At 1,000 metre, Don is the highest hill in Gujarat

SURAT: At 1,000 metre above the sea level, Don hill has been officially declared as the highest peak of the Sahyadri mountain ranges in Gujarat by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department of the Dang district administration.
A survey carried out recently to measure heights of the hills by the R&B department found that Saputara hill was located at 900 metre and Don hill at 1,000 metre above the sea level, respectively.
Don hill, located 42km east of Ahwa in the Dang near Nasik district of Maharashtra, thus becomes the perfect location for paragliding and other adventure sports activities. The Dang administration will be organizing a fortnight-long ‘Don Mohatsav’ from February 7 at Don hill where professional paragliders have been invited.
As per folklore, Dronacharya, the guru of Kauravas and Pandavas, had established an ashram at Don. This was why the place was called as Dron for long. There are remnants of the ashram constructed by Dronacharya at Asalya hilltop. This hilltop has a natural water spring, a Shivling, footprints of Sita and the handprints of Dronacharya as well, as per the folklore. The Britons changed the name of the place to Don.
The R&B department officials say Don is a historical village and has a population of 1,748 people who are tribals. Their main occupation is farming.
“We had carried out a survey to measure the height of both the hills and found Don to be on the highest peak of the Sahyadri mountain ranges. Don is a historical village and holds religious significance,” said G A Patel, executive engineer of the Dang R&B department.
He added, “The landscape surrounding Don hill is more breathtaking than Saputara. It may substitute Saputara as the most serene hill station of Gujarat shortly.”