2 to 4-Apr-2010: Gaavilgad Narnaalaa

Till now we had seen the forts and the forest in Sahyadri range. This trip offered us a chance to see forts and forests in Satpuda range in the North Maharashtra. Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary is situated between Amaravati and Akola districts. Gaavilagad and Naranaala forts are on the fringes of the sanctuary. They were built to obstruct the invaders coming from the North.

How to reach there
Gaavilgad fort is situated just 3 kilometers from the famous hill station Chikhaladara. One can reach this place from Akola and Amaravati. Both these places are connected by train to Mumbai and Nagpur. Chikhaladara is nearer to Amaravati than Akola. From Amaravati, Chikhaldara is nearly 100 kilometers. From either of these places, there should be state transport buses plying to the hill station. However it is best to arrange your own transport.

From Chikhaldara, the distance to Semadoh should be around 20-25 kilometers. However the road travels through jungle. Prior permissions must be obtained to travel on this route and stay at Semadoh. It takes nearly one hour to reach Semadoh from Chilakdara by your own vehicle. Please note, the frequency of the public transport is very less in this region.

From Semadoh, the road to Naranaala fort passes through almost entire Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary. It takes nearly 3 hours by your own vehicle to cover the nearly 100 kilometers.

Naranaala fort is nearly 75 kilometers from Akola via Akot. It takes nearly 1.5 to 2 hours for this journey by your own transport.

Gaavilgad and Naranaala forts are hill forts in the Satpura ranges. These forts are massive and strong. They were meant to guard the area from the Northern invaders.

History of Gaavilgad fort

Gaavilgad fort is situated 3 kilometers from Chikhaldara - a hill station in North Maharashtra. It was important in defense of the Deccan plateau from the Northern invaders. The fort derives its name from Gavali (cow herders) who inhabited the area for centuries. There existed mud structures. It was built by Gaavils. It was, however, later occupied by Gonds. During the later period, the fort fell to the Mughals. In 1425, Ahmad Shah Wali build several fortifications when he was stationed in Elliachpur (Achalapur). Despite its importance, the fort does not have any significant history. After the Muslim rulers, the fort was controlled by the Marathas and finally the British.

The fort has several inscriptions in Persian recording the date of building of each of its seven gates. It has two water tanks (Devtalav and Khantalav), which would have been the main water source in case the fort was besieged. Within the fort the ruins of a mosque stands at the highest point in the inner fort and is built in the Pathan style of architecture. The mosque has a square canopy with intricate stone lattice work and a seven arched façade. The mosque originally had two minarets, only one of which is intact today

History of Narnaalaa fort

Narnaalaa fort was repaired by Ahmad Shah Bahamani in 1425 AD. The fort passed on to Fatehulla Imad Ulmulk in 1490 AD. Later the fort passed on to the Nizams and then Marathas. The Bhosles surrendered the fort to the British on 6-Jan-1818 along with Gaavilgad.

Narnaala fort lies nearly 20 kilometers North of Akot in Akola district. Shahanoor village lies at the base of the fort. The ascent from Shahanoor village is nearly 10 kilometers to the top of the fort. There is a tarred road till the top of the fort.

The entire fort complex consists of three forts. The eastern most fort is Jafarabad. In the center, Narnaala fort. Teliagad lies in the west of Narnaala.

There are 22 entrances and numerous bastions to the fortifications in the complex. The fortifications are erected where there is no natural defense.

There are 4 main entrances to the fort complex. Delhi Entrance; Akot Entrance; Sirpur Entrance; Shahanoor Entrance.

The Shahanoor Entrance consists of three separate gateways. The outermost gateway on this entrance is Shahanoor gate. It is plain in structure. It is the first entrance to the fort. It has some lion carvings. Hence it can be concluded that it predates Muhammadan rule in the area.

The second gate is Mehendi entrance. It is probably of the same origin as the Shahanoor gate. It has no significance.

The third and the innermost gate on this entrance is Mahakaali gate. It is the most beautiful work on the fort. There is nothing Hindu about this entrance. It was built by Fatahulla Imaad Ul Mulk in 1487 an year before he repaired Gaavilgad fort. It has intricate carvings with balconied windows as guard rooms. There is a pot on the left side of the entrance, probably to collect the coins as a tax. Some stones have fallen and few of them are stacked behind the gate. This gate is ornamental. The entrance was defended primarily by Shahanoor and Mehendi gates.

There are two carvings on this gate. The upper inscription of the gate is as follows:

On the date of victory saith the Lord God most high and exalted, whosoever enterth herein is safe from fear. The year 892 (AD 1487).

Far removed from the imperfections is God. There is no God but the one God and Muhammad is his prophet of the God. May God bless and save him and may the God bless all the prophets and apostles and the favored angels. Praised be the Lord God, the ruler of the universe. Lord, have the mercy on the legitimate khalifahs, the rightly guided, exalted over others of the believers and Muslims, namely Abu Bakr the Truthful, Umar the discriminator, Uthman, and Ali the approved of the God, and Hasan Ur Rahza, and Hussain, and all the martyrs of Karbala, and Hamza and Abbas and all those who accompanied the Prophet in his emigration to Medina, and all those who helped him there. May the acceptance of God be on them all. (Written by Muhammad Abdulla)

The lower inscription is as follows:

In the reign of the great and exalted sultan the Gazi Shahabuddin Waduddin Mahamud Shah, the son of Muhammad Shah the son of Humayun Shah, the son of Ahmed Shah, the Son of Mahamud Shah the rulers of Bahamani. May God perpetuate his rule, his kingdom, his khilafat. (Written by Kamaal Jung)

After passing through these gates, one reaches the top of the Narnaalaa fort. There are several buildings.

Jaamaa Masjid stands in one of the courtyards. There is a fountain in front of the building.

Ambar Palace/ Queen's Palace/ Darbaar Hall/ Baaraadari is situates right in front of the Masjid. It has a stoned courtyard. It used to function as an assembly hall. The stone arches of this building are filled with shoddy brickwork. There is a stairway to go at the top of the building.

Opposite to the Ambar Palace is the tomb of Burhanuddin. It is on the bank of Sakkar Lake. It is said that dog bites are cured at this place.

Sakkar Lake has water all around the year. It dried up in 1899-1900. It has few legends connected with it.

A little further, on the right hand side, there is a structure with three arches. There are four covered tanks. It is called Oil Ghee Tank (Telache Tupache Taake). Why only oil and ghee require such special storage? Probably the real purpose must be to store something else.

A little ahead is the bathing complex. It has different chambers.

A little further on the left side if the ammunition store. Right in front of the ammunition store, there is a viewing point. The scene is very panoramic. The structure below is the Mahakaal entrance.

The path leads us to one of the large cannon. It is said to be 9 yards (9 gaj). It has an Persian inscription. It reads: He (God) is everlasting one. The emperor Auranzeb Alamgir. This is the nine yard gun which was made during the rule of Dakhanis. Now Atiu Beg, the slave of the imperial court having come to this fort of Narnaalaa in the month of Janadi Ul Awwaal in the year 1091 of the holy Hijra, has mounted the gun by the grace of His Majesty, the lord of the Earth, and the age, and the ruler of the earth and its inhabitants, the true spiritual guide. Written by Pahlad Das the Kayath. It is 150 years since the gun was captured. But nobody has mounted it till now.

So sad that the gun is filled with stones and pebbles.

There are some more buildings in the ruins. The area further is restricted to the visitors. Back near the Sakkar Lake, there are few more buildings. Probably stables, etc.

1-Apr-2010
9:00 PM Left Pune by a private bus to Amaravati in Maharashtra

2-Apr-2010
8:00 AM Reached Amaravati. Immediately took a private vehicle to Chikaldara.

1:00 PM Reached Chikaldara
Since the road is narrow and hilly in places, it took a long time to cover the distance. There is nothing significant along the road. The area is not picturesque during summer months. Once we climbed the hills and reached Chikhaldara, the picture changed. The hill station in North Maharashtra was refreshing. Even during the summer when most of the subcontinent is burning, this place was relatively cool. The leader completed formalities and we immediately set out for lunch in one of the hotels. After having lunch, we took some rest in a lodge.

4:00 PM Gaavilgad fort
Went to see Gaavilgad fort which is 3 kms from Chikaldara. The fort is huge. There are lot of fortifications. We could not see complete fort due to the dusk. We could not cover the palace and temple. This fort requires at least 4-5 hours to completely explore.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 A tree in the wall

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Main entrance of the Gaavilgad

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Fortifications

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Bastion

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Another entrance

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Broken Gand Bherud

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Ramparts

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Ramparts within the fort

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Another entrance

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

In the evening, we had our dinner and went to the hotel.

3-Apr-2010
6:30 AM Started for Semadoh camp from Chikhaldara.
In the morning, started for Semadoh camp from Chikhaldara. The route is narrow and through jungles. We stopped in between to enjoy the jungle. On the way, we could spot a few birds and a wild boar (pig). During the entire trip, this was the only animal we were to see. And not the one we came here to see. i.e. Tiger.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10

8:20 AM Reached Semadoh camp through jungles
At last, we reached the Semadoh camp. The authorities explained that the safari for Tiger spotting can happen only at two times a day immediately after daybreak or just before dusk. That is the time when the tigers are expected to come out for food and water. This safari must be accompanied by a forest guard. Melghat is a jungle. It is not a Park. The wild animals must find their own food. They are not fed.

9:00 AM Went to Kolkaas camp
Since the safari was in the evening, we went to Kolkaas camp. It is nearly 15 kilometers from Semadoh on the road towards Dharani. We had our lunch there. We roamed in the camp for some time. Took some rest under trees.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Kolkaas Camp

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Seepana River

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Mahua Fruits

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Dry tree in the dry river bed

The river Seepana that runs through Semadoh and Kolkaas camps is dry. The river bed is considerably large.

4:00 PM Jungle safari
By 3:30 PM, we were back in Semadoh camp. With the guide, we set out for the safari to watch Tigers. In nearly two hours, we could only see some birds. Peacocks and a Crested Serpent Eagle. We were extremely sad that we could not see any sign on a Tiger. As per last census, there are 65+ tigers in the reserve. None of them showed any mercy towards us. Dejected, we were back in the camp. There we saw that the last time a tiger was sighted by a tourist was one month back!

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 The forest

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Crested Serpent Eagle

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Ant Nest

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Observation deck

4-Apr-2010
6:30 AM Another jungle safari
In the hope to see any signs of tiger, we went for another safari early in the morning. Still no luck. The tigers were still elusive. We could spot only wild boar.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Wild boar

I wondered if there are any tigers in the reserve or not. They do not come out in the morning or in the evening. In the afternoon, it is too hot to go out and hunt. The guide explained to us that there is lot of water in the jungle. Hence the tigers need not come to a single place for water.

The best place to see such wild animals are in the respective National Parks like Corbett, Gir, Ranthambor.

9:00 AM back to Semadoh camp
We were back to Semadoh camp. We packed the bags and left the resort. We had heavy breakfast in Semadoh.

10:00 AM Started for Narnaalaa fort
At last, we started for another fort on the Southern edge of Sayhadri. It took us nearly two hours to cover the distance of 80-90 kilometers through the narrow, hilly roads. The entire forest consists of Teak trees. During summer, the teak sheds leaves. Hence these jungles do not look nice. We see only stumps as the forest.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Dry jungle

12:00 PM Reached the base of Narnaala fort
After starting on the road to Dharani from Semadoh, we took a detour to Akot. Before reaching Akot, we can reach Naranaala fort. This fort is also huge in its expanse as compared to the forts in Sayhadri forts.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Narnaalaa fort from the base - only one third of the view

At the base of the fort, the leader obtained permissions. This fort comes under another wildlife reserve. There is a museum at the base of the fort. It contains good information on Tigers and other wild animals. We requested at one house for the lunch by the time we come back from the fort.

1:30 PM Reached the first entrance
The fort top is nearly 10 kilometers from this place. All along, there is not a single green tree. The Sun was blazing in the sky. The heat was becoming unbearable. The road skirted the first entrance. Suddenly we came across the second entrance. We were amazed. This is one of the most beautiful entrances built on a fort. This is called Mahakaal entrance. But it does not have a trace of any Hindu origin. This must be built by Muslim rulers.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Mahakaal entrance

Then we reached the top of the fort. There is a lot of construction on the top. One Masjid, One Dargah, One cannon, one ammunition depot, one bath complex, etc. Could not see all the buildings due to lack of time. The cannon is a very large one.

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Ambarkhana

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Shakkar Talao

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Shakkar Talao

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Oil and Ghee tanks

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Chor Darwajaa

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Ammunition Depot

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Nine yard canyon

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Bating complex

From Trips - Gaavilgad Narnala Apr 10 Masjid

The actual fort complex consists of three forts. It is a huge complex. Since we had limited time available, we could see only the main Naranaala fort top.

3:30 PM Back to the base
By now, we were getting very hungry. Hence we returned back to the base. Had a very good home made lunch. That gave us immense satisfaction. It also set us for the long and arduous journey ahead.

4:30 PM Started for Akola
Since we did not have any reservation back to Pune, we soon rushed to Akola to catch any transport to Pune.

6:00 PM Reached Akola
We were in Akola in one and half hours via Ahcalapur (Elliachpur). The leader explored various modes to go to Pune unsuccessfully.

8:00 PM Boarded bus to Aurangabad
At last, we boarded a State Transport bus to Aurangabad. It dropped us at Aurangabad at around 1:00 AM.

5-Apr-2010
2:30 AM Boarded bus to Pune
After waiting for a bus to Pune, at last we boarded a bus at 2:30 AM. It reached Pune by 8:00 AM in the morning. The return journey was thus a painful one.

30-Dec-2009 to 1-Jan-2010 Bhairavgad Koyna

Generally all of have an impression that there are no forests left in India. However, if we visit the area around Koyana dam, our perception will change for good. Koyana Chandoli is declared as a reserved forest. Many villages have been shifted out of this area so that the forest is continuous and without much human intervention. The tree cover is increased. This explains how the forest cover in India is actually increasing. This is real!

Some villages still resist the shifting from their original location for centuries.

For this year end, there was a plan for an outing in this forest and visit some forts.

How to reach there
One can take any bus to Chiplun from Pune. Get down at Koyana Nagar. From there one has to take some private vehicle. Go towards Chiplun. Just before Kumbharli pass, there is a village called Helwak. From there take a turn and leave the highway. If we travel for nearly 20-25 kilometers on a narrow road, we reach a village called Patherpunj. This village is about to be shifted. Several other villages in this area have been shifted already.

The other option to explore the area is on foot. We need local guides who can navigate us through the dense forests. Not many people have that knowledge of the terrain now. People do not wander on feet nowadays!


30-Dec-2009
10:30 AM Started from Pune
We started from Swargate bus station in Pune by 10:30 PM bus. The bus was from Pimpri to Chiplun. These buses are supposed to be faster than Swargate to Chiplun buses. By 2:30 AM we were at Koyana Nagar bus stand. During night, the buses do not come inside the bus stand. We need to request the conductor specially to drop us at Koyana Nagar.

For the remaining night, we slept on the bus stand.

31-Dec-2009
In the morning we had breakfast and started for Patherpunj in private jeeps. It took some time to get the jeeps. Here we received the first jolt. On the previous day, it was declared in the local newspaper that there will be census of the animals in the forest hence nobody will be allowed. All senior forest officials were stationed in the same area. The group leader worked on logistics meanwhile.

At last by 11:00 AM, we reached Patherpunj village. On the way, we could see patches of the forest. But nothing significant. The village is very small - about 20-25 huts. We settled in a local school. Immediately we had our packed lunch. The plan was changed slightly due to the restrictions on movement in the forest. First we decided to visit Bhairavgad.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Patherpunj village

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Forest around Patherpunj village

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Jeep ride

1:00 PM Started for Bhairavgad
After lunch, we decided to start for Bhairavgad with strict instruction to be back in the base camp well before the sunset. The entire path has a track for a four wheeler to travel. The track is mostly plain. Soon we entered thick forest. This cover was right upto the fort. The distance from the base camp to the fort is about 6-7 kilometers. It took us nearly two hours to cover the distance. At the end of the road, there is a Bhairoba temple. The construction is relatively new.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Pathway in the jungle

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Pathway in the jungle

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Forest on the way to Bhairavgad

Now we can see Bhairavgad in front of us from this temple. One needs to get down slightly and come on a ridge that connects Bhairavgad to the other hills. The path traverses till the entrance of the fort which is on the other side. In between, for a short distance the path is narrow and exposed to a deep valley below. Now we can feel the height of the fort on the side of Kokan.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Bhairavgad from the forest

The entrance of the fort is broken. As soon as we are in the entrance, there is one path which turns right. The ascent is steep and all of that is scree until we reach the top. There is no construction on the top. We spent some time on the top of the fort to enjoy the beauty of the Kokan below. From here we can see the expanse and the thickness of the forest cover.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Entrance of Bhairavgad

There is one water tank on the fort. We had to struggle to some extent to find the way to the tank. It is below some Palm trees. One needs to descend to some extent to reach the tank. Finally the leaders were able to locate the water. It was very much needed at that point. All of us quenched our thirst and were ready for the return journey. The highest point on the fort is 940 meters from the sea level.

From here, we traversed and reached the main entrance of the fort directly avoiding the steep slope with scree. Soon we were back on the ridge connecting the fort with the adjoining hills. It took us more time to come back the entire path as we were observing the plants, trees, and any traces of wild life that we can understand. Just before the dusk, we were back in the base camp.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10

Many of us headed to the well in the village. There is a small stream nearby. Many of us stood in the stream. Small fishes started sucking the feet. What a nice therapy in the nature!

For the night, there was a plan for full dinner as it was 31-Dec. Kheer was prepared along with rice, sabji, and chapati. As all of us were tired, we ate the dinner quickly and slept by 9:30 PM. We had received instructions from the leader that the next day's trek was nearly 11 kilometers one way. And we must start early in the morning.

It was a full moon day and there was a partial lunar eclipse. But the sky was partially covered with clouds. Hence we missed a good chance for sky watching. The atmosphere was less cold than anticipated. Suddenly in the dead of the night, one of the window panes started swinging on the winds. The noise was dreadful in the otherwise silent night. Nobody bothered to wake up and tie the pane. All of us pretended to sleep. Finally the pane was tied.

1-Jan-2010
5:30 AM Wakeup call
The leader gave all of us a wakeup call. We were to be ready by 7:00 AM and start the trek to Prachitgad. In the morning, one of the villagers came and informed us about a call from the forest officer. The leaders went to pick up the call. After the discussions, the leaders decided to return to Pune as our movement was further restricted by the forest officers. And there was no point in staying there.

From Trips - Bhairavgad Koyana Jan 10 Hanuman temple in Patherpunj

10:00 AM Started return journey to Pune
One vehicle arrived at the village. One batch was returned to Koyana Nagar with instruction from the leader to board any bus going to Pune. Fortunately we got one direct bus to Pune as soon as we reached Koyana Nagar. The bus reached Pune by 5:30 PM.

Thus ended one jungle trek halfway in between. Despite obtaining prior permissions from the forest department, some or the other restrictions continued to pop up. It was sad for the participants, and the organizers alike. Things were not in anybody's hand.

28 to 29-Nov-2009 Harishchandra Gad

Harishchandragad is one of the massive forts. It has minimal ramparts constructed. Nothing much of any significance has happened on the fort. The fort and the surrounding area was inhabited for more than a thousand years.

The fort has a lot of greenery. So much that one feels that it drizzled very recently.

Location and getting there

From Shivaji Nagar bus stand in Pune, there are several buses that go via Ale Phata. The journey is about two hours. From Ale Phata, one has to take another bus that goes to Kokan side or take a private vehicle. This section is nearly 35 kms or approximately one hour. If one takes a bus, then some walk might be inevitable from the road till Khireshwar. A distance of about 5 kms. It is advisable to take a private vehicle as it will save some time.


There are nearly six approaches to the fort.
a) Pachnei - This is the easiest approach. A lot of tourists take this route. It takes about an hour to reach the top without much efforts.
b) Khireshwar - Nedhe
c) Khireshwar - Tolar pass
This approach involves passing through thick vegetation. The climb is moderate. From Tolar pass, it involves climbing two rock patches. During rainy season, one definitely needs holds to clear the patches. There were protective railings installed. But the villegers have removed them time and again. The rock patches might be difficult to clear during summer due to excessive heat.
d) Nalichi wat - This is one of the strenuous approaches. It involves 4-5 rock patches. The Sun is directly on the head mist of the times. And there is not much cover. This route is for the ones with lot of guts.
e) Kokan Cliff - This is one of the most difficult routes. It involves climbing a concave cliff of nearly 2000 feet in vertical height. Technical rock climbing is involved. This is not attempted frequently.

29-Nov-2009
6:30 AM Bus to Ale Phata
From Shivaji Nagar bus stand in Pune, we took a bus to Ale Phata. The bus reached Ale Phata in nearly two hours. We had snacks on the bus stand by the time, a conveyance was arranged for the further journey. The jeeps can be a headache here as they know the travelers have limited options. The journey from Ale Phata to Khireshwar can take nearly one hour.

11:00 AM Khireshwar
Khireshwar village is situated nearly 5 kms off the road. The road towards Khireshwar is made up of a wall constructed for a dam. After reaching Khireshwar, we ordered our lunch for the next day. The leader decided that it will be better to have lunch once we climb up as the trek was very heavy. We immediately set out for the trek after rearranging the sacks. The initial path is straight, without any tree cover. Then we suddenly hit the tree cover. From this place till Tolar pass, the tree cover is thick. During daytime, sunlight does not touch the ground. And nearby we always have massive rock faces of the hills.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09 Tolar Pass as seen from Khireshwar

2:00 PM On the top
After navigating the rock patches, we were on the top by 2 PM. But alas this was not place where we would halt for the night. Now we had to walk for nearly one hour to reach where we wanted to be. There was green grass on the ground. Several wild flowers made the scene very beautiful. Thick forest cover was all around.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09 The Fortress

There are two approaches from this place to the temple and the caves. One goes via the base of the Balekilla and the other goes through seven hills. There is lot of climb and descend involved in the second approach. Since most of us were tired and were to get tired even more, the leaders took us through the first approach.

The Balekilla is inaccessible today because of stiff approaches from all sides. One can approach it only using rock climbing techniques. We silently walked through the thick tree cover and several flowers and crossing several channels.

3:00 PM Reached the caves (1210 meters)
At last, we reached the caves. The ancient temple complex is seen right in front of the caves. The first sight of the temple is amazing. Why would one build such a temple here? For the time being we must attack the food. After walking for nearly four hours we were to rest for some time. We quickly ate the food we had brought from home. This was a good decision to have food after walking so much. There was not much time left to rest as all of us had to rush to the Kokan cliff before the sunset.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

4:45 PM Kokan cliff
From the caves, we rushed towards the Kokan cliff. This is the Western Most part of the fort. And one has to walk for another half an hour to reach there. Now our stomachs were heavy and feet were dragged with so much of walking.

The cliff is concave. It has a vertical height of nearly 2000 feet. To appreciate the beauty of the cliff, one has to go a little ahead towards Nalichi wat. Immediately after the sunset, we returned to the caved.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09 Kokan Cliff

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

In the night we had the dinner prepared by the restaurant there. We had a camp fire. Finally we slept early.

29-Nov-2009
6:30 AM Started for Taramati peak
In the morning, we had to wake early so that we could climb the Taramati peak. This peak is directly above the caves. It is the highest point on the fort. And it is also amongst the highest peaks in the Sahyadri.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09 Taramati Peak

The upper portion has two approaches. One is straight. It has exposure. The other approach traverses the length of the peak and climbs from the other side. This is easier and safe approach. The top has a flag pole and one Shiva linga carved in a stone. One can see Jeevdhan and Naneghat. After spending some time on the top, we descended back to the caves.

8:00 AM Temple
Since the breakfast was not ready, we decided to visit the temple first. The temple is very old and constructed out of stones. It is situated in the bed of a stream. There are exquisite carvings on the temple. It has different shirines. Just outside the temple, there is a tank. On one side of the tank, there are 9 temples. Just below the temple in the stream bed, there is one cave with a massive Shiva ling.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09 Entire temple complex

After having our breakfast, we started our return journey through Seven Hills. On this route, one has to climb and descend the hills. Again we descended through the rock patches and the Tolar pass. This time, we could appreciate the jungle more.

12:30 PM Back to Khireshwar
We attacked the lunch in batches. Some of us went to see a very old Shiva temple just outside Khireshwar village. Currently the temple lies in ruins. It has very beautiful panels carved on the roof. One modern house is constructed just in front of the temple.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

Just near the temples, there is one cave. The facade of the caves is broken. The huge boulders lie in front of the cave. The cave s filled with mud and dust over the years. The cave has one room carved. Probably this was a place for pilgrims to stay.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

Above the ground, there are some rock pillars with some carvings.

From Trips - Harishchandragad Nov 09

After seeing this beautiful but neglicted heritage, we returned to Khireshwar to catch the vehicle to take us back to Ale Phata.

8:00 PM Back in Pune
On any Sunday evening, it is very dificult to get a public transport towards Pune fro Nashik side. We struggled for some time. Finally we jumped in some bus somehow. Most of our journey was standing. By 8:00 PM we were back in Shivaji Nagar.