Mysterious Fireflies And Where You Can Find Them in Maharashtra

Fireflies or glow-worms are ordinary-looking insects during the day, but when dusk turns to night, they will light up your world.

Fireflies or glow-worms are ordinary-looking insects during the day, but when dusk turns to night, these creatures fling aside their unassuming facades to reveal their extravagant countenance. They prepare themselves for a magnificent show where they literally dance the night away!

Why? When it’s the monsoons in India, it’s time for these itsy-bitsy creatures to find themselves an awesome life partner. The fireflies gather together in multitudes while performing an incredible number of moves to impress their future mates; experts say they display nearly 2000 moves, and you thought you were having difficulty in impressing the opposite sex?!

These moves range from being overly simple to enormously complicated. The glow-worms create the most beautiful dance you can imagine using light from their bodies called bioluminescence. This extraordinary open-air light show is displayed in the forests.

Glow-worms love water and they live near or in places that get a lot of rain or have moist, marshy areas with water bodies present close by. Be it spending a romantic evening, or delighting in seeing your kids’ faces light up in joy and fascination, you are sure to get thrilled seeing thousands of fireflies flicker across the forest creating an amazing display of lights. There are some places in Maharashtra where you can enjoy this spectacle that will give you sheer joy this monsoon.

Purushwadi:

The nearest train station is Kasara and from here you can catch a bus or car to reach Purushwadi. If you’re driving From NH3 one can head to Igatpuri and then onto Ghoti. From there head to Rajur and then reach here. Grassroutes organizes a tour of this village. Stay here is basic, clean and comfortable and is basically camping in tents. Food is basic but wholesome and the villagers are a really amazing lot.

Sandhan Valley:

The best way to experience this place is to trek here. The commuting route is practically the same as Purushwadi, but from Igatpuri, you need to head to Samrad Village. Ask any of the villagers and they will accompany you on the trek. A simple arrangement can be made where the villagers can provide you with food. Along the way, you will see many fireflies at night. Watch these bugs put a glowing smile on your face with their luminous display.

Rajmachi Trek:

If you plan on going by train, then take a train that goes through Karjat or Khapoli from Kalyan, Mumbai. From Pune make your way towards Khandala. On the way, you must ask specifically for Rajmachi Fort. You need to then reach Kondivade village and continue on the way to the Rajamachi Fort. If its the monsoon, you will be prone to glimpsing several fireflies flying merrily about. The trek is surely worth it to gaze at this light display of our merry little friends.