Books on the Sahyadris


Books offer far more detail than what you can obtain over the internet. For a subject which is as important as the Sahyadris (at least to me) it is surprising how few books exist on this topic. The books listed below are the only ones I could find on the Sahyadri. Beside each is a brief review along with details on how you can obtain them. (Note: I am not associated in any way with the writing, publishing or sale of these books.)


TREK THE SAHYADRIS

Author: Harish Kapadia

This is a Sahyadri classic. For many years, this was the only book of its kind. My copy of this book, as can be seen in the photo on the left, has been worn down extensively due to usage over the years, which includes taking it on numerous hikes and lending it to many hikers. It covers the entire Sahyadri range and also has a section on rock climbing. When one tries to squeeze in the vast number of Sahyadri peaks into about 120 pages, details suffer. Dont use this book alone for directions! (Price: Rs 18 in 1979, Publishers: The Mountaineers, 72 Vijay Apartments, 16 Carmichael Road, Mumbai 400026)






THE SAHYADRI COMPANION

Authors: Young Zingaro (YZ) Trekking Group

If you want details, this is the book for you. I can only imagine the amount of effort that went into creating this enormous compilation of Sahyadri sites. Colour illustrations are present in almost every page, which include detailed maps of regions. The book includes supplements on rock climbing, first aid and a bus-train timetable. Comprising of 280 pages of text and illustrations in two-column format, this is probably the most detailed Sahyadri book currently in existence. (Price: Rs 750 in 2000, Publisher: Mohan Gowilkar, Sahyadri Prakashan, 49, Karel Wadi, Thakurdwar, Mumbai 400002)






OFFBEAT TRACKS IN MAHARASHTRA

Author: Milind Gunaji

This is more of a travel guide than a hiking book, but it contains interesting information about several Sahyadri forts. Since some hiking trips also include visits to temples, sanctuaries, hill stations and other places of interest, this would be a useful 'all-round' guide. No maps are provided on trekking routes and details are limited from this perspective. The 260 pages of information provide easy reading material which would be of interest to both hikers as well as tourists. (Price: Rs 200 in 2004, Publisher: Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., www.popularprakashan.com)


Would you like to add a book to this site? If so, please e-mail a brief review to me ( DrChengalva@hotmail.com ) along the lines of what has been provided above. Also include contact information for the publisher, book pricing and also, if possible, an image of the cover of the book. I will place it on the website and will acknowledge you as the contributor and reviewer.

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