ONE DAY TREK TO KALAVANTIN DURG

Kalwantin Durg

·                     Fort Height : 2300 feet.

·                     Type : Hill forts

·                     Grade : Medium

·                     Village : Thakurwadi

·                     Days : 1 days

·                     Accomodation : Not Available

·                     Food Facility : Arrange yourself

·                     Drinking Water : Can be arranged from tanks on fort.

·                     Time to reach : 2-3 Hr (from base village)

Kalwantin fort is situated on northeast side of Panvel, on Mumbai-Pune road. One can see it from express highway as V-Shaped mountain.
The left one is Kalwantin durg & on the right side is Prabalgad. There is a dense forest on the way.

Kalwantin durg pinnacle is tougher than Prabalgad. It has some rock cut steps and slippery path near the pinnacle. It’s really adventures.

Ways to reach :
Pune to Shendung Phata on Panvel highway.
Shendung Phata to Thakurwadi via Belavali (15 kms)
From Thakurwadi you can proceed to Kalavantin durga.

ONE DAY OUTBOUND PROGRAM TO TIKONA

Tikona

Tikona (Vitandgad)

·                     Hill Fort Fort Range : Lonavala

·                     District : Pune

·                     Height above sea level : 3600 ft.

·                     Base village : Tikona Peth

·                     Appx. time to reach the top : 1 hr from the base village

·                     Water availability : Potable water is available throughout the year.

·                     Food : Not available, need to carry on our own.

·                     Shelter : Except during monsoon, about 10 to 15 persons can be accommodated in the cave.

Tikona (Vitandgad) is located near Kamshet around 60 km from Pune The village nearest the fort is called Tikona-Peth. The 3500 ft high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means "triangle".

The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', a water tank and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pawna dam and the nearby forts of Tung, Lohagad and Visapur.

Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 and aanexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657 Shivaji Maharaj (The Great Maratha Emperor) brought the whole of Konkan, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of Karnala, Lohgad, Mahuli, Songad, Tala, and Visapur. This fort was a strategic nexus: the centre of control for the entire Pawana Mawal region. In 1660, Netaji Palkar was charged with ensuring the security of fort Tikona. Jaysingh invaded the regionn in 1665 and the local villages were by Dilerkhan but the forts held out. Tikona fort was surrendered to the Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halalkhan and others, according to the Treaty of Purandar signed on 12 June 1665. Kubadkhan took over the fort on 18 June but it was later recaptured by the Marathas

The mountains on Deccan plateau in the vicinity of Bor Ghat have many ancient caves like Karle, Bhaje, Bedse, Bhandara and Shelarwadi. The forts of Lohgad, Visapur, Tung and Tikona were built in order to defend these caves. This region also has a number of Ghat-routes connecting the ports on the western coast to the cities located on the Deccan plateau. These forts served as protectors of these important trade routes of ancient India. As the caves found in this area belong to the Buddhist and Heenyana era, it is believed that these forts must have been built around 800 to 1000 AD.

History :

Not much is known about the history of this fort. Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered it in 1585 and thus it was made part of the Nizam territory. In 1657 king Shivaji conquered Tikona along with the forts of Mahuli, Lohgad, Visapur, Songad, Tala and Karnala. Thus, all areas of Konkan, which earlier belonged to the Nizam's territory, came under king Shivaji’s control. This fort was strategically very important to keep a watch on the entire region of Pauna Mawal. In 1660, Netaji Palkar was assigned the task of ensuring security of fort Tikona. This fort was surrendered to the Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halalkhan and others. However, the Marathas later recaptured the fort.

In 1682, king Sambhaji met with Aurangzeb's son Akbar. After this meeting, Akbar was offered to stay at fort Tikona, however was sent later to Jaitapur since the climate here didn't suit him. A small battle was fought with the British on Tikona in year 1818 and the fort was damaged to a great extent. Till date the fort of Tikona lies in the form of ruins.

Sightseeing :

The whole fort can be seen in an hour's time, as the area is not so wide. Turn left after passing the entrance. In a short while a cistern and cave can be seen. About 10 to 15 persons can be accommodated in this cave. However, it is not suitable for a stay during monsoon. The path going uphill adjacent to the cave takes us to the entrance to the bastion. The steps in this stretch are a bit tiring. One can see cisterns on the right and fortification on the left after passing through the entrance. After taking a few steps straight ahead, a trail climbs down on our right. Here too are a few cisterns. Return back and join the main path, which takes us to a stretch of broken steps. A climb uphill brings us to a Mahadev temple, behind which is a big moat. Circumventing this moat takes us to the flag-post. From the bastion one can have a view of adjacent fort Tung, Lohgad, Visapur, Bhatrashi hill, Morse hill, Jambhuli hill, Pauna region and Fagne dam. Thus, the whole of Mawal region is visible from fort Tikona.

How to reach :

·                     From the village of Tikona Peth :

The main route to the fort is from the village of Tikona Peth. To reach this village, alight at Kamshet, which is two stops ahead of Lonavala on the Mumbai- Pune rail route. From Kamshet railway station, take a bus / shared private vehicle (jeep) to Kale colony. One can also get a vehicle to reach Tikona Peth from Kale colony.

A bus at 08:30 a.m. at Kamshet bound for Paund or Morsay is convenient for reaching Tikona Peth. From Tikona Peth the fort can be reached in about 45 minutes. This straight route is quite simple and not at all tiring. After passing through the entrance door, a path leads towards left and takes us to the citadel in about 20 minutes.

·                     From the Bedse caves :

A combined trek of Lohgad, Visapur, Bedse caves and Tikona can be done. On such a trek, Tikona can be reached from the Bedse caves.

From Kevre-Bramhnoli-Tikona Peth :

A combined trek of Tung and Tikona can also be done. For that, climb down to Tungawadi after visiting fort Tung. From here reach the village of Bramhnoli with a launch available from the village of Kevre. It takes about 30 minutes' to walk from Bramhnoli to Tikona Peth.

one day trek to purandar

Purandar

·                     Fort Height : 1500 Meters.

·                     Type : Hill forts

·                     Fort Range : Pune

·                     District : Pune

·                     Grade : Easy

·                     Days: One and half days

·                     Accommodation Facility : Available on the prior permission of the officers military in Camps

·                     Food Facility : You have to make your own arrangement for food.

·                     Drinking Water Facility : Available the year round.

Purandar is about 40kms south-east of Pune and some 10kms south-west of Sasawad. It really comprises two fortresses: Purandar, the stronger and more important of the two, and Vajragarh, small sister for t situated on a ridge running out east of it. Purandar has two parts: the upper or Balekilla with precipitous sides all around and the lower part or machi about 300 metres above the plain. On the north side of the lower part there is a broad terrace comprising the cantonment area of the fortifications.

History :
The history of the Purandar fort goes back to the 13th century. The Bahamani Sultans in the 14th century built here some walls and bastions. From 1484 AD, for about a hundred years, the fort remained in the hands of the Nizamshahi rulers. In 1596 AD, the fort was given as Jagir to Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Shivaji. However, Shivaji had to struggle very hard to establish his control over the fort in 1646 AD. In 1665 AD, Purandar was besieged by the mighty Mughal forces under the command of Jai Singh and Dilir Khan. In the ensuing battle Murar Baji Prabhu, the gallant commander of the fort, was killed. Shivaji, under a treaty, had to surrender to the Mughals his 23 forts, including Purandar and Vajragarh. At the lower fort a statue of Murar Baji Prabhu has been installed in his memory. Purandar was recaptured by Shivaji in 1670 AD Later it became a favourite retreat of the Peshwas. Purandar was captured by the British in 1818 AD. During the Second World War, the British kept here the German war prisoners. Dr. H. Goetz, one of the German prisoners, thoroughly studied Purandar and wrote a monograph on it. After Independence there also functioned a National Cadet Crops (N.C.C.) Training unit at the top.
Maharaj’s son, Sambhaji, was born on Vaishakh Shudhha 12, Shake’ 1579, ie., 16th May 1657, Thursday on this fort.

Sightseeing:

Purandareshwar Temple :
This is Lord Mahadev’s temple built in ‘Hemadic’ style of architecture. The temple houses approx. 1.25 to 1.5 feet high statue of Lord ‘Indra’. Senior Bajirao was instrumental in leading its reconstruction.

Delhi Darwaja :
This door, facing north, is still in a good condition. As the road turns near the Darwaja, we can see a temple of Goddess Laxmi. A leftward route from the bifurcation ahead leads us to the other end of the Citadel. The same road leads us to some water cisterns. The rightward road from the bifurcation leads to yet another door (Darwaja). Two statues of lions guard either sides of this Darwaja.

Kedareshwar :
As we walk for 15 minutes along the main road and climb the steps, we come across ‘Kedareshwar’ temple. A reconstructed temple, it is of Lord Kedareshwar. During Mahashivratri thousands of pilgrims visit this temple. ‘Deepastambha’, a stone pillar for enlightening the lamps, can be seen in front of the temple.
This temple is a topmost part of the fort. One can see the forts like Rajgad, Torna, Sinhagad, Raireshwar, Rohida, Malhargad as well as Karhe-Plateau from here.

Bini Darwaja :
The only door to Purandar Machi,enroute from Narayanpur as we approach Purandar fort. Unlike many other forts, the door is in good condition even today. As one enters through the door, there are provisions for the guards to hide and attack enemy. These are called as the Gatehouses. (Paharekaryandiya Devdya) As one proceeds further, the khandakada immediately catches our attention.
Once you enter through the door, the road branches, one straight ahead whereas the other towards the rear end of fort. As we move on, we come across the vintage military camps and a few bungalows. The same road leads to the foothills of the citadel, where we can see the temple of “Purandareshwar”. Also, the statue of Murarbaji in his fighting stance gives us the feel of his courageous nature and dose not fail taking us back to those glorious days.

Rameshwar temple :
This temple is located towards the rear end of Purandareshwar temple. Constructed during the start of ‘Peshva’ dynasty, built by Balaji Vishwanath, it was a temple that was privately owned by the Peshvas. Moving further ahead we come across the remains of an ancient two storied bungalow called as ‘Wada’.
It was in the same ‘Wada’ that Sawai Madhavrao was born. Behind it is a well, which is in a good condition even today. Moving further ahead, the road bifurcates, one that leads to the foothills of citadel whereas the other towards ‘Bhairav Khind’. As we move towards the road leading the citadel, after a walk of 15 minutes, we come across ‘Dilli Darwaja’.

Purandar Machi :
Coming back up to Delhi Darwaja, one can take a straight route, which leads to ‘Purandar Machi’. We get to see many dilapidated remains along this route. Statue of Murarbaji Deshpande : The statue of Murarbaji Deshpande was established in 1970 to the right after we go through Bini Darwaja.

How to Reach :

·                     From Saswad : S.T. bus to Bhor from Saswad will drop you at the bus-stop of ‘Purandar Ghat matha’ in Narayanpur village. A road on the left side along the two houses situated on mountain ahead leads to Bini Darwaja which can be reached approximately in 45 minutes.

·                     From Pune : S.T. bus to Saswad from Pune takes us to the foothills of Purandar fort. Pune-Narayanpur bus is also available to reach up to the base village, Narayanpur.

ONE DAY TREK TO HARISHCHANDRAGAD

·                     Fort Height: 4000 ft.( 1424 M.)

·                     Type: Hill forts

·                     Fort Range: Malshej

·                     District: Ahmednagar

·                     Grade: Medium

·                     Village: Khireshwar

·                     Days: Max 2 days

·                     Accommodation Facility: Ganesh caves & caves near the temple of     Harishchandreshwar.

·                     Accommodation in Khireshwar: In Khireshwar, local school is the best for a night’s stay. In this village, we can see the beautiful temple of Nageshwar as well as ancient caves of the Yadav era.

·                     Food Facility: In summer & winter, arrangement for food is available on the fort. However, in monsoon, one should make the arrangement himself.

·                     Drinking Water Facility: The water tanks near the caves.

One can reach Khireshwar after a 2 and 1/2 hours bus ride from Kalyan bus depot. Board any bus going towards Malshej ghat and get down at Khubi phata. 1 hour (4 Kms) plain walk over the dam wall from Khubi phata brings us to the Khireshwar hamlet. The real trek begins from this point. The route follows through a col between two mountains and is covered with dense forestation. Beware of the rock patch you will encounter. It is quite a big rock patch but its the simplest of all we ever encountered. Nothing like rock climbing is necessary. The road is carved in a rock and there are railings on the way to give us mental support. Yes they are there just to give us mental support, catch one of those pipes and u will go boommmmm with those pipes. But you can always rely on the pillars which support those railings. Nevertheless its a simplest rock patch of all.

Once you have triumphed over the rock patch a little climb brings you on the top of the hill. From here you can see the route you followed from Khubi phata to Khireshwar. Now all the climbing is done, I mean almost all. Now it is just a plain walk of 2 hours or so to the Harishchandra caves. You will suddenly be confronted with a huge temple of Lord Shiva. In the mountain to the left of this temple you will see several rock cut caves perfect for accommodation. The temple is also surrounded by rock cut caves. You can stay there as well. To the right of the temple from where the stream flows a road goes to a huge cave. The cave is filled with water around the year. In the center of the cave lies a huge shivling.

Sightseeing:

Taramati:

This is the highest peak and is located on the top of the mountain caves. The trail to the top is quite an adventure. But the view from up there is awesome.
There is trail that starts from the woods directly to the top. This trail starts through dense forest. It is a big trail so theirs not much chance of one getting lost. After the woods are over, there is a small plateau. From here the peak of Taramati can be seen very clearly. Take the trail that goes towards this peak. After some time you will come across some thing adventurous, to go at the top one has to climb over a rock. You have to turn 180 degrees as you go up. Behind is a gorge of about 200 meters deep. Do not look behind as you go up this rock. After you are through this rock, the rest of the path is easy. On the Taramati peak u will find a shiv ling. The view from up there is fantastic.

Konkan Kada:
The major attraction of Harishchandragad is Kokan Kada. This cliff is not just vertical, it is an overhang, almost like a cobra’s hood. It has been climbed twice so far. Its beyond description, one should actually see it to experience the nature’s architecture. Konkan kada should be visited in the evening as well as morning. In evening one is enchanted by the sunset where as in the morning one can experience the divine feeling of being in the heavens. Some times the wind is so ferocious that a coin floats if placed horizontally. The air shoots vertically upwards. If you throw water it comes directly upwards. Also if you go at kokan kada in the rainy season, u will observe that it never rains at the edge of the cliff. Its because all the rain drops are blown of with the wind.
The view from here is awesome and unimaginable. The sunset is gorgeous. There are not many places from where u can see the sun setting below ur eye level. And the reflection of the rays from the river flowing below gives it an orange outlining. Its too cool, hard to describe it in words. Also their are colonies of vultures in the huge crevices. You need a pair of binoculars to watch them little closely.

Harishchandreshwar Temple:
The ancient cave temple of Lord Shiva situated at Harishchandragad is a place worth visiting. The temple is also has a Ganesh statue placed just aligning to the left walls. The temple is a classic example of ancient art and architecture design to its best. Apparently, the name Harishchandragad got its name from this temple called Harishchandreshwar (Name of Lord Shiva).

Saptatirtha : To the east of the temple is a well-built lake called “Saptatirtha”. On its bank are temple-like constructions in which there are idols of Lord Vishnu. Recently these idols have been shifted in the caves near the temple of Harishchandreshwar. These days many trekkers have been responsible for the sad plight of this beautiful place, as they throw plastic wastes and other things in the pond. 7 years back the water was potable, and now it isn’t suitable even to swim.

Kedareshwar :
Going rightwards of Harishchandreshwar temple, we come across a huge cave. This is the cave of Kedareshwar, in which there is a big Shivlinga, which is totally surrounded by water. The total height from its base is five feet, and the water is waist-deep. It is quite difficult to reach the Shivlinga, as the water is ice-cold. There are sculptures carved out here. In monsoon it is not possible to reach this cave, as a huge stream flows across the way.

Caves on Harishchandragad :
These caves are situated all over the fort. Many of these are situated at the foot of Taramati peak & are the place of accommodation. A few are near the temple, whereas some are near the citadel and some far away in the forests. A natural cave is on the northwestern side of the fort, to the right of Kokan Kada. It is about 30 feet deep. The folks must know many such caves. Many of these may be remaining undiscovered.

Nageshwar temple near Khireshwar :
This is a great antique construction, and diverse artistic works are seen on this. On the ceiling of the temple are beautiful carvings. There are caves near the temple.
Temple of Harishchandreshwar :
This temple is marvelous example of the fine art of carving sculptures out of stones that prevailed in ancient India. It is about 16m high from its base. Around this temple there a few caves & ancient water tanks. Near the temple, the river Mangal Ganga originates. The top of the temple resembles construction with the north-Indian temples. A similar temple is situated in Buddha-Gaya. Here we can see many tombs, in which a typical construction is seen. These are built by arranging stones one over the other. The stones are well finished. There are three caves near the temple. The cisterns near the temple provide drinking water. Here another temple called Kashitirtha is located.
The fascinating thing about this temple is that it has been carved out from a single huge rock. There are entrances from all four sides. On the main entrance there are sculptures of faces. These are faces of guards of the temple. On the left side of the entrance is a Devnagri inscription, which is about saint Changdev.

History :
The various Puranas (ancient scriptures) like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana include many references about Harishchandragad. Its origin is said to have been in 6th century, during the rule of Kalchuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era. The various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century. In these caves are idols of Lord Vishnu. Though the cliffs are named Taramati and Rohidas, they are not related to Ayodhya. Great sage Changdev (one who created the epic “Tatvasaar”), used to meditate here in 14th century. The caves are from the same period. The various constructions on the fort and those existing the surrounding region point to the existence of diverse cultures here. The carvings on the temples of Nageshwar (in Khireshwar village), in the Harishchandreshwar temple and in the cave of Kedareshwar indicate that the fort belongs to the medieval period, since it is related to Shaiva, Shakta or Naath.
Later the fort was under the control of Moguls. The Marathas captured it in 1747. The last warrior named Joshi became a martyr in the fight against the English in 1818.

HOW TO REACH:-

Harishchandragad lies where the boundaries of Thane, Pune & Ahmednagar districts converge. There are 4 - 5 known ways to this fort, the most usual being the following ones:

·         From Thane District :

One has to board the bus for Nagar from Kalyan & alight at ‘Khubi Phata’. From there we reach the village of Khireshwar by bus or private vehicle. This village is at 4km from the foothills of the fort.

The way beside the caves, where water tanks are seen, proceeds further to Junnar Darwaaja. From here, the route goes straight to Tolar Khind. Walking a few minutes from Tolar Khind, we come across a rock-patch on which railings are fixed. After ascending the railings, we come to the plateau region on which less dense forests are seen. From here, we have to cross 7 hills & after a walk of 2-3 hours, we reach the temple of Harishchandreshwar, the temple of Lord Shiva.

·   Way from Belpada:

The third way is specially meant for hikers, which is via Sadhleghat. One should board the bus for Malshej Ghat & go to the village of Belpada. From here, the route goes through Sadhleghat. Here one has to climb a straight rock patch on which grips are provided. The temple is situated at a height of about 1km from Belpada. The total distance is about 19 km.

·     From Ahmednagar District :

One has to board the bus for Nasik or Mumbai & alight at Ghoti village. From Ghoti, we have to board another bus to Sangamner via Malegaon & alight at Rajur village. From here, 2 ways diverge to the fort.
1) From Rajur, one has to board the bus or a private vehicle to the village of Pachanai. From here, the way is straight to the topmost point.
2) Recently, the way from Rajur to Tolar Khind has been made available. From Tolar Khind (Tolar valley), the temple is about 2-3 hours by walking.