cloud for weeks. Ashadhi Ekadashi falls in this window, so the wari walks in the rain by design — the pilgrimage is timed to the gap between sowing and the first weeding.
Post-monsoonOctober18–33 °CThe Kaas and Chalkewadi plateau tops flower for a few weeks, and the reservoirs are at their fullest.

Best time to visitNovember to February for the forts, the city and the food. Late June to mid-July if the point is the wari, which is a crowd event and not a comfortable one. September for the Kaas plateau flowering, which needs a booked permit. Mahabaleshwar is busiest in May and best in October.

The climate, landforms, rivers and seasons of Desh, and the best time of year to visit. (4)