Harishchandragad Trek

Trek to Harischandragad is known to be one of the best treks in the Sahyadri ranges and is known as 'Trekkers Paradise'. Harischandragad is a hill fort in Malshej Ghat ranges, in the Indian State of Maharashtra.  There are  three routes to reach Harischandragad Temple . The first route is Nali chi vat- very difficult one, the second  ascends via Khireshwar- also a difficult one and the third ascends via Paachnai- the simple one.

DAY 1

ENROUTE TO KHIRESHWAR VILLAGE

Our route was Mumbai-Kalyan-Malshej Ghat-Khubi Phata-Khireshwar.

We started our journey from Kalyan to Khubi phata at around 10.30 PM by public transport .   At around 1 AM, we reached Khubi phata.  Then a 5 km walk through the mud roads beside Pimpalgaon Joge dam. It was a nice walkway with windy breeze. Reached Khireshwar village  at around 2.30 am and slept in an open space.

DAY 2

VILLAGE LIFE

The dam and the surrounding area offers a scenic view of the area. I walked through the village enjoying village life and sun rise. Farming is done  around the houses. The lush green fields and the houses in the village is a sight to behold.

THE TREK

Post breakfast at the village,  we started our walk.

Then the trek towards Tolar Khind began. There are rock patches in between. Soon we reached Tolar Khind. Tolar Khind also offers a great view of the Konkan hills.

The good thing about this trek is that the way to Harischandragad Temple is well-marked .

Next part of the trek is somewhat dangerous. Here you have to cross vertical rock patches and there are broken railing support in few areas. I had to climb this steep and elevated path .  I started my climb. My legs were shivering. But I managed to climb the path with ease.There was a huge valley beside me.  We were walking through a vertical path full of slippery rocks.

Once you cover the rock patch, a vast area will welcome you. Next part of the trek is a simple walk. It is the place worth visiting for all nature lovers. Its beauty enhances in monsoon season.

There are a couple of huts selling lemon water, buttermilk, snacks etc. The plateau is rich in flora and fauna, lots of wildflowers and butterflies can be seen. There are carpets of Sonki flowers all along the route in the month of October. Then the trek goes through a narrow foot path.  Though the trek is a test of your endurance, it is quite worth for the scenic view it offers. The long stretches of greenery is simply mesmerizing to watch.

As 2016 draws to a close, the mass flowering of Karvi (Strobilanthes callosa) that made the forest all the more special is a sight to behold. The next mass bloom is expected only to be in 2024 now. I have made enough memories of this mass blooming.

The forest  path is a paradise for nature lovers as it hosts several exotic species of wildlife.  Trekking with greenery and fresh wind is a remarkable experience. We identified snakes  butterflies, and birds on the way.

We reached the top of Harishchandragad at around 12.30 p.m.

We rested at a small hut specially made for trekkers.  They served local Maharashtrian food - rice, pittali and pickle. After lunch and rest, we started to explore the surroundings.

HARISHCHANDRESHWAR TEMPLE

Situated at a height of 4650 ft above sea level, this temple has been carved out from a single huge rock.

Legand says that Sant Dnyaneshwar had made the stone wall to walk. He rode the wall to meet Yogi Changdev who rode a Tiger. Changdeve, a mystical yogi turned saint who is believed to have stayed at Harischandragad. The inscription 'Changa Wateshwaracha' on the fort is prominent. 

Behind this temple, a huge Nandi is placed. Behind this Nandi, there is a small underground room.

Around this temple there a few caves and ancient water tanks. The river Mangal Ganga is said to originate from one of the tanks located close to the temple.

SAPTATIRTHA PUSHKARNI

To the east of the main temple is a well-built lake called “Saptatirtha Pushkarni” with temple like constructions on its bank.

KEDARESHWAR CAVE

To the right side of the temple is a huge cave called Kedareshwar. You can watch a big Shiv Ling surrounded by water inside the cave. Forests are nature's design of an efficient and time tested water harvesting system.

CAVES ON HARISHCHANDRAGAD

These caves are situated all over the fort. Many of these are situated at the foot of Taramati peak and trekker's using these caves as the place of accommodation. There are small water tanks associated with the caves.

KONKAN KADA (KONKAN CLIFF)

The most interesting point on Harishchandragad is this cliff, which has always fascinated many people for many years. The cliff faces west and looks down upon the Konkan.  It was also here that we enjoyed one of the most beautiful sunset. We sat at the edge of the valley. The climate was so cool, it felt so fresh. I, very conveniently immersed myself in the beauty of the valley. It was a beautiful evening and a memorable one too. And with a view like this, we spent around 2 hours .

It was getting dark and we headed back to the temple area.  It was a long day, indeed. After having dinner, we had fun time with  camp fire, guitar, and songs.

DAY 3

Woke up at 7 AM and our agenda was trek to Taramati peak. Harischandragad is an irregular tabletop with  two peaks, namely Taramati and the Balekilla. There is one more peak called Rohidas peak.

TARAMATI PEAK

This is the topmost point on the fort and is the second highest peak in Maharashtra. Walk uphill to the right of the point and one gets a fascinating view of the Naneghat, Malshej Ghat and the forts near Murbad. One can also see the highest peak Kalsubai, Ratangad, Bhairavgad and Nanacha Angatha from here. It took one hour for ascending and half hour for descending.

After having break fast, we started descending towards the base village. Upon reaching the base village, we had snacks and took a private vehicle to reach the bus stop on the highway.

Enroute passed through the beautiful Malshej ghat. Am sure that one can surely enjoy this adventurous trek.

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Unexplored Devkund Waterfalls, Maharashtra

Devkund waterfall is a beautiful waterfall located near Tamhini Ghat, part of Western Ghat mountain ranges in Maharashtra.

ENROUTE TO BHIRA

Started our journey from Dadar, Mumbai at around 6 am in a private bus. En route we had a pit stop at Pali for breakfast. Just half an hour travel from Pali, we reached Bhira Dam which is also the source of the Kundalika river. Kundalika river is famous for its White Water Rafting and I still remember that day, when I went rafting two years back !.  And a walkable distance to the Bhira Village -  the starting point of trek.

STARTING POINT OF THE TREK

Started the trek at around 10.30 AM. The route was small and full of greenery.

We have to cross a river  full of rock patches. As the monsoon season was over,  water was flowing in a narrow lane.

A major portion of the trek route involves walking through the dense forest beside the river.

Spotted an old abandoned house on the route. It is a sight to behold for the wholesome greenery around.

A PIT STOP

Rolling hills and water body lend a surreal  feel to the breathtaking scenery and we had a pit stop here.

The trek path is also scenic and is worth visiting for all nature lovers. Spotted worms, wild flowers and beautiful structure of trees .

Then we reached a vast area . The trail is a treat for the eyes as you soak in the views of lush green vistas and the majestic peaks of Thamani Ghat.

It’s a fascinating and rewarding trek as it takes you along the river.

We had a pit stop near a rivulet for photo session. And the trek continued after crossing the stream.

The rest of the trek was through the dense forest.

We were almost near  the waterfall.  Refreshed myself with water. Then a five minute trek through the rock patches  to reach the waterfalls. Spotted a man fishing.

UNVEILING THE HIDDEN SECRET

At round 1 PM, we reached in front of the water fall. The first sight of the fall was very thrilling. The water fall of  Devkund is amazing and is located inside the forest. The greenery coupled with the water fall makes it a picnic spot.  It was mesmerizing to see water plunging from atop the mountain.

It was an absolute treat playing in the cool natural pond with crystal clear water.  Diving in the pond and getting under the gigantic waterfall provided much relief from the October heat. We spent around one hour for a bath and photography.  A bath below the water fall  was a rejuvenating experience.

LUNCH TIME

After taking some photos,  we bid goodbye to this secret waterfall and started descending at around 2 pm.  Soon we reached  the base village. Had a delicious Maharashtrian lunch - Rice, Dal, pickle, pappad, bhaji etc.

BEAUTIFUL BHIRA DAM AND SUNSET

It was around 5.30 PM and we had decided to visit Bhira dam to enjoy the sunset. Andharben trek also finishes here. Beautiful Thamani Ghat surrounded by lush green vistas in the background and the dam make this area  one of the most beautiful landscapes.

Soon we started our return journey . It was a day very well spent and will be cherished for a long time.

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Daulatabad Fort : The lost kingdom of Aurangabad

On our way back from Ellora caves, we stopped at Daulatabad Fort, which is also known as the Hill of Gods or Hill of Lord Shiva (Devagiri). This 14th centuary Fort was first built and used as a fortification by the Yadava dynasty.

The fort stands on a high conical hill having stood the test of time and harsh weather and is surrounded by big moat and steep hills on all the sides. There are three concentric lines of fortification between the outer wall and the citadel. The entrace has a series of gateways.

One of the interesting features of the Fort is that it has only one gate for entry and exit, which is quite unlikely for a fort. As you enter, you can see a big door and clever architecture built to prevent enemies from attacking the fort.

Daulatabad Fort Gate

A large number of cannons were found at Daulatabad Fort, some in their original places like bastions on fort walls and circular towers while others were collected from various locations and displayed in the courtyard near the entrance gate.

Also lying nearby is the big tank. It  used to be part of the water supply system of the fort.

The next gateway is protected by strong towers. Next up is Chand Minar, a replica of Qutab Minar of Delhi which was constructed by Hasan Goangu Bahmani. It is said that he employed Iranian architects to built the Minar who used Lapis Lazuli & Red Ochre for coloring.

Chand Minar

To the right of the third gate, is the Chini Mahal, a VIP prison built by Aurangzeb . In it, he kept Abdul Hasan Tana Shah of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Hyderabad.

Chini Mahal

The third wall is much higher and an entrance with a trench below and a bridge over it. 

The only entrance to the citadel is through a devious tunnel, which in times of siege was rendered impassable by an ingenious contrivance. This sub- terrain passage is indeed mysterious and in spite of several  attempts, all the mystries are not known.

The long ascending tunnel rises rapidly and tortously by a flight of steps, which are uneven in width and height, difficult to climb in the absence of light.The labyrinthine passage coupled with the darkness confuse the enemy army to kill themself along a tunnel containing numourous chambers cut out of solid rock which were used in the olden times as guard rooms and store houses. 

I also learnt that the turns and twists lead to a window, now covered with grills, but was originally a trap set for enemy intruders, who on entering would tumble down the slope to meet a watery grave  in the moat below. The tunnel was impassable when  great obstacles come in the form of darkness, caltrops, barrier of smoke and a splash of hot oil or ater from above.

The steps in the courtyard are newly constructed in 1952 for the convenience of tourists. It is a hard climb up to the top of the fort. It is from this spot that you will get a long view of the fort.  There was a structure from where you can have  a beautiful view of the surroundings.

Daulatabad fort was surrounded  by a moat filled with water in ancient times. Crocodiles were said to have been kept in the moat for protection from enemy attack.

From the top you will get a good view—you’ll be faced with a great vista to the day.   At the  top, there is a pentagonal citadel with a canon.

I ended my trip by walking on the never-ending wall fortifications. I tried to imagine how this place would have been a few centuries ago - during the kindom of Yadava dynasty and later a secondary capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.

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Andharban Valley Trek

Andharban means a dark dense forest.  It is situated in Mulshi Taluka of Pune district, Maharashtra , India.

We started off our journey from Mumbai to Pimpari village by around 12:30 am .  It is almost 150 kms journey to reach the place in the early morning.  After breakfast and a brief introductory session, we headed towards the valley. There was a small dam with beautiful hills in the background.

Small farmlands and wild flowers captivated us as we crossed the small paths that lead to the hills. The trail continued to Independence Point along the valley sides. After a few minutes of walk, we reached the mouth of the valley.  Actual Andharban trek starts through the right side from here. But we decided to move ahead with a sudden descend into the valley.

The view coupled with wild flowers,  Bhira Dam at the end point, sky high mountains and tranquility  will surprise you.

Andharban has good flora in monsoon and there are  lots of things to see around.

It is a descend trek, where you are already on height and you will be descending till the end.  It is one of the most beautiful trek with lots of things to explore. The real test of endurance begins now.  There were few rock patches  and all of us crossed it without major hurdles. Then the group continued the walk through the rocks by climbing and jumping.

The light rays falling from different directions into the valley created some beautiful shades.

There were few more rock patches without a proper path and were difficult too. Not many trekkers would have chosen this path for Andharban trek before.  Volunteer's helped others to descend.  Those who had already crossed, got an opportunity to take some rest. It was somewhat difficult for first time trekkers.

There were small waterfalls on our way and we took few minutes break to click photographs. There were few rappelling patches and it took more time for all trekkers to descend.

The rock patches were difficult and there were no steps or hand rails to descend. The  descending is not that simple as it appears.

After crossing some big rocks, we reached a vast area with 2-3 waterfalls . The continuous sound of the waterfalls started hitting our ears in the silence.  The we walked towards the waterfall.  After a nice bath, we opened our food packets.

As you walk forward, the mountains slowly open up and start giving you a glimpse of the valley ahead.

Soon we reached the exit point of the valley. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was no proper way to descend and a huge valley was ahead us. We did not have proper equipment or guide to rappel down and we decided to stop our descend. 

The trek  took 4 hours altogether. It was around 3.00 PM when we started our ascending. This was new in this particular trek. By around 7 PM we reached the top of the valley. The last and final challenge is the long walk through the end of the valley to a village which marks the end of the trek.

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