Andharban — literally "the dark forest" in Marathi — is a dense evergreen stretch of the Sahyadris in the Tamhini Ghat region of Maharashtra. Its thick canopy blocks so much sunlight that even at midday the trail feels shadowed and cool, giving the forest its name and the trek its unmistakable character.
The word Andharban is a compound of two Marathi words — andhar, meaning dark, and ban, meaning forest. The name is literal. The tree cover here is tall, thick and continuous, layered with orchids, ferns and creepers, and even at noon the forest floor stays dim. On a monsoon day with cloud cover, whole stretches of trail can feel like early evening.
Andharban lies in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, between the Pune and Raigad districts, on the western edge of the Sahyadri range near the Tamhini Ghat. It is about 68 km from Pune and roughly 150 km from Mumbai. The rough geographical coordinates are 18.72°N, 73.52°E, and the trek starts at around 2,200 ft above sea level before descending west towards the Kundalika valley.
The trek starts from Pimpri village in the Tamhini Ghat region and ends at Bhira village near the Bhira dam. The route runs 13–15 km depending on the exact trail and covers a mix of dense forest, rocky patches, stream crossings, and mossy descents.
Because most of the trail loses altitude, the effort is easy-to-moderate — which is why Andharban works well for families and first-time monsoon trekkers, provided everyone has decent footwear. Along the way you get open views of the Kundalika valley, glimpses of seasonal waterfalls, and the classic Tamhini-in-mist panorama.
The forest is evergreen and unusually rich for a small area. On the ground you'll notice moss-covered rocks, ferns, and clusters of orchids in the pre- and post-monsoon months. Medicinal plants and rare shrubs used in traditional healing practices are scattered along the trail. Between September and December, when the rains ease and the light returns, the greens are at their most vivid.
Andharban is home to a diverse set of animals typical of the Western Ghats: leopards, wild boar, barking deer, and Malabar giant squirrels move through the canopy and undergrowth. The forest also has over 70 recorded species of butterflies and a strong birdlife including the Malabar whistling thrush, dwarf kingfisher, paradise flycatcher, and minivets. Sightings of the larger mammals are rare on a daytime trek — the birds and squirrels are what you'll usually notice.
The Sahyadri range that Andharban sits inside is part of the Western Ghats — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and the villages around Pimpri and Bhira have long-standing ties to the forest. Many of the local families use plants from Andharban in traditional medicine, and the forest's role as a watershed sustains agriculture in the villages downhill. Trekkers are asked to keep this in mind: no littering, no lit cigarettes, no loud music.
The signature Andharban experience is a monsoon one. Between June and September the forest is at its most alive — streams and waterfalls appear along the trail, clouds move at eye level, and the greens are saturated. The trade-off is that the trail is slippery, so waterproof shoes with grip are essential.
The post-monsoon window from October to early December is a quieter, easier alternative: streams still run, weather is pleasant, and the trail underfoot is far more forgiving. From January to May the forest is still open and the trek is walkable, but the waterfalls are dry and you lose most of what makes Andharban feel special.
The trailhead is at Pimpri village. From Pune, the drive is about 68 km (2–3 hours) via the Mumbai–Pune expressway and the Tamhini Ghat road. From Mumbai, the drive is roughly 150 km (3–4 hours). The nearest railway station is Lonavala, from where Pimpri is a 57 km cab ride. Full breakdown is in our how to reach Andharban trek guide.