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A trek back in time machine to a period of Satavahana, one of the well preserved forts of maharashtra dating back to 30 BC. Explore the Iron Fortress of Maharashtra.
Altitude: 3000 Feet above mean sea level
Experience Category: Trek easy grade climbing a hill fort (around one hour to one and half hour climb; less than one hour to descend; plus time spend exploring the fort).
Location: Approximately 12 KM from Lonavala just of Lonavala - Pauna lake Road.
Best Season: Round the year.
Duration: One Day trip from Pune / Mumbai.
Experiences:
Easy Trek, Ancient Fort Exploration and Exploring Rural Countryside.
Planned Schedule:
6:00 am Start from Mumbai / Pune by your own car/volvo/train/ST/Share cab
9:00 am Reporting time at Lonavala - Meeting point near Shivaji Statue near Lonavala Police Station, Main bazar road, 5 minutes walk from Lonavala railway station.
9:15 am Start for base village of Lohgad (30 minutes drive).
10:00 am Lohgad trek.. 1 hour to reach the summit
1 to 2 hours exploring the fort
12:30 pm start our descent from fort
01:30 pm start back from base village for Lonavala
02:00 pm Lunch at Lonavala, near Shivaji statue
Explore Lonavala market.. end of trek..
About Lohaghad Fort
One of the better preserved forts of the region it retains most of its medieval distinctive defense features and some of the spirit and gloss of its past grandeur. Must have been built during the reign of the Satavahana Empire (30 BC to 200 AD) or possibly even before that.
The fort has 4 successive entrances or Darwajas, the Ganesh Darwaja, the Narayan Darwaja, the Hanuman Darwaja and the Maha Darwaja. All the doors are still quite strong and are located on the serpentine ascent of the fort. The hanuman darwaja is the oldest of the quartet The remaining three doors were built by Nana Phadnavis, The space between the second and the third door contains some cellars used as granaries. On entering the Maha Darwaja there is a structure that houses some tombs. Further along the fortification is a spacious rock cut cave called the Lomesh Rishi Cave.
Many water tanks dot the area one with a natural spring in it containing fresh clean water. A Mahadev temple adjacent to which is a tank with steps descending to the water. A narrow spur of the fort stretches westwards in sweeping curves both sides are girded with fortification and the westernmost tip is guarded with a bastion. The spur seems worthy of its name ‘ Vinchu-Kata’ (the scorpion’s sting) From here one can descend to the ‘Gai - Khind’ a col and head towards Visapur.
Lohagad is 3400 feet high and is very wide spread fort.
Located about 52 km from Pune, around 15 km from Lonavala and approximately 115 km from Mumbai.
More information on Lohgad
From Mumbai, you can take a train to Lonavla. Malavli is the next station from Lonavla in the direction towards Pune, you can take a local train from Lonavala or Pune to reach here.
From the Malavli railway station, the fort is hardly 9 km away. Vehicles can reach the foot of the hill. From there, which is near a village called Lohagadwadi, there are steps to the fort, numbering approximately 500.
However, people can also walk all the way to the fort. Bhaja Caves is on the way to Lohagad if a small diversion is taken. This walk is a particular favorite of trekkers, especially in the monsoon season. It is a simple and easy trek and the distance from Malavli station to Bhaje gaav takes about 20 min. The distance between Malavli and Lohagadwadi can be covered in around 2-2.5 hrs. The trekking route becomes mucky when it rains and trekkers will have difficulty walking to the fort.
The walk is very enjoyable, especially the picturesque scenery, lush green grass, cool mountain air, and the pleasant salubrious climate. A variety of birds and insects can also be spotted in these hills. There is a way to reach by road. There are two different routes to reach the base of Lohgad by car.
For people traveling from Mumbai, the route is via Lonavala. If starting from Pune, take old Mumbai Pune highway. Just after you cross the toll plaza before lonavala, keep to your left until you cross “Manshakti”. There is a Y-type left turn just after “Manshakti”. Take that left and drive for another 200 odd meters to take the very first left again. You are on the way to lohgad after crossing the place called “Bhangarwadi” from where it is just 8–10 km. If you come across a railway crossing and Mumbai-Pune highway twice, you are on right track. You are on way to Paud, continue until you reach “Dudhiware Khind”. Just before it, take a left for Lohgad. From there it is around 4 km max. The road ahead is very steep with couple of sharp turns, but safe.
For people traveling from Pune city, the route is via Chandani chowk, Pirangut and Paud. After reaching Paud, take a right and drive for around 40-odd km. Just after you cross “Dudhiware Khind” you will reach the same place. Take a right for Lohgad base.
It is a tar road and you can comfortably reach the “Paytha”. It’s a wonderful place and should be tried in between mid August to mid September, when you can still have rain but the intensity diminishes.
When it rains, the top of the fort is covered with mist and clouds and becomes particularly wet. It is advisable to carry protective gear during the rainy season (mid-June to mid-September). Further, food is not easily available on the route. Most of the food stalls sell water, poha, tea/coffee, snacks, and soft drinks.
A panoramic view of the Pawna dam can be seen from the fort.
Near by experiences: (Be a exploring traveler)
Lohgad Boat club with Farm House Dhaba on banks of Pauna Lake is a cool experience to explore. One can also drive on the other side of the hill to explore ancient Bhaja and Karla Caves. Option only for good trekkers can try climbing Visapur fort the twin fortress next to Lohgad fort.
Lonavala is a good place to have your breakfast before you head for Lohgad for a trek and during evening try famous Chikki and Fudge at Lonavala market. A drive from lonavala towards Ambi Valley will bring you across Lion Head Point of Tiger Valley that has an enchanting view from an altitude of over 3000 feet.
Driving further towards Khandala on the way back one can also stop over at Rajmachi View, to get a glimse of Rajmachi Fort (Shrivardhan and Manranjan)
