21 to 22-Mar-2009 Bhorgiri Bheemashankar

In India, we have a general perception that there are not many forests left. However, this perception is not entirely true. There are some patches of forests preserved to this day. Quite a few of them are in the Sahyadri ranges. These patches may not be as thick as earlier times. But they give us a feeling of what a forest is like.

Bheemashankar is one such wildlife sanctuary. The Giant Squirrel is the main protected animal in this forest. As the name suggests, it is related to the squirrel that is commonly found in Western India. Bhimashankar is also home to herbovores like the barking deers, wild boars, etc. It is also host to small carnivores like jackal. 

Location and getting there

Bheemashankar is located in Pune district in Maharashtra. Bheemashankar is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas (Shiva Temple) in India. As per the legend, Lord Shiva destroyed demon Tripurasura at this place. Origin of the river Bheema is near this place.

Getting to Bheemashankar is fairly easy from Pune. There are direct buses plying from Shivaji Nagar every hour or so. From Mumbai, one has to take a route via Karjat, Khandas.

However to reach Bhorgiri is a different matter altogether. There are few direct buses from Shivaji Nagar in Pune. One has to take a route of Rajguru Nagar (Khed) and from there Bhorgiri. From Mumbai, I doubt if there is any direct route to Bhorgiri. One will have to come to Pune and then proceed OR directly go to Rajguru Nagar via Lonavala, Chakan.

21-Mar-2009

12:00 PM Report to Shivaji Nagar bus station
We reported at Shivaji Nagar bus station. There we found out that there were very few participants in this trek. That made managing the trek very easy.

1:00 PM Bus to Rajguru Nagar (Khed)
There are buses directly to Bhorgiri from Shivaji Nagar. However their frequency is less and hence not suitable. The next best thing is to go to Khed (Rajguru Nagar). There are buses plying frequently to Khed from Shivaji Nagar station.

2:15 PM Reached Rajguru Nagar

Lunch at bus station
After reaching Rajguru Nagar, we found out that the next bus to Bhorgiri is at 3:00 PM. Hence we ate our lunch carried with us in the canteen.

I usually like to carry my lunch into rolls instead of spreading out the entire lunch on a table. This is handy in situations where one wants to eat quickly.

3:00 PM Bus to Bhorgiri
Finally we boarded the bus to Bhorgiri. The bus was empty.

5:00 PM Reached Bhorgiri
It took two hours to reach Bhorgiri village. Some last section of the road is through ghats. This part is beautiful as the road winds through the mountainous region along a dam on the river Bheema. The backwaters of the dam in the evening make this area beautiful.

5:30 PM Bhorgiri fort
After getting down in the village, we filled water bottles on a hand pump. Some of us rearranged our sacs. We started our journey.

Bhorgiri village is a very small village. There are hills on the three side of the village. And one of the hills has Bhorgiri fort and caves.

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

Bhorgiri Fort as seen from the village

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

Soon we started towards the fort. Not much is known about this fort. The path descends into a stream and then climbs the hill. The climb is easy. And the height is small. Within 15 minutes, we were near the caves. One of the caves has a Mahalaxmi temple. This cave was filled with water. The villagers visit the temple often. Some of us went inside the temple and had darshan. There are 17 water tanks on the fort.

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

One of the caves had a peculiar method of water harvesting. Rainwater running down is channelised through a criss-crossed channel into one cave. This water is potable. This cave and the water channel can be seen in the photo below towards the right. Notice that the entrance of the cave is very low. Probably it is not meant for human use.

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

Another aspect of these caves is the shoddy construction done in the recent times to close front of some of the entrance. Apart from several caves, there is nothing much to see on this fort. There is hardly any trace left of any fortification. The top of the fort did not have anything except a few trees.

The sun was setting. We had to trek to Bheemashankar. Hence we started to descend from one route.

While descending, one accident happened. We decided to take a route where some steps are carved into the stone. Some portion is scree with lose stones. While descending, one person stepped upon a stone. The stone started rolling down. Despite warning given by others and Partha trying to avoid it, it hit him hard. The stone had changed its direction while rolling down. That was painful. Within a few minutes, he regained himself for the long trek ahead. Later, it was dignosed that he did not have any fractures fortunately. Alertness is the only way to minimise such accidents.

6:30 PM Start trekking to Bheemashankar
We started our trek to Bheemashankar. It was already dark. The accident shaved some time from our schedule. Most of the route was through jungle or fields. Some of us had switched on their torches. This caused difficulty to adjust our eyes.

We could see some farms in between jungle. It was nice to have a long trek in dark. After some time, all of us switched on the torches.

8:15 PM Stargazing
At one point, we sat for some rest. Pinakin took a brief session on stargazing. He educated us how to locate planets in the sky. Only three planets Mars, Saturn and Jupiter can be seen by naked eye during night time. Mercury and Venus can be seen only around sunrise or sunset. Uranus and Neptune are too far to be seen by the naked eye. All these planets traverse in a narrow band in the sky. One needs to know the constellations along the apparent path of the planets. A bright odd "star" in these constellations is a planet - one amongst the three (Mars, Saturn, Jupiter).

He explained few constellations like Orion the hunter, Taurus the bull, Canis Major the dog, Gemini the twins, Hydra the serpent, the concept of Gateway of heavens.

We also learnt how to locate the North Star with the help of Big Dipper constellation. With the help of the North Star, how to find North direction.

9:00 PM Reached Nigdale
Keeping our lunch in mind, we wrapped up this session and walked to Nigdale village. Nothing was open in this village. Now we had to trek for another 4 KMs so that we can have dinner. After calculating the possibilities, we took a vehicle to Bheemashankar so that we could have our dinner.

10:30 PM Dinner
All of us went to a restaurant and ordered dinner. The dinner was simple. We attacked dinner. Since Bheemashankar is a pilgrim place, there are several restaurants and places for overnight stay. These places may not offer luxury. Since we were on a trek, there was no question of any luxury.

11:00 PM Slept in a temple
After dinner, we headed to a nearby temple for night halt. Since it was already summer, it was pleasantly chilled in the night. After such a long trek, we deserved a good sleep.

22-Mar-2009

6:00 AM Wakeup

7:00 AM Left the temple

8:00 AM Left into jungle trail after breakfast
With a good breakfast and overnight sleep, we started our excursion in the jungle. The attraction was obviously the Giant Squirrel. To our dismay, we could not spot one. However, we saw the nest of this animal on the tree tops.

Different butterflies were seen in a dry stream and pond. Pinakin explained some behaviour of butterflies.

We explored the jungle a little more till noon and headed back to the restaurant for lunch.

1:30 Bheemashankar temple
Just before the lunch was served, some of us headed to see the temple. This temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Fortunately, there was no rush. Hence we had a good darshan in very less time.

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

The temple is very beautiful. It is built in stone in Hemadpanti style of architecture. The temple has a bell installed by Chimaji Appa, brother of Bajirao Peshwa.This bell was taken when the Portuguese were driven out of Konkan region.

From Trips - Bhorgiri Bheemashankar Mar 09

2:00 PM Lunch
Quickly, we came back for lunch. We had to head back to Pune.

3:00 PM Took a ST bus to Pune
There is a bus every half an hour to Pune. We got the next available bus.

6:30 PM Reached Pune

14-Mar-2009 Someshwar temple, Pashan, Pune

Pune has very beautiful temples lost in the concrete jungle. These days one has to find these architectural gems. Not much is known to the general public about these temples. History is slowly being forgotten.

One such temple is near Pashan village in Pune. It is a Shiva temple known as Someshwar temple. It is situated on the banks of a stream. The original construction must have been nearly 250 to 300 years old. This area was surrounded by fields and hills. Now the urbanization is catching up. Tall buildings are slowly coming near the temple.

Location and getting there

To reach the temple, one way is to come via Baner road. From University circle, take Baner road. There is a left turn immediately after NAL and agricultural farms. This road eventually goes to Pashan village. Take this turn. The road turns right. Travel straight for another kilometer or so. We reach in front of the temple.

Temple
The temple has a very nice surrounding. Area in front of the temple takes one back by a few decades in time. It is very calm and serene. It is said that the temple was visited by Shahu - the grandson of Shivaji.

The entire temple complex is shabbily renovated. Cement plaster is applied over original stone structures. This takes out some of the glory. The temple has a garden associated with it. This enhances the beauty of the area.

As we enter the temple complex through the old doorway, we can see the entire temple complex. The temple complex is situated on the banks of a stream. There is a ghat on this stream. The ghat lies on the back side of the temple.

From Trips - Someshwar Temple Pune Mar 09

From Trips - Someshwar Temple Pune Mar 09

There are three temples with the back towards the entrance. One is Ganapati and another one is Bhairoba. And the third is a Hanuman temple in the middle and behind the light tower.

From Trips - Someshwar Temple Pune Mar 09

Between the Hanuman temple and the main sanctum, there are two mandaps. Each with a different Nandi. The two mandaps are constructed differently. I wonder what was the need to construct two mandaps and that too of different sizes?

The main sanctum is below the ground. It houses Shiva idol.

From Trips - Someshwar Temple Pune Mar 09

Two sides of the complex have constructed rooms. Families stay there. The eyesore is a water tank constructed without regards towards harmony of the entire structure.

On the back side of the main sanctum, one Shiva idol and one Nandi idol are kept. Behind the sanctum is the ghat. This ghat is constructed beautifully. Half of the stream is channelized to a water tank. The nearby households use this tank to wash cloths. 

On the opposite bank of the ghat is a small abandoned temple. It is in the ruins. I wonder how one can enter the temple as there are no stairs.

From Trips - Someshwar Temple Pune Mar 09

There is a garden maintained beside the temple. The area has a lot of big trees. It makes a very good  place to spend a few hours and get back your peace of mind in the midst of the city.

We must appreciate and respect the beautiful heritage around us.

8-Mar-2009 Katraj Park

I am always of the opinion that the public parks and zoos in India are nowhere in comparison with the best in the world.

Take an example of Singapore Zoo. It is a huge enterprise. There are several animals from all around the world. They are kept in almost their original habitat. There is a lot of information for the tourist. The staff that maintains the zoo is very well trained on their job. This earns huge revenue from the tourists.

Back in India, our children were insisting for some time on visiting Katraj Zoo. They remembered the King Cobra from their last visit. They wanted to visit their "friend".

Location and getting there

Katraj Zoo is barely 5 kms from Swargate in Pune. Buses plying frequently to Katraj Zoo from Swargate station. Zoo is the last but one stop on the route to Katraj depot.

Inside the zoo

We took the ticket. The ticket is very less. With this kind of revenue, it is really difficult to run an endeavour like this.

We were little late to reach the zoo. The zoo closes by 6:00 PM. Hence we had to plan everything such that we do not lose much time.

First we saw the snakes section. Various snakes are kept in this section. Most of these snakes are rescued by the team from all over the city. After some time, they are released in the wilderness. Here we saw python, Cobras, Kraits, Viper, and several non venomous snakes. We saw a King Cobra. It is brought from Assam. It is a big majestic snake. One intriguing aspect is that other animals like crocodiles, ghariyal, tortoises, turtles are also in the same section. This is the first time I realised that tortoise and turtles are different. Till that time, I used these terms interchangeably. Tortoise primarily lives on land. It has a more round shell. Turtles primarily live in water. Their shells are relatively flat.

After Snake section, we also saw different birds namely Boneilli's Eagle, Egyptian Billed Vulture, and Peafowls. These birds are nowhere near Singapore Bird Park. There was a news recently that several peafowls were dead recently. Also there was a news that a crocodile was spotted in the lake where boating is carried out.

We saw different animals like Porcupine, Bear, White Tiger, Monkeys, Leopard, Sambar, Chital. All these animals are kept in different open air enclosures. This is one nice concept. The star of the attraction was obviously White Tiger. During ice age, tigers used to be white in colour for camouflage. These genes are dormant in most cases. However sometimes, these genes express themselves and hence very rarely we see White Tiger. 

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

From Trips - Katraj Park Mar 09

We had to rush back as the park was closed by 6:00 PM. All the tourists were driven out.

Afterthought

Again the point is about comparison with Singapore Zoo. A good amount of money is invested to create a good infrastructure. Tourists get good value for their money spent.

People in India are not very much inclined towards discipline in public places. They simply do not have view to appreciate things around them. Instead they are busy in pursuing their narrow agenda. Hence they make bad tourists.

28-Feb to 1-Mar-2009 Lohagad

Most of us are intrigued by the mysteries of sky some time or the other. To most of us, sky is ever changing. And we will not be able to distinguish planets from stars on our own. There was a program announced by Trekdi about astronomical night out on Lohagad fort. I took it as a opportunity to learn some of the mysteries of the sky.

Lohagad was an important fort right from Satwahan dynasty, nearly 200 BC. It was primarily built to watch the routes in the region.

This fort is called Lohagad after Sage Lomesh who was meditating here. 

After the downfall of Bahmani kingdom, the fort went into the hands of Nizamshahi in 1489. Thereafter it remained with till 1630. In 1630, the fort went under the control of Adilshah. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648, two years after he captured Torna. Netaji Palkar was appointed to look after the fort and the surrounding region. In 1665, Mirza Raja Jaisingh attacked Pune region. Villages around Lohagad were ravaged. According to the

treaty of Purandar, the fort went into the hands of Aurangzeb. Shivaji Maharaj got it back in 1670. Aurangzeb recaptured it in 1700. Shahu Maharaj gave the fort to Kanhoji Angre.

In 1720 it was under the control of Balaji Vishwanath. 

Nana Phadanvis developed the fort a lot. He renovated the first, second and the fourth entrance of the fort. Jaavji Bomble and later Dhondopant Nitsure ruled under Nana Phadnis. Nana shifted his entire treasury on this fort, which was kept in Laxmi Kothi. Nana's wife came here in 1802.

In 1818 colonel Prother aptured Visapur fort. Lohgad fell into his hands without firing a single bullet.

Location and getting there

Reaching the place is very easy. From Pune take a local train going to Lonavala. Alight one station prior to Lonavala at Malavali station. From Mumbai, take a passenger train towards Pune. Malavali station is the next station from Lonawala. From Malavali railway station, walk towards Bhaje village. After walking for nearly 5-6 kilometers, we reach Lohagadwadi, the base village of Lohagad.

Malavali is famous for two cave complexes - Bhaje (barely two kilometers from the railway station); and Karla (5 kilometers from the railway station). Both these are Buddhists cave complexes.

28-Feb-2009, Saturday
5:30 PM Reached Pune railway station

All of us were asked to gather at Pune railway station. We reached there with our children. They were very excited at the prospects of watching the stars.

6:15 PM Local train to Lonavala

Tickets were booked for the entire group. Headcount was taken. We proceeded to the platform where train was expected to arrive. Some of us got some seats in the crowded local train.

7:45 PM Reached Malavali station

After one hour and 15 minutes of journey, we reached Malavali station. It was already dark. There were few lights along the road.

10:30 PM Reached Lohagad fort

Somehow, we continued on the road upto a small hotel. All of us took some rest. The group from Mumbai was waiting for us there. The entire group continued their journey in the dark. We were not realizing where we were going. There was a road which we traversed. But the road was very primordial. After nearly 2 and a half hours of trek in the night, we finally reached the top of Lohagad fort.

The fort itself is not very high. It is very easy to climb. From Lohagadwadi, there are we constructed steps. The fortification is intact. There are four doors on the way to top.

a) Ganesh Darwaja

b) Narayan Darwaja

c) Hanuman Darwaja (Oldest)

d) Maha Darwaja

In the night, we sat in front of the Shiva temple. There a telescope and a spotting scope were already set up.

From Trips - Lohagad

11:00 PM Star gazing

Without wasting our time, we quickly finished our dinner and started watching the sky.

Our astronomers Sushrut and Pinakin were guiding us through the sky. First we started with the sky towerds West. As this part of the sky would set very soon. Various constellations were explained - Leo the Lion, Gemini the twins, Libra, Taurus the bull, Cancer (partial), Orion the hunter, Big Dipper, North pole, Southern Cross. We also learned how to find direction from North Star. Southern Cross is the only way one can judge directions in the sky in the South hemisphere. Magellan used the same constellation during circumnavigation of the earth.

1-Mar-2009, Sunday
3:00 AM Slept

We saw planet Saturn and its rings through the telescope. We also saw Beehive cluster. Finally, I slept at 3:00 AM in the morning when I could no longer hold myself.

Most of us slept in the very big cave called Lakshmi Kothi. Few of us slept in front of the temple where telescope was setup. Lakshmi Kothi can accomodate nearly 50 persons. It has 3-4 chambers one inside another.

From Trips - Lohagad

7:00 AM Woke up

In the morning, I woke up at 7:00 AM. After readying myself, we strolled around on the top of the fort. There is only one source of potable water on the top of the fort. All other water tanks contain polluted water.

9:00 AM Introduction
We rushed back to the cave for introduction and breakfast.

9:30 AM to 11:00 AM Saw Lohagad fort
After introduction, we started seeing the fort. There are lots of monkeys on the fort. One needs to be careful!

One of the first thing we saw in front was Visapur fort. The two forts are very nearby. We could not visit Visapur fort though.

As per the inscription on Ganesh Darwaza, the construction was done by Dhondopant under Nana Phadanvis. After entering the Maha Darwaaja we come across an old dargah. There are remnants of the court beside the dargah.

After dargah, there is a Shiva temple and some water cisterns beside it.

Further down, there is a tomb of Sheikh Umar. As per the history, three Arabs named Sheikh Umar, Sheikh Salla and Sheikh Malang invaded Pune. Salla resided in Pune city and destroyed the temples. Malang went and stayed on what is known as Malanggad, near Kalyan. Umar seized Lohgad. A sage was meditating here. Umar threw him off the cliff and became the ruler here. Today this tomb has gained importance as pilgrimage. 

Further down the fort, there is a polygonal well constructed by Nana Phadanwis. Further down, there is Vinchu Kata (Scorpion Point). There are fortifications in this area. Lonavala and the expressway can be seen from this place.

From Trips - Lohagad

We took our luggage from the cave and started descending. The main entrance of the fort is amazing. The interconnected ramparts and doors are the star attraction of Lohagad.

From Trips - Lohagad

From Trips - Lohagad

11:30 AM Lunch

At the base of the village, we had a lunch.

12:00 PM to 2:15 PM Walked to Malavali railway station

After our lunch, we started to walk towards railway station. The entire route has very few trees. The sun was shining bright. One needs to be careful and protect themselves during this route to escape sunstroke.

2:30 PM Local train to Pune
As soon as we reached the station, a train arrived. We somehow boarded the station.

4:00 PM Reached Pune

After nearly one and a half hours, we reached Pune.

21 to 22-Feb-2009 Vasota Fort (Vyaghragad), and Nageshwar Cave

Vasota fort is a jungle fort situated in Sahyadri ranges. From this fort, one gets beautiful view of the Koyana dam backwaters.

How to reach

Vasota fort can be reached by two approaches.

a) Via Met Indavali

From Satara, take a bus to Bamnoli. This village is situated on the banks of river Koyana. From Bamnoli, one has to take a launch to Met Indavali forest camp. This journey through Koyana backwaters takes nearly one and a half hours. Met Indavali is situated at the base of fort Vasota. It takes nearly two hours from this camp to reach fort Vasota.

b) Via Choravane

From Chiplun, take a bus to village Choravane. Path from village Choravane has a steep ladder in the route. By taking this route, one can first visit Nageshwar cave and then come to Vasota fort.

This area is unbelievably cold during night due to Koyna dam backwaters and thick forest. Hence be prepared.

History

As per the ancient legend, Sage Agasti, a disciple of Sage Vasishtha came to reside on this hill. He decided to name the place after his Guru. In due course of time, the name evolved into Vasota.

During Shilahara dynasty rule over the area, this fort was named as Vasantgad.

When Shivaji was trapped in Panhalagad, he dispatched a battalion to win this fort. He won the fort on 6-June-1660. In 1706, Tai Telini brought the fort under control. The next year, Peshwa senapati Bapu Gokhale attacked the fort. After 8-10 months of battle, the fort was conquered by him.

22-Feb-2009
6:40 AM Started from Pune
Started little late from Pune. All of us had gathered near Furgusson Collage main gate.

11:30 AM Reached Bamnoli via Satara
Due to less sleep, we fell asleep. We did not realize when Satara passed by. From Satara, Bamnoli is 35 kms approximately. However, all the road is mountainous. Hence the travel takes time. Finally we reached Bamnoli. This village is situated in a valley. The bus descends through the hills.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

1:30 AM Boat ride to Met Indavali
From Bamnoli, we took a boat ride to Met Indavali. The boat ride of about 1:30 hours is very beautiful. Hills on one side are covered by thick forest. The expanse of the water is large.

Vasota and Old Vasota forts can be seen when the boat nears Met Indavali. Met Indavali is a forest department camp in the jungle.

Upon our arrival, we had our lunch that we had brought with us.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

2:30 PM Start trek to Vasota fort
After lunch, we started the trek to Vasota fort. There is considerable walk before climb starts. All the way is covered with thick forest. Hence sunlight cannot deprive you of your energy. We can hear sounds made by various animals. It is told that the jungle is home to every animal except Elephant and Lion.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

4:30 PM Reached fort
Finally we reached the fort. The entrance of the fort is broken. Immediately at the entrance, there is one Hanuman temple.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

There are two entrances to the fort. One lies in the dilapidated condition. We enter the fort through the other entrance. As soon as we enter the fort, we see a Hanuman temple devoid of roof. From this place, the route to left goes to Babu Kada and route to the right goes to Shiva temple.

When we take the route to the left towards Babukada, there are two water cisterns (tanks). This is the only source of drinking water.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

This road further takes us to Babu Kada. From this point, Old Vasota is seen in front. The fort has steep cliffs and is difficult to climb. These days, nobody dares to go to old vasota.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

From Babu Kada, again come back to Hanuman Temple. Proceed straight. We come to a Shiva temple. From this place, we proceed to an extended plateau. Nageshwar caves can be seen in the distance.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

The view of Koyna backwaters is breathtaking from top of the fort.

5:30 PM Started descent
We started to descend as we were instructed to be back in the camp before twilight. Since there the area is declared as a reserved forest, we had to rush back to the camp before darkness. The forest department rules mandate so.

7:15 PM Reached camp at Met Indavali
By the time we reached the base camp at Met Indavali, it was almost dark.

9:00 PM Dinner
Sridhar Joshi sir had stayed back at the camp. He had prepared tea and dinner for all of us. After the trek, all of us were hungry. We attacked the dinner.

10:00 PM Astronomy
Post dinner, Sushrut Bhanushali took our astronomy class. He taught us how to find out North direction. He explained all visible constellations to us. By 10:30 we were in bed.

22-Feb-2009
7:45 AM Start trek to Nageshwar cave
The next day morning, we were late to start from the camp. We had our breakfast. This time we took different route than yesterday. We started walking in a dry stream upwards. The entire walk was very beautiful. Trees were covered all around. Hence there was shade across all the path except at the upper part. But the walk was difficult because of the stones on the bed.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

At the end of the stream, there is some steep climb. This climb took us directly at the base of the cave.

11:00 AM Reached Nageshwar cave
From here, we climbed Nageshwar cave. This is a Shiva temple. The next day was supposed to be Maha Shivratri. On this occasion, several thousands of devotees were expected to be in the cave.

From Trips - Vasota Nageshwar Feb 09

11:30 AM Start descending
We started to descend by the other route. For nearly one and half hours, the trek is almost horizontal. It takes us over a cliff. There are not many trees. If the sun is shining bright, then this portion might be difficult. Morever, there are no railings even though the ground is slippery.

We learned that during rainy season, there are lot of jalwa leeches - which sucks one's blood.

1:00 PM Reached Vasota trek
Finally, the trek merges with the trek to Vasota fort. Now again we were in the shades of the trees.

2:15 PM Reached base camp at Met Indavali
We reached the base camp of Met Indavali. We had our lunch hurriedly.

3:10 PM Start for Bamnoli
Immediately, after having lunch, we started for Bamnoli in the launch.

4:45 PM Reached Bamnoli
We reached Bamnoli through scenic Koyna backwaters.

5:45 PM Started for Pune
From Bamnoli, we started for Pune.

9:30 PM Reached Pune
By 9:30 PM, we were back in Pune via Satara.

6 to 8-Feb-2009 Ramsej, Dhodap, Kachana Forts

On a long weekend, I joined this trek without realizing the difficulty. In the end, I was rewarded appropriately.

The trek consisted of three forts in the Nashik region of Maharashtra. These forts are in the Chandor (or Satmala) range. Dhodap is the highest hill in this range. Vani, the temple of Saptashrungi is also in the same range.

How to reach

For all the forts in this region, one has to travel to Nashik from Mumbai or Pune.

Ramshej lies about 11 kms north of Nashik. Buses must be available from Nashik. However, having one's own vehicle is the most convenient mode of transport.

Dhodap is about 20-25 kms north west of Chandor. It is the highest hill in the Chandor (or Satmala) range. It is clearly idendified by its deep cleft at the top and a dome shaped peak. It can be reached by two approaches.

a) From Dhodambe village from South

From Nashik, take NH3 towards Malegaon. After going for about 15-20 kms, leave NH3 and take a left to reach Dhodambe village. From Dhodambe village, take a route to Hatti village. This village is at the base of the fort. From this village, one has to walk for nearly 2 kms to reach the base of the fort. After climbing for nearly an hour or so, the first level is reached.

b) From Otur or Kalvan village from North

This route is easier but very long. Leaving Otur to the west, the path winds up a long and gentle slope. After a short distance the first scarp is reached. Continuing the path along the north slope of the hill, the bed of a small torrent is reached, across which there seems once to have been thrown a rough outwork, the first trace of fortifications. At the top of the scarp, which is ill-defined towards the north and north-east, is a large level space of rocky ground covered with a thin coating of soil, the result of the, disintegration of the trap above. Following the path southwards for about half a mile, the outer gate of the lower fortified portion is reached, a strong building flanked by walls running on each side to the upper and lower scarp respectively. Inside the wall is a fine pipal tree and one or two small wells, containing remarkably offensive water. From this point the upper scarp presents the appearance of a smooth wall of basalt, the south-eastern corner alone being somewhat jagged and broken. The path follows the line of the hill southwards, and after about three quarters of a mile or rather more, the second gate of the outer line of defence is reached, of more solid construction than the first.

From Nashik, one has to take some private vehicle to roam this area. The public transport may not be the best option. These places lie 30 t0-35 kms from Nashik.

6-Feb-2009
11:00 PM Departure from Pune
7 of us departed in a vehicle from Pune. After realizing that I was also part of the group, the group leader kept some rope and other equipment in the vehicle just in case it was needed.

Sports Utility Vehicle is not the best to travel overnight.

7-Feb-2009
3:30 AM Reached Ashewadi village at the base of Ramsej fort
The driver took only 4 and a half hours to reach the destination. This provided us with 3 hours of sleep before we could begin the day.

We slept in the Hanuman temple in the village.

6:30 AM Wakeup before villagers come to the temple
We had to wake up before the villagers arrive at the temple. After getting ready, we put the bags back in the vehicle. The fort looked very small and narrow from the base village.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

7:30 AM Start climbing Ramsej fort
We started to climb the fort. However, we realized that the fort is quite big, area wise. From the village, we could see only a small edge of the fort.

8:00 AM Reached Ramshej fort
Within half an hour, we reached the top of the fort. There is nothing left on the fort except a tank which was empty.

The name means Ram's bed. It is believed that Lord Rama was in Panchavati, Nashik during his exile. He is believed to have stayed on this hill during this time.

The only reference to Ramshej fort is a notice from Aurangzeb to Shahabuddin Khan in 1664 to reduce the forts in Nashik and Khandesh. At Ramshej, Shahabuddin laid a seige and raised a platform of wood high enough to hold 500 men and high enough to see inside the fort. During the siege, Sambhaji's army arrived to relieve the garrison. Khan Jahan advanced from Nashik to help Shahabuddin. After two unsuccessful attempts, the siege was raised. The huge wooden platform was burnt.

Ramshej was one of the 17 forts surrendered by the Marathas to the British in 1818 after the fall of Trimbak.

In 1819, Captain Briggs described Ramshej fort. There were two gateways, one within the other, large but not so formidable as those of Hatgad. There was less uncovered ground on the way up to the gates than in any other Nasik fort. The works connected with the gates were able to give a good flanking fire at a short distance from them. There was a way down by a trap-door kept covered with dirt and rubbish, called the secret road or chor-rasta affording passage for one at a time. All round the fort ran a wall tolerable in some places but mostly indifferent. Within the fort were two or three bombproof and ammunition chambers built of stone. The water-supply was ample.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

Captain Briggs left two companies of militia in the fort, one on the top of the hill, the other in the village below. This large party was left at Ramsej that the garrison might always spare ninety or a hundred men to march after Bhils and other marauders. In the fort besides about a ton of grain and a small quantity of salt there were eight guns, nine small cannon called jamburas, twenty-one jingals, thirty copper pots, forty-one brass pots, 256 pounds of gunpowder, forty pounds of brimstone, forty-five pounds of lead, and 240 of hemp. There were also elephant trappings, tents, carpets, and iron ware, which once had been Shivaji's.

A cave temple on the fort has idols of Lord Rama and Hanuman.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

9:00 AM Started descending the fort
We started descending the fort.

9:20 AM Back to Ashewadi
Within 20 minutes, we were back to Ashewadi. By now, the entire village had gathered near temple to fill the water.

Children were playing in front of the temple. Experiencing early morning in a village is an altogether different feeling.

Within minutes, we left for Dhodap fort.

12:00 PM Lunch
En route, we had lunch on highway. Once we left highway, we would not expect any decent place to eat. Compared to most other treks, this was early lunch.
After having lunch, we started for village Hatti.

1:00 PM Reached Hatti village
Within an hour, we reached village Hatti. We rearranged our sacks and readied ourselves for the climb.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

1:30 PM Start from Hatti village
Within half an hour, we left village Hatti. The sun was unbearable. Our task was not made easy by the lack of trees in the entire region. Most of the time, sun would be directly on our back. By this logic, the best way to climb the fort would be in the morning.

The earliest known mention of Dhodap is the somewhat doubtful notice of a fort named Dharab which surrendered to the Moghal general Allah-vardi Khan in 1635. From the Muslims it passed to the Peshwa who made it the chief of the Nasik forts. In 1768 Raghunathrav was defeated at Dhodap by his nephew Madhavrao Peshwa. Under the Peshwas two subhedars Appaji Hari and Bajirav Appaji are said to have once hold the fort with 1600 men. At that time Ajabsing and Sujkum, two Kshatriyas in Holkar's employ, attacked and took it, and plundered and burnt the village, which never afterwards recovered its prosperity. It seems to have passed back to the Peshwa as it was the Peshwa's officers who, in 1818, ceded the fort without a struggle. In 1818, immediately after its cession, Dhodap was visited by Captain Briggs. He described it as a large hill of the same basaltic nature as others in the Chandor range, with very strong artificial fortifications. The town, which was tolerably large, stood some hundred feet up the hill and at the bottom of the perpendicular rock where there was much tableland. A road into Khandesh ran under the town and fort wall. There was a very strong gate to the town, and a gate to the pass on each side leading up from Khandesh and Gangthadi. Resides these in the fort there were several guns in the town find on other, parts of the tableland, pointing to the plain below. The roads to the town and over the pass were rough and steep on both sides, but not difficult for horses. The only way to the fort was through the town. The fort had many rock-cut storehouses and a large water-supply. There were thirty-seven militiamen or sibandis in the fort, and of military stores 1590 matchlock balls, two pieces of lead, and a large quantity of gunpowder.

2:45 PM First halt near water source
We took the first halt is on a plateau. This plateau has a water source. It had some interesting structures. There is a very beautiful well constructed. The well is two tiers.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

There is an entrance which has a stone inscription.

There are 3 temples on this level.

4:25 PM Started ascending again for the fort
After some rest, we started ascending the fort again.

During this period, there are two rock patches. I was helped by others on both of them. While returning, I realized that the first patch was very easy!

At last the real entrance to the fort is reached. This is a completely hidden passage cut in the living rock with two towers in it, and concealed by an outer wall of solid rock and, in its upper portion, by passing through a tunnel. Two inscriptions in Persian are cut on the rock near the doorway. One has been defaced by weather, and the letters are very indistinct. The other is much clearer, and in addition to the Musalman creed records the name of the builder of the fort. On emerging, from the passage, the first sight that presents itself is the peak, still towering perpendicularly at a height of three to four hundred feet above the gateway.

5:30 PM Reached caves
We reached the caves where we were supposed to stay. There are several caves on top. But only one cave has a tank and a temple. This is the cave where most trekkers stay.

En route to the caves, all of us picked up some dry wood for cooking.

All of us were exhausted by the time we were in cave.

6:00 PM Climbed a cave
Immediately, we rushed to a cave which is high above in a rock. The climb was difficult. Here again I was helped by others. Within minutes, we climbed down and ran towards a place from where we could see the sun setting.

6:20 PM Sunset
This is the place which can be easily seen from a distance. It has a cut cliff. This is the farthest place one can reach without any equipment. There is a constructed bastion.

We saw the beautiful sunset. We talked for a long time on various topics. Dr Ravi Shilotri explained us about night sky.

8:30 PM Tea time
We came back to the cave. Prepared tea.

9:30 PM Dinner
Once tea was ready, every one started to prepare dinner. Vikas prepared Khichadi. This was the first time he was preparing something other than tea.

There were lot of mouses in the cave. I had taken 2-3 onions with me just in case to respite from the heat. We thought of using the onions in the dinner. But despite searching a lot in the torch light, I could not find any in the bag.

Finally, the dinner had to be prepared without onions. Later someone discovered one mouse eating the onions! The food had to be protected. The khichadi was not fully cooked. Most of us did not have patience to cook it fully. We ate it as it was. At that time, we felt this was the best meal one could get in these situations.

11:00 PM Bed time with mouses
The night was made interesting with mouses running all over. If one has to stay on top of Dhodap, be prepared to sleep with mouses.

8-Feb-2009
7:12 AM Sunrise
We woke up early in the morning. We wanted to see the sunrise on Dhodap and then start descending the fort.

We saw sunrise. We also saw some broken structures near the entrance of the fort. One structure was very beautiful with designs.

To the right of the gateway facing east, is the sadar,or masonry apartment for the captain or killedar from the top of which a fine view of the Chandor range is obtained. Behind this is a pool of filthy water in a small quarry. To the south is a bastion on which was mounted a ten-pound gun, now lying on the ground, with its muzzle pointing over the plain it once commanded. Behind it is a high flagstaff with a small white rag tied to its top. It belongs to the temple of Devi on a higher part of the fort, which receives from the state a small cash allowance which is spent at the Dasara (October-November) in decorations, and amongst others in anointing the ten-pound gun with yellow ochre. Between the court and the foot of the peak lies a grassy slope after crossing which are found chambers formerly used by the residents of the fort for various purposes. These are cut in the living rock of the highest part of the hill. First is the powder magazine, a spacious chamber every crack in which has been carefully built up, leaving only a single entrance. At the side of this is the small cave from which the powder guardian had to keep watch. Beyond, to the west, are the provision chambers, including a huge one for grain and a smaller one at the sides with two rock-hewn sarcophagi, one of which contained clarified butter, and the other molasses. Between these and the next cave, that of Devi, are a few small recesses, walled in with rough stone work, apparently modern, which now serve as rest-houses for mendicants and pilgrims. Immediately to the west of the Devi's cave is a rock-cut reservoir said to be unfathomable, containing excellent water, probably filtering through cracks in the rock from above, as there is no appearance of any spring. It is a peculiarity of this south face of the rocky peak that the base of the scarp inclines outwards a little from the point where it springs from the grassy slope, a formation which has been taken advantage of in building up these chambers. On the north side of the peak the strip of grass-covered and slippery ground between the base and the vertical scarp is much narrower than on the south, and the cave chambers on the former side appear to have been for the gunners and soldiers. The path can be followed right round to the court again, and up the peak itself, though the climb is somewhat dangerous except to hard and naked feet. The summit which consists of a huge mass of rock nearly precipitous for half its height and then conical, rises about 400 feet above the level plateau on which the main portion of the fort was situated, and is all but inaccessible. At the very summit of the peak is a Musalman shrine said to have been miraculously built in connection with a tomb below, known by the name of Belpir, and adventurous Muhammadans make occasional excursions to visit it. Leaving the peak, the western side is perhaps the most extraordinary feature of the fort. A wall of basalt, thinly covered with soil and coarse grass, juts for some 300 or 400 yards from the base of the peak. Its top is fairly level, and its sides, some 200 to 300 feet high, appear to be sheer precipices presenting scarcely a crack or inequality. The wall is in no place more than perhaps thirty feet wide and is inaccessible from every side except the fort. As the western abutment was less steep than the rest of the wall, it was apparently thought advisable to cut off communication from that quarter by making a breach in the wall about 100 feet deep and some ninety feet wide, from the sides of which the extreme thinness of the basaltic slab can be well seen. Perhaps, on the other hand, the indenture was no more than a freak of some of the Padshahs who resorted to the fort, who, finding so peculiar a natural feature, considered it a profitable task to show the power of man over it in this very unmistakable manner. This view is in some degree supported by the fact that at the very brink of the gap on the fort or eastern side, there is a small rectangular mosque, a building intended for worship, over the door of which is a stone carved with an Arabic text from the Kuran. To the left-hand corner of the door, there is, curiously enough, a smaller stone with an inscription in what seem to be Devanagari characters. Wherever the precipice below the peak is a little less perpendicular than usual, or presents irregularities which might be taken advantage of by an escalading force, there are built walls with loopholes and bastions, which extend along a considerable portion of the east, north-east, and north sides of the fort. The height of the peak is 4741 feet above the sea level, whilst the caves and main portions of the fort are 4317 feet high. There is a trigonometrical base-mark just at the starting point of the basaltic wall, from which observations were taken a few years ago connecting this hill with the fort of Ankai-Tankai to the south-east, Ramsej and Anjaneri to the south and southwest, and the huge mass of Saler to the north.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

7:30 AM Start descending Dhodap
We started descending Dhodap. The entrance of the fort has two stone carvings in Urdu or Farsi script. The descent was fast. We faced the sun even in the morning.

8:45 AM Back to Hatti
Within one hour and 15 minutes, we were back in Hatti village. After drinking water and changing clothes, we started for the next place.

9:30 AM Breakfast at Dhodambe
We had our breakfast in Dhodambe village.

10:00 AM Ancient Shankar temple
Immediately in front of the hotel, we saw an ancient temple. We saw the temple. It is a Shiva temple a few centuries old. This was a gem we unexpectedly stumbled upon.

11:00 AM Base of Kachna fort
We were at the base of fort Kachna. Somehow, we started climbing from difficult side. The road to it lay from the north, and from that road a bad pass to Gangthadi led to the fort. A wall of loose stones, with a small opening in the middle which could be filled in no time, ran across nearly the whole breadth of the pass, and could enable a handful of men to defend the pass. The only fortification on the hill-top was an indifferent wall and two small old doors. There was plenty of water and very good granaries and other rooms cut in the rock. There were seven of the Peshwa's militia in the fort. Kachna was one of the seventeen strong places that surrendered to the British after the fall of Trimbak in 1818.

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

From Trips - Ramsej Dhodap Kanchana Feb 09

12:30 AM Reached summit of Kachna fort
There were two rock patches. A rope was tied to me. Vikas and Avinav, Siddharth halped me climb both these patches. One of the patch was extremely difficult. However, Vikas's presence helped me climb it without much difficulty.

Any slip on this side would directly lead to death.

At the summit of the fort, there is a rock with some slope. We prepared lime juice and ate sweet lime to energize ourselves.

There are two tombs of unknown persons. Apart from these, there are some water tanks. Entrance is the only constructed entity on the fort. It is also in ruins.

1:00 PM Cave with multiple water tanks
There is a cave with multiple water tanks.

1:15 PM Started descending the fort
We started to descend the fort from the other side. All along, we followed one dry stream.

2:30 PM Reached the vehicle waiting for us
The descent was quick. Within one hour we were at the base of the fort. We had to walk to reach our vehicle.

5:00 PM Lunch at Sinnar near Nasik
We had our lunch near Sinnar near Nashik. The hotel was nice and very economical.

10:00 PM Reached Pune
At last, we were in Pune by 10:00 PM.

Forts in Nashik region do not have any green cover. Avoid to climb them during daytime. They can be climbed during daytime only during winter.

1-Feb-2009 Bird Watching Kawdi, Dalaj, Dhiksal

I was starting to recognize a few birds. Thanks to Mrs Manasi Wagh. She had arranged a trip for watching birds. I thought of augmenting my knowledge.

Birds are resident and migratory. winter is the season when most of the migratory birds visit various parts of India. Birds are found where they can get food easily. This can be wetlands.

Along Pune Solapur road, backwaters of Ujani dam offer a beautiful place to watch birds.

1-Feb-2009

6:45 AM Start from Pune
We started from Pune early so that we could see one place before sun rises.

7:30 AM Kawdi near Pune on Pune Solapur highway
On the outskirts of Pune along Pune Solapur highway, there is a village called Kawdi. It is very near to highway. Yet it is untouched by the urbanization of Pune. A bund is constructed on the river. The resultant wetland is home to several birds.

Lot of bird watchers come to the place from Pune. We saw several birds like sunbirds, parrots, ducks, etc.

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

10:00 AM Breakfast
After seeing several birds, we proceeded to another place. On the route, we stopped for breakfast and tea. There was a field of flowers behind the restaurant.

11:00 AM One lake near roadside
On the route, there was a lake. There were several birds in the lake. We stopped our vehicle.

12:30 PM Backwaters near Dalaj village
This place offered us a beautiful view of several different birds. Bramhiny Kite, different varieties of ducks, etc.

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

1:30 PM Lunch under a tree in the village school of Dalaj
All of us were hungry by the time we enhanced our knowledge of different birds. We sat under a tree of the village school for lunch.

2:30 PM to 5:00 PM Boating in Ujani backwaters near Dhiksal village
After lunch, we went to the backwaters of Ujani dam from Dhiksal village. We entered the lake in a boat. There were thousands of birds of different varieties. Ibis, stork, flamingos, etc.

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

From Trips - Birdwatching Kiwadi Dhiksal Feb 09

6:00 PM Start for Pune
After seeing enough birds for us to ponder over, we returned back. It will take us some time to upgrade our learning.

9:30 PM Return to Pune
We reached Pune by 9:30 PM.

The children were very happy to see different birds. The trip was worth from that point of view.