Trek to Lohagad Fort was supposed to be a bonus of a
leisurely stay at Lonavla, however, it turned out to be the highlight of the
weekend gateway.
A sturdy fort built nearly 2000 years back,
Lohagad is popular on the trekking circuit owing to its location and relatively
easier climb. We drove to Lonavla
railway station and then were at the mercy of locals (due to no sign boards) to
guide us to Lohagadwadi (10 kms from railway station) which is the base camp
for the trek. The road had many steep
hair-pin bends and is relatively empty, but we were amazed to see so many
people at the basecamp.
(Alternatively, you
could take a hired tempo (Rs 50 per person standing) from Lonavla railway
station. However, most trekking groups
take a train from Mumbai/ Pune to Lonavla railway station, take another train
to Malavali railway station and trek on the road dodging the cars headed up to
Lohagadwadi)
We started the trek at 11.30 am, equipped with cameras,
waterbottle, umbrellas and anticipation.
There are huge steps for most part which makes it easy to climb, but the
rain and the moss can make the climb challenging. Trekkers also have company in the form of
monkeys (protect your food) and the occasional snake (we spotted a long black
snake). The trek is enjoyable especially
in this lovely monsoon, except of course if it pours intermittently. Rain can also be a dampner as you’d miss out
on the stunning views the climb offers, pavna lake, visapur fort and the
greenery around.
The fort can be conquered in 45 minutes by regular trekkers,
however we took almost 1 hour 15 minutes stopping for every possible photo
opportunity and battling the sudden spurts of rain. While we were climbing up, we had the company
of enthusiastic kids from a Bandra school for company shouting slogans of ‘Jai
Bhawani Jai Shivaji’ and many youngsters who made us laugh with their funny
photo poses!
The fort has four dwaars (gates), the first one being Ganesh
dwaar, while the one at the top has hanuman deities on each side of the
gate. The top of the fort has a temple dedictad
to shivaji, hanuman and shivji apart from three majars (one in gumbaj
structure). A set of caves on the right
of the entrance were used to store the wealth after raids by Shivaji and his
sena on Surat . The fort has a big pond/ elephant pond which
is quite an attraction with the trekkers.
It was heartening to see a very clean and well maintained
fort. But what won my heart were the tunning
360 degree views which the fort offered and a reverse rain phenomenon in which
we got completely drenched! (a ledge on the fort where the rain water gushed
down while the upward wind pushed the same water back up in heavy, fountain
like sprays!).
After enjoying on top of the fort for over an hour, we began
our descent through harsh rain, slippery stairs and shoes without soles (my
shoes were torn!). The descent was much
tougher, especially on the knees, but the exhilaration of the trek egged us on.
We were drenched as we reached the base camp, but a hearty
lunch of vada pav, bhaji, bhutta, tea and jhunka bhakar was a perfect end to a
trek.
1 comment:
Nice trip. Thanks for sharing your trip experience. Enveloped in a rich historical past, the fort was said to be used by Chatrapati Shivaji and other dynasties which ruled Maratha and Vidharbha kingdoms. The walk to the fort takes about 1.5 hours. If you want to avoid climbing the steps, you can also take an alternate route with clearly defined paths. Check out all best places to visit near Pune also.
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