Kas Pathar / Kaas Plateau

Kas Pathar also known of the flowers of valley located in District Satara, Maharashtra State India At a distance of 24 km from District Satara, 37 km from Mahabaleshwar, and 50 km from Panchgani, the Kaas Plateau, also known as the Kas Pathar, is a vast volcanic lateritic plateau situated in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster and is among the top Satara tourist places.

Popularly known as the Plateau of Flowers, Kaas Plateau is one of the famous tourist attractions in Maharashtra and also a popular picnic spot among nature lovers during late monsoons. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 m and is approximately 1,000 hectares in area. The name ‘Kaas’ originates from the Kaasa tree. It is one of the most visited tourist places as part of Satara packages.

Popularly known as the Plateau of Flowers, Kaas Plateau is one of the famous tourist attractions in Maharashtra and also a popular picnic spot among nature lovers during late monsoons. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 m and is approximately 1,000 hectares in area. The name ‘Kaas’ originates from the Kaasa tree. It is one of the most visited tourist places as part of Satara packages.

Kaas Plateau was formed by volcanic activities and is covered by a thin soil cover as a result of which, no vegetation thrives in the region. This area comes under a very high rainfall zone. Due to this, the flora and fauna of the region are quite unique. These unique ecological features make Kaas one of the hotspots of biodiversity.

The Plateau is well known for its unique biosphere, high hill plateaus, and grasslands. During monsoon season, especially in the month of August, the Plateau comes to life with various types of flowers. Kaas has more than 850 different species of flowering plants of which 624 are listed on the IUCN Red List. These include orchids, shrubs such as the Karvy, and carnivorous plants such as Drosera Indica.

Kaas Plateau overlooks the dense evergreen forests of the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and serves as the catchment area of the Koyna Dam. This is also a haven for bird watchers, as many species of birds can be spotted here. There is a wonderful lake called Kaas Lake, which is situated towards the south of the Plateau.

Kas Pathar attracts many tourists, scientists, and nature lovers. To control possible damage by excessive tourism, the Government has restricted the number of visitors to 2,000 per day. Walking through the flowers covering the Plateau is a wonderful experience.

The best time to visit Kas Pathar is from August to October. Many people visit Kaas during the rains; however, the plants bloom only in late August to September.

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM

Entry Fee: Rs. 50 per Person on Weekdays, Rs. 100 per Person on Weekends & on Public Holidays

The following is a list of some of the flowers found on at Kaas:

1.Adenoon indicum (local name mothi sonaki)
2.Aerids maculosum
3.Aponogeton satarensis (local name Vaytura)
4.Arisaema murrayi (local name Pandhara 5.Sapkanda)
6.Begonia crenata
7.Ceropegia jainii (local name Somada)
8.Ceropegia vincifolia (local name 9.Kandilpushpa/ Kandil kharchudi- कंदिल खर्चुडी)
10.Ceropegia media
11.Chlorophytum glaucoides (local name Musali)
12.Cyanotis tuberosa (local name Abhali)
13.Dendrobium barbatulum (Bharangee)
14.Dioscorea bulbifera (local name dukkar kanda)
15.Dipcadi montanum (Deepkadee)
16.Drosera burmanni (local name Davbindu)
17.Drosera indica (local name Gavati Davbindu – गवती दवबिंदू)
18.Elaeocarpus glandulosus (local name Kaasa)
19.Exacum tetragonum (local name Udi chirayat)
20.Flemingia nilgheriensis
21.Habenaria grandifloriformis
22.Habenaria heyneana (local name 23.toothbrush Orchid)
24.Habenaria longicorniculata
25.Habenaria panchganiensis
26.Hitchenia caulina (local name Chavar)
27.Impatiens oppositifolia
28.Ipomoea barlerioides
29.Linum mysurense (local name Undri)
30.Memecylon umbellatum (local name Anjani)
31.Murdannia lanuginosa (local name Abolima)
32.Murdannia simplex (local name Nilima)
33.Nymphoides indicum (local name Kumudini)
34.Oberonia recurva
35.Paracaryopsis coelestina (local name Nisurdi)
36.Paracaryopsis malbarica (local name Kali Nisurdi)
37.Pinda concanensis (local name Pinda)
38.Pogostemon deccanensis
39.Rotala fimbriata
40.Rotala ritchiei (local name Paner)
41.Senecio bombyensis (local name Sonki)
42.Senecio grahami / bombayensis (Sonakee – सोनकी)
43.Smithia agharkarii
44.Smithia hirsute / hirsuta (local name Kavala – कवळा)
45.Trichosanthes tricuspidata (local name Kondal)
46.Utricularia purpurascens (Seetechee aasawe – सीतेची आसवे)
47.Vigna vexillata (local name Halunda)
48.Wild Brinjal flower (kaaTe ringaNii – काटे रिंगणी)