MAHABALESHWAR for the longest of times was considered to be a rich man�s hill-station destination. At least in comparison to Panchgani which was considered to be its slightly less affluent cousin.

Not so anymore. It�s the middle and upper-middle class people who now throng both places. A distinction in visitor profile if it has to be made, could be made on personality grounds. The noisy, action-oriented, more flamboyant ones go to Mahabaleshwar for their holidays; the quieter, peace-loving, family types stay in Panchgani, preferring only to go spend an evening at Mahabi! But Mahabaleshwar is Mahabale-shwar and it is what it is thanks to its crowning glory, the lake. Yenna, it is called and even though it is now reduced in its beauty, no thanks to the senseless planning and indiscriminate construction around, it continues to draw the aam-janta.

There is boating and horse riding, bhutta chomping and strawberry and garden fresh carrot buying sprees. Evenings spent by the lakeside is an entertaining affair. The stretch across the road where at one time stood a lone sugarcane juice shop and a few entertainment stalls, now houses a whole lot of cheap stalls selling street food and offering vast entertainment opportunities.

You find you can indulge in not just your gastronomic passions, but also make sporting oeuvres. Try striking down the 9 pins with three tries of a rubber ball. If you are lucky you�ll win a packet of �Mintos� after five games and Rs. 100 down. Or maybe you are better at guns and balloons!

Whatever you do, don�t come away from this entertainment mess without drinking or perhaps �eating� the heavyduty strawberry milk shake. It has cream AND ice-cream AND the strawberries in it. It�s divine!

Further up the hill past Dina and Fredrick Hotels, you�ll come to the bazaar. Here you may wander around a 200 metre stretch of market place which sells everything. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, the famous slippers, the more famous walking sticks with the snake head. Chikki, chana, fudge, jams, jellies, honey, pretty crochet dresses, plenty of wicker objects. You meander through the street with all the above shops not set in any order except happy confusion, delight in a bargain purchase, generally relax.

If you are a carnivore go down the entire length of the bazaar, and you will find Nukkad, the only place with mutton and chicken on its menu. And all the best to you. Vegetarian eating is definitely the better option in Mahabaleshwar. Rajesh Hotel serves good Gujarati thalis, likewise Dreamland. Imperial Stores serves pizzas and burgers.

Indian hill-stations are full of �points�. Mahabaleshwar is no exception. There is Bombay Point, Arthur�s Seat, and Tiger Path, Sunset Point, Malcolm Point, Wilson Point, Lodwick Point, Marjorie�s Point, and Kate�s Point. Basically from all these points all that you see is sweeping stretches of valley views, so perhaps it would be best to visit just one or two.

If, however, you are staying at Dina Hotel, you don�t even need to do that. The lake view will be right outside your bedroom window.

What is worth a visit is the Panchganga Temple situated in Old Mahabaleshwar (accessible from the road to Panchgani). The temple is situated on the confluence of five rivers � the Krishna, Savitri, Gayatri, Venna and Koyna.

In the temple is a water stream which spouts from the mouth of a sculpted cow. Said to be a mix of these five rivers, the source is unknown, but suffice it is that it is considered to be the holiest of waters and a drink of it is a must.

If you are motoring, Mahabaleshwar offers a couple of excursions. One to Pratapgarh, 18 km down on the Mahad Ghat, and the other to Tapola, 30 km downhill,south of the bazaar. It�s a beautiful drive and once at Tapola, you can get into a boat and go downstream for eternity, the Koyna River goes all the way and connects miles away to the Koyna Dam!

Pratapgarh Fort, built atop craggy cliffs, has been around since 1656. Situated at mid-point on the Mahad Ghat what you see from a distance itself is the huge bronze equestrian statue of Shivaji on the highest level of the fort ramparts. Above it flutters a saffron flag. The engaging mythology that draws crowds to the Fort is that it was the venue for a meeting between Shivaji, the great Maratha leader, and Afzal Khan, the mighty general of the Adilshah of Bijapur.

The intention, it is said, was to extend hands of friendships, but as it were, it turned out to be planned treachery on both sides, with one out witting the other, resulting in the death of Afzal Khan. A dargah of the slain general is built near the Fort. It has the most heady smelling roses growing there.

Mahabaleshwar is an area full of beautiful walks. You could go walking for hours in its dense forest cover and not tire. Robert Frost could easily have been inspired here. Another pleasurable activity could be driving around window shopping for a grand old British-built, Parsi-owned but now unused and forgotten, glass and stone bungalow. There are many such.