Magical Kaas

Posted on September 28, 2017

What is Kaas?

It is a biodiversity hotspot known for various types of seasonal wild flowers bloom and numerous species of endemic butterflies annually in the months of August and September. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 meters and is approximately 10 square kilometers in area. Kaas has more than 850 different species of flowering plants.These include orchids, shrubs such as the Karvy, and carnivorous plants such as Drosera Indica. It has been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The plateau is largely formed of basalt which is directly exposed to atmosphere. The basalt rock is covered by a thin cover of soil formed due to erosion and has accumulated a layer of not more than an inch or so. This soil is neither black nor lateritic. At certain places water gets accumulated because of uneven surface. The plants growing on Kas plateau are typically of herbaceous nature of like grasses. The small shrubs and trees are located at the periphery of the plateau at Kaas plateau.

Where is it located?

Kaas plateau is a plateau located around 25 km from Satara. There are two ways to reach Kaas. One the more direct way from Satara and another from Tapola via the link road connecting Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to Kas Pathar. Kas plateau is 20 km away from Northern part of Koyana Sanctuary. The major portion of the plateau is reserve Forest. Kaas lake (built 100 years ago) is a perennial source of Water supply for western part of Satara city by gravity. The flora of Kaas are around the locality of that area. Satara is the nearest railway station, while Pune is the nearest Airport.

Note – Currently only 3000 visitors per day are allowed to visit Kaas and they need to do an online registration prior to the visit. The registration can be done at https://www.kas.ind.in/

Indigofera dalzellii  Common name: Sheild Indigo, Dalzell’s Indigo • Marathi: ढाल गोधडी Dhal godhadi  – This is a perennial herb with short stem and a woody rootstock. Slender, prostrate branches, about a foot long, are covered with silvery hairs. Alternately arranged, stalkless leaves, 1.5-3 cm long, are elliptic-oblong, may look roundish sometimes. Flowers occur in 10-20 flowered racemes in leaf axils. The spine of the raceme is 3-angled, which lend the name to one of its species names triquetra. Purple flowers are about a centimeter long. The standard petal is circular. Flowering: August-September.

Undri – Linum mysurense – Undri is an annual herb, growing up to a foot high. Slender stems are erect and leafy, and branched at the top. Oblong stalkless leaves are alternately arranged, and are 1-2 cm long. Small 8 mm yellow flowers occur in a large corymblike panicle. The flowers have 5 petals and 5 stamens.

Abolima – Murdannia lanuginosa -Marsh Dewflower is an erect or nearly erect, branched herb; fibrous roots often tuberous, slightly thickened; stem angular, hairless or hairy. Leaves are 3-6 x 0.4-0.8 cm, stem, alternate, oblong-lanceshaped or lanceshaped, margin wavy, tip pointed or shortly tapering, base rounded, more or less stem-claspinge, prominently striped, hairy; sheath 8-12 mm long, hairy. Flowers are 5-6 mm long, 1-2, orange-yellow, in leaf-axils to the upper leaf-sheaths; flower-stalks 2-4 cm long, erect or slightly bent in fruits, jointed at middle, hairy below the joints; bracteoles 2 at joints, about 1 mm long, membranous, ovate, blunt. Sepals 3, free, slightly unequal, about 6 x 2 mm, elliptic-oblong, subpointed, straw-coloured, persistent. Petals 3, free, orange-yellow, bluish when dry, obovate, slightly longer than sepals. Fertile stamens are 3; filaments bearded; anthers 2-celled; staminodes 3. Capsule 5-7 mm long, oblong, trigonous, cuspidate with persistent style, 3-celled; seeds 3 or more, angular, pitted. Marsh Dewflower is found in Peninsular India. Flowering: October-November.

                        Cynotis tuberosa

Nisurdi – Paracaryopsis coelestina – Common hill borage is a flower which looks like a beautiful white version of the famous blue Forget-Me-Not. The white, or pale blue flowers, 6-10 mm across, have a shape similiar to forget-me nots, but have a blue shaded center. It is an erect perennial herb, 1-2 m tall, with red stems and branches. Basal leaves are very large, up to 25 cm long, ovate-heart-shaped, carried on a foot long red stalks. Stem leaves are smaller, 5 cm long, carried on short stalks. Flowers are borne in forked racemes on branch ends. Common hill borage is native to India, found in Western Ghats.

Kaas lake (built 100 years ago) is a perennial source of Water supply for western part of Satara city by gravity.

Ceropegia vincaefolia (local known as Kandilpushpa/Kandil kharchudi) – Jaini Ceropegia is a very rare and threatened herb, endemic to the Sahyadri Hills. It is a small erect herb, 10-20 cm high, with tuberous root. Tubers are hairless, 2-3 cm. Slender stem is green with oppositely arranged leaves. Leaves are linear-lanceshaped, 2-5 cm long, hairy on both sides, margins with stiff hairs. Flowers occur singly in leaf axils. Slender flower-stalks are 6-10 mm long. Sepals are lance-shaped, 3-5 mm. Flowers are 2 cm long, tubular, with the tube enlarged at the base and white. Five narrow linear petals are 1 cm long, reddish-purple, and hairy at the base. Sometimes the flower is completely purplish-red. Flowering: August-October.

 

The majestic Thoseghar waterfalls with height of around 350 meters and is number 4 in the list of tallest waterfalls in India.

In and around Kaas

There are so many interesting places to explore within a short distance from Kaas, some of the places are as below:

#	Place	Distance from Kaas
1	Thoseghar Waterfalls	45KM
2	Sajjangad	33KM
3	Vajrai Waterfalls	4KM
4	Step-well – Limb	38KM
5	Menavli	62KM
6	Dhom Dam	68KM
7	Wai	59KM
8	Mahabaleshwar	38KM
9	Bamnoli (For Vasota Trek)	14KM

Blossoming of flowers at Kaas every year is truly a magical phenomenon. However, since the Kaas has become popular, it has seen exponential rise in number of visitors. Not all visitors follow enough hygiene to keep the Eco-system intact. The worst part is people walking around the plateau. There are so many rare species of flowers which are microns in length. They easily get thrashed away by people walking around. Apart from this the network of resorts is quietly coming closer and closer to the Eco-sensitive zone adding to the trouble. I was taken aback seeing people smoke around though smoking is strictly prohibited in the area around. Though the government is undertaking conservation efforts, I feel lot needs to be done in order to secure this natural wonder for generations to come.