Historical Origins & Architectural Context

Encompasses 130.78 sq km of Western Ghats crestline forests preserved for centuries by Mahadev Koli communities as untouchable sacred groves (Devrais). Spans Pune, Raigad, and Thane districts along the sheer western wall of the Sahyadri range above Karjat.

Look 60 feet up into the moss-draped Mango and Hirda canopy of Bhimashankar and you will hear a metallic rattling call before spotting a three-foot-long flash of rich burgundy fur and a creamy-white tail tip: the Shekru, Maharashtra’s beloved State Animal.

“आंब्या-जांभळाच्या उंच शेंड्यांवरून वीस फुटांची झेप घेणारी तांबूस-मखमली शेकरू आणि पावसाळ्यात चमकणारे भीमाशंकरचे जंगल!”

— Sahyadri Biodiversity Atlas • Wildlife Institute & Forest Department

Cultural Significance & Enduring Legacy

During the pitch-black nights of July and August, rotting twigs on the forest floor glow with an eerie neon-green light caused by bioluminescent Mycena mushrooms.

Supports guided night-forest walks for glowing monsoon forests (June–August), birding trails for Malabar Whistling Thrush, and cliff-edge viewpoints at Nagphani (Duke’s Nose). Each reddish-maroon and cream-tailed Shekru builds 6 to 8 globular leaf-nests across high Mango and Jamun tree crowns, leaping 20 feet between branches without touching the ground.