History of Matheran
Matheran was discovered by Hugh Poyntz Malet, the British collector of Thane district in 1850. He was once camping around the Village Chowk and while drinking water from a spring, he founded this enchanting hill town of Matheran. Later, in 1855 the Bombay Governor, Lord Elphinstone visited this place and got captivated with its magical charm. He chose a wonderful site for his residence and named it Elphistone Lodge. Moreover, he took various efforts for the development of this small hill town and it became a favoured summer resort for the British. He introduced roadways and mountain railway in the town and since then, Matheran has retained its colonial charm which can be clearly seen in the huge mansions, lanes and toy train of the beautiful town. The road from Neral to Matheran is the result of the appreciating efforts of Elphistone. Today, this unpolluted discovery of the British is also known as the only hill station in the entire Asia where motor vehicles are fully banned and hence it is given the title of eco sensitive zone of the state where there is no place for pollution.
