Bhorgiri to Bhimashankar - A Magical Trail Trek

Friday, 29th Aug

Time 4 pm: 
Plan for Bhimashankar was set perfectly. This time, my cousin Sanjay Amrutkar, a famous trekker and photographer and his group from Nasik and my group from Pune were going to trek together. Both the groups were formed but alas! There was some communication gap. I prepared the group to hike on Saturday, 30th Aug and my cousin prepared the group for Sunday, 31st Aug. Though I had sent the detail plan to my cousin on whatsapp, he forgot to notice the day and date. There was a sudden last moment’s twist in the overall plan. Changing the plan at the last moment was difficult and after discussing with my trek-mates, I decided to go ahead with the trek without Nasik Group.

Time: 4.30 pm:
Rain was pounding on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.It poured heavily for more than an hour and

there was water everywhere. This was a potent sign considering I was going to trek in the Bhimashankar region – the region known for its heavy rainfall.

Time: 5.30 pm: 
Tiny droplets were hanging on my balcony grill. I decided to capture it in my camera. To my dismay, message popped up on my camera screen “No Memory Card”. I checked the camera and memory card was in place. I shook the camera, re-inserted the memory card but still the same message. Damaged memory card on the previous evening of the trek. Another bad luck!

Well, three instances happened which could have easily toppled the plan of hiking to Bhimashankar but the sheer determination helped me not to deter from the original plan. By evening, rain was abated, I purchased the new memory card, personally called each of trek mate (Milind Patil and Siddheshwar Kadam - my office colleagues, Sameer Kadam - my regular trek mate and Tushar Kothawade - my elder brother) to take the final confirmation and finally, everything regarding the trek plan came back to normalcy.

Saturday morning dawned without any rain which was such a big relief. Siddheshwar was supposed to join me on Sus Road at 6 am but he called saying his two wheeler got punctured and he would be coming by his car. He arrived almost 25 minutes late and we started around 6.25 am from my home. Siddheshwar was in mood of driving his car; so instead of taking my car, we decided to take his Swift Dzire car. I was happy as I was delegated to the rear seat where I could just relax and enjoy the whole journey as a passenger. We picked up Amol from Pimple Saudagar and Sameer from Kalewadi and we were on our way to Rajgurunagar – our first halt for breakfast.

After breakfasting Misal-Pav at the restaurant, we enquired about the petrol pump on the way to Bhorgiri but as there was no petrol pump available on that road, we drove backwards for 2 kms and got the petrol tank filled up.

We needed to take a left turn from Rajgurunagar. There are arrows indicating the direction of Bhimashankar. We came across Chaskaman Dam along the way and its backwater accompanied us for most of the journey. Whole expanse of water was looking gorgeous and we soaked in the views.

The weather was overcast but there was hardly any iota of rain. Whole earth was carpeted with lush green grass and it was sight to behold. Road condition was better than expected and we all were enjoying the scenic ride.

Soon, we reached to Bhorgiri and parked our car beside a temple. Many college going boys were sitting in premises of temple and after enquiring for the guide, one of them, a boy named "Ajit" agreed to join us and we started our hike amidst the breathtaking scenery.

Initial walkway passed through the dirt and muddy puddles which gave fair indication how our next hiking trails would be. After walking for certain distance, we came across first stream which we had to cross by jumping on stones inside the stream.

Soon, the hiking trail entered the dense forest and there we had our first glimpse of Giant Malabar Squirrel (called as Shekroo) – the famous squirrel in Bhimashankar forest. There were two of them -  giant, brown coloured squirrels with a very long tail. We were awestruck by the beauty of this magnificent animal and tried to click few photos. But these squirrels were very agile in nature and we did not get any clear photograph but nevertheless we were happy to imprint the image in our mind.

Soon, we came across a small plateau and from there surrounding mountain range was visible. We spent few moments doing some photography and resumed our hike.

Unique thing about the hike that you continuously hear gushing sound of nearby streams which really is soothing to your ears. Along the way, we again had to cross second stream which was larger and wider. Crossing the stream without wetting your shoes requires a lot of skill – good firm grip, confidence on your shoes will take you through. If you are not confident, don’t try the acrobats and walk through the stream even if it means wetting your shoes. Wet shoes are better than a bad fall.

After crossing the stream, again on the left side, we spotted the giant Shekroo. This time we really got a good view and better time to photograph it and we were so ecstatic.

Beauty of the hike was that we hardly had to drink water from our bottles. Fresh and gushing water from the streams quenched our thirst.

Last part of the hike was again through the dense forest

After crossing a stream of big boulders, we reached to Bhimashankar and we were greeted by the hoard of pilgrims, chanting mantras, bathing in the kund, standing religiously in queues to take darshan of God Shiva. It was 12.30 pm and we decided to stand in the queue to take darshan. We had to wait for about 45 minutes. Finally we entered the innermost part of the temple and quickly bowed our heads before being quickly ushered outside by the priest whose only job seemed to make sure that  no devotee would spend more than 5 seconds in front of the deity.

After coming outside of the temple, we rushed to find Kshitij restaurant suggested by Onkar Oak. After munching lunch followed by a hot ginger tea. we got the much needed warmth and energy and started descending towards Gutpa Bhimashankar, a secret Shivlinga tucked away in the dense forest.

There is a sign board attached to a big trunk of a tree indicating the direction of Gupta Bhimashankar. 

Again, the trail passes through a denser forest. As we were passing through the forest, loud noise of thumping water caught our attention. We followed the direction of a sound and were refreshed to see a medium sized waterfall falling merrily. Sameer and myself decided to go to the base; I gave up midway because my shoes were slipping on the wet rocks but Sameer went ahead and reached to the base of the waterfall.

Soon, we came across a fallen gigantic tree and we clicked a group photo around it.

After trudging for few more minutes, we came across a small temple.

Soon, we came across a big stream which was getting transformed into a small waterfall. Gupta Bhimashankar lies at the base of this waterfall. Again some boulders are placed in the stream and you have to do some acrobats to reach to the other side of the stream. My HEAD shoes were deserting me throughout the trek and I had almost lost the confidence on the grip of the shoes. As I was planning my next jump from a rock, suddenly both of my feet slipped and I had a bad fall with few cuts on my palm which oozed some blood. I immediately removed my shoes and walked through the stream with bare feet.

Soon, we were at the base of the waterfall and we were just wonder struck by the beautiful Shiv-Linga of Gupta Bhimashankar. Really one of the most amazing feelings!

After spending few moments of real bliss in the presence of divine Gutpa Bhimashnkar and splendor of nature, we started our hike back to Bhorgiri. As local boy was our guide, he took us some shortcut from the dense forest and we joined back to the hiking trail. Looking back, we couldn't believe how we came out safely from the dense forest. This is where local guides really help.

Along the way, we came across a snake which was resting on the trail as if it were dead. Probably it had eaten something and had got lethargic. Considering it may get killed by other hikers or it may cause harm to other passerby, we poked it gently using the stick and after a while, it coiled itself around branch of a small tree.

Soon, we reached Bhorgiri village. Though legs were tired, we were determined to visit Bhorgiri Fort and we proceeded towards it.

Soon, we reached to the cave where there is a small Shiva Temple. It was very serene there and we rested a bit. Sameer had brought home made  Gulab-Jamuns  and we couldn't have got a better place than this to feast on the desert.

There is another cave just few meters away from this cave and it contains water tanks and a temple inside the water tank. This was again the sweet surprise. Though nobody was willing to enter the knee-deep water and walk for almost 20 ft inside the cave to reach to the idol, I and Milind decided to explore it with the help of Ajit and everybody followed the suit. It was again one of the most amazing feelings and after a while, we all came out, wore our shoes and started descending with a simpler route.

Soon, we reached to the village. Bhorgiri is a tiny village with very few houses.

I talked to few villagers and photographed an elderly man who was sitting in front of his house. I was expecting the man to give a smile but sombre expressions on his face stirred my soul making me wonder if this man had really lived a tough life!

After reaching to our parking spot, we handed over Ajit his fees (300 Rs) as a guide,changed our clothes and rested outside the temple. Three small kids were playing in the premises of the temple and we offered them biscuits. As we had still many biscuits available, I asked them to call their friends and gradually there were almost dozen of kids. All seemed happy after receiving the biscuits and they were more than happy to pose for a group picture. Seeing the happy faces of these lovely kids was the fitting end of the trek and we started our journey back to Pune.

Along the way, we halted at Rajgurunagar for tea, called our respective families as we were out of mobile coverage all day along and finally reached to Pune around 9.30pm.

Exploring the wilderness of Bhimashankar Forest was a sheer divine experience. Sometimes nature just makes you speechless and spellbound with its beauty. As I am penning this post, fragrance of woods of Bhimashankar seems still fresh in the nose, melody of gushing water of the streams still seems musical to the ears and sights of the giant Malabar Squirrel still brings a rapturous smile on the face.

Special thanks to "Onkar Oak" whose inputs helped me plan this hike perfectly.

Tips for the hikers:

• Best season for this hike is just at the start of rainy season.
• Hiring a guide is advisable as there are some confusing trails.
• Don't miss visiting the place of "Gupt Bhimashankar".             
• Don't miss visiting Bhorgiri Fort. 

Thank you for reading the blog!

Do visit my home page to easily navigate to my other blogs.

Happy hiking!

Appeal: No litter; no plastic; no wrappers; keep the mother nature clean!  

Nimgiri Fort - A Monsoon Hike in Junnar Region

A long weekend with 15^th Aug falling on Friday was fast approaching. My favorite region Lonavala was still looking unpromising prospect for trekking due to tourists flocking on the weekends bringing traffic to a grinding halt. In contrast, Junnar region, truly a paradise for trekkers with hardly any crowd was beckoning once again and a plan for Nimgiri fort along with Narayangad was finalized on 16th Aug and few whatsapp messages a group of five was formed comprising of Amol Chandurkar (my colleague in office), Sameer Kadam and Chinmay Kirtane (my regular trek mates) and my elder brother Tushar Kothawade (who gradually is becoming a habitual trekker).

So a long weekend was set - 15th Aug for family; 16th Aug for trekking and 17th Aug for rest and family.

Friday 15^th Aug dawned and with the spirit of patriotism in air, I along with my wife and son set out to rather unplanned hike to Tikona Fort. It was going to be first real hike for my son Arnav (5 yrs old) and we all were equally excited. It turned out to be an amazing day with lots of rain and Arnav truly enjoyed his first hike; at times, he even guided us how to hike on slippery patches.

Saturday 16^th Aug; other two forts were waiting for me. But things didn't start well in the morning when we were pounded by rain when we started our journey from Pune to Junnar. Rain lashing the windowpanes of the car, puddles oozing with water and sign of deluge on the road made the heart skip a beat and I began to doubt whether trek on the unknown fort with heavy rains was really a wise decision.

Luckily, when we neared to our breakfast joint near Manchar, intensity of the rain lessened and weather was back to normal much to our relief. After munching on the delicious snacks, we headed towards Junnar. My longing to capture a photo of Shivneri with statue of Shivaji Maharaj was finally fulfilled when I asked specifically to stop the car just to capture this photo.

Soon, we were on our way to Nimgiri. Along the way, we passed Leopard Rescue center and Manikdoh dam. Monsoon magic had really done wonders to the whole landscape and every nook and corner of the nature had turned into a verdant carpet.

In few days time, Hadsar fort also bore the look of green carpet and it was a sight to behold. 

Finally, after a hiatus, rain god had finally pleased the farmers and there was a surge in the farming activities.

Though, we had planned Narayangad as our second hike of the day, we just did not want to hurry just for the sake of covering the second fort and were enjoying each and every moment of our travel till Nimgiri. Chavand Fort was standing prettily behind the backwater of Manikdoh dam.

A joy surged through us when twin forts of Nimgiri and Hanumantgad along with Tiwai Pinnacle (pinnacle seen on the right) appeared before us. Automatically, a car came to a halt, cameras were out and few photos were clicked.

We were greeted by villagers when we reached to the base. After parking the car and exchanging some pleasantries, villagers showed us the hiking trail and we started our hike in a fantastic weather. As soon as we started our hike, a kid started walking in front of us. We had not hired him as a guide but still he was accompanying us. 

After walking for some distance, we realized that there were few confusing routes and the local kid accompanying us proved to be blessing in disguise. We tacitly accepted this kid as our guide and started following his instructions.

Along the way, we came across a huge tree succumbing to the heavy rains and probably its old age blocking our path and we had to take some alternate route to join to the main trail again. After walking for about an hour, we came across few villagers descending with heavy load on their heads. Staying in the vicinity of the mountains has its own pros and cons. Staying in nature provides a lot of pure joy to the soul but body goes through a lot of hardships to earn even the smallest of the things so easily available in the cities.

Soon, we spotted few caves carved in the vertical rock face of the mountains. This place is known as Ghodyachi Paaga.

Sweeping views of the entire landscape made us hooked to this place for quite a sometime.

After spending few blissful moments in the cave, we resumed our hike and immediately came across broken steps which looked very slippery and difficult. Fortunately, there is a route that bypasses these broken steps and join them somewhere in the middle after which climbing is relatively easy.

The route bypassing the steps passes through the col between Nimgiri and Hanumantgad Forts and you get some breathtaking views of the western side of the fort.

Sameer and Tushar standing in the col with Hanumantgad in the background:

After soaking in some beautiful views, we resumed our hike and soon joined somewhere in the middle of the steps which were slippery and we had to be cautious on each step.

View of Hanumantgad while ascending steps of Nimgiri:

Guard’s room (known as Devdi)

A large plateau of Nimgiri was carpeted with lush green grass. Few cattle, shepherd with mountain ranges on the backdrop provided a perfect frame for my one of the treasured photos from this hike.

Water Cistern on the fort:

It started drizzling when we came across a small temple (without any cover).

Intensity of the rain increased and we ran for a shelter in the caves. There was a stench of cow-dung coming from the caves but still, we went inside to explore and take shelter from the rain.

It was still raining and stench of cow-dung was becoming unbearable and we came outside and visited top most point of the fort. Innumerable white flowers provided feast to the eyes and we made sure to capture few photos though it was raining.

At last, our exploration of the fort was complete and we decided to descend. Descending was more difficult from the slippery steps and we had to be very cautious on each and every step. There are some cisterns on the adjacent fort Hanumantgad but we decided to skip that part of exploration as we were not carrying lunch and we still had not given up the hope of visiting Narayangad.

Soon, we reached near to the base and was happy to see some idols carved in the rock tucked away in the bushes which we had missed during our ascent.

Our guide then took us to a temple which was on the left side of the ascent and was not visible because of the dense vegetation. Our guide was proving to be a blessing in disguise; otherwise we would have definitely missed visiting the temple.

Some beautiful rock carvings in front of the temple:

After spending few minutes in the temple premises, we headed towards our car but not before passing through the thick forest.

After getting refreshed and handing over some money to the kid, we left Nimgiri village and headed towards Junnar for lunch before proceeding to Narayangad, our next destination.

Overall, the hike to Nimgiri turned out to be a picturesque one. Approach to the base village was equally scenic. Twin forts - Nimgiri and Hanumantgad carpeted with verdant grass made an everlasting impression. Stunning views of the surrounding mountain range covered in the clouds from the col provided immeasurable satisfaction. Overall, a day well spent amidst the scintillating nature!

Special thanks to "Onkar Oak" and "Nikhil Margaonwar" whose inputs helped me plan this hike perfectly.

Tips for the hikers:

• This hike can be combined with Shivneri, Hadsar, Sindola or Narayangad. If you have only a day to hike and want to cover two forts in a day, choose any one of the above options.
• Hire a guide as there are some confusing trails.
• No food facility available on the fort. Ideal would be to have the packed lunch or go back to Junnar for lunch. If neither is possible, put order at base village before you start the hike.
• Beware of the broken and slippery steps if you are hiking in rainy season.

Thank you for reading the blog!

Do visit my home page to easily navigate to my other blogs.

Happy hiking!

Appeal: No litter; no plastic; no wrappers; keep the mother nature clean!

Mangalgad/Kangorigad - A hike amidst mist, fog and rain

27th July.
Early morning. 5 a.m.
Place: A lane near Nal-stop, Pune

Tring,Tring,Tring.

No response.

Redialed: Tring, Tring, Tring.
Still, no response.
Redialed: Tring, Tring, Tring.

Sandeepak finally picks up the phone.

“Hello, Sandeepak I am in front of your house. Come down early”

Sandeepak: “Sorry but I am just waking up by your phone. You can go ahead; no need to wait for me”.

“Oh! That’s ok. I will wait. Get ready quickly”.

Wasn't it a funny conversation at 5 in the morning? As per the previous night’s plan, all the trek mates were going to assemble in front of Alka Talkies at 5.15 am. As I didn't want to park my car whole day near Alka Talkies, I decided to park my car at my regular trek mate - Sandeepak Phadke’s house at Nal Stop and we were supposed to go together from there by his two wheeler.

I informed organizer Onkar Oak, a dear friend, veteran of 250+ forts and founder of Range Rovers Group that we would be reaching late. Finally, there was some movement in the dark and I was surprised to see Mukta, Sandeepak's wife instead of Sandeepak approaching and helping me to park my car. Sandeepak came down after a while and we were offered a drop to Alka Talkies by Mukta. So nice of Mukta! 

Onkar and other trek mates were waiting for us in front of Alka Talkies. Among the trekkers, I was happy to see familiar faces of Akshay Gaikwad and Muthesh Dharma with whom I had done K2S (Katraj to Sinhagad) Night Trek in the month of May.

Soon, Sumo which was supposed to ferry us arrived and we cramped ourselves inside it. We were already eight (excluding the driver) and two more members were going to join us. We started wondering how on earth twelve of us were supposed to travel for so much of a distance and that too with our loaded backpacks. Soon, last member Alok Deshpande, a giant personality joined. Just after sitting for 2 minutes, Alok felt too uncomfortable to sit in the cramped space. Fortunately, Onkar and Alok had the backup plan ready and Alok voluntarily offered to ride his two-wheeler. Onkar was keen to drive along with Alok but Akshay was very determined and persuaded Onkar. Suddenly, there was sufficient space in Sumo and we happily started our journey towards Bhor.

We halted at a restaurant named “Sairaj” which served us Vada-Sambar and Pohe. Highlight of the hikes arranged by Onkar is that he always strives to provide good food throughout the trek and this was no exception. We munched on delicious Medu-Wada Sambar and Pohe followed by Tea and resumed our journey towards Varandha Ghat.

We were greeted by rains as soon as we entered Varandha Ghat. Rain abated as we reached to Waghjai Point and whole setting turned into a picturesque extravaganza. Lush greenery, wet weather, many distant waterfalls were very soothing to the eyes.Waterfalls were cascading from great height at a distance; clouds were hovering on the cliffs; some times cloud cover lifted for a while offering us intermittent views of the amazing mountain ranges. I was so transfixed to the quaint views that I had to be dragged to drink a cup of tea.

We were treated with a Gavati Chai, a herbal Tea. As Tea was getting prepared, Onkar took out his mouth organ and started playing the tune of Sholay followed by Hindi Songs "Aye dil hai mushkil jina yaha" and "Mere sapnoki raani". Picturesque setting, rainy weather and magical musical notes – could we have asked for a better Sunday morning?

Soon, we crossed Varandha Ghat, crossed the intersection for Shivtharghal after which Onkar narrated us the recent controversy of the exact location of Shivtharghal. Recently, ashram of Swami Arvindnath Maharaj claimed to have found the real Shivtharghal where Saint Ramdas wrote Dasbodh, a classical 17th century Hindu Advaita Vedanta spiritual text. You can read more about it here. 

After certain distance, we took a left turn from Dhalkathi village leading us to Pimpalwadi, base village of Mangalgad. Route till base of Mangalgad is exceedingly scenic as it goes through thick vegetation on both the sides.

Soon, we reached to the base where we were greeted by a statue of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Onkar went ahead at a house to make arrangements for food and take a guide. Unfortunately, guide was not available and we started our hike without a guide. As Onkar and Akshay had already trekked before on this fort, it was not much of a problem. But sometimes it is better to take a guide especially in the rainy weather with a lot of fog and low visibility. As we just had started our hike, few other trekkers were descending. Their efforts to search route for Chandragad were foiled because of low visibility and they were returning back. We confirmed our direction from them and after hearing their disappointment of searching for Chandragad route, Onkar advised them to try Chambhargad near Mahad which they were hearing for the first time and were happy to get something to look forward as their next hike.

As instructed by the group, we decided to take the shortcut where a wooden log was placed on the stream. It was looking dicey and Onkar decided to check it out. As soon as Onkar balanced himself on the wooden long and moved his first foot forward, he slipped and his foot got stuck between the opening in the log. He gradually untangled his foot and came backwards. Fortunately, Onkar just had minor bruises and nothing major to worry about. He still was upbeat to lead us further and we all unanimously decided not to try the shortcut and take the longer, winding route.

Ascent through the longer route was a gradual climb. Rain combined with the dense fog and low visibility made the experience of hiking absolutely magical. Route was passing through dense forest on both the sides and believe me, it was really dense. This is no surprise as the fort is situated in the dense forest of Javali Region.

Soon before coming on the first plateau, you need to walk on a very narrow dirt path. There is a steep descent of almost 45% degree on the other side.

Soon, we reached to the plateau and lingered on it for quite a some time. Mangalgad was almost engulfed in the clouds and as soon as the cloud cover lifted, we had glimpses of the fort.

The fort is not visited much in the rainy season and that was clearly visible as route was covered with vegetation and we had to find our way through the vegetation.

Rain was playing hide and seek and whenever it stopped, we took out our cameras to do some photography.

After hiking for more than an hour, we finally reached to the top. It was still foggy and everything around us was submerged by the thick fog and clouds. Soon, we reached to the temple and it started pouring. The temple is without any cover and there is not a single standing structure on the fort. Rain was relentless and cool breeze compounded the misery of those who had not worn the jackets.

We waited for rain to subside and chatted for a while. But rain was incessant and hardly gave any indication to stop. So, instead of waiting further, we decided to munch on the snacks we had brought along with us. After reading my blog on Kenjalgad, Onkar had specifically asked (almost forced by many messages on the whatsapp group) Sandeepak to bring Cheese Sandwiches. We somehow managed to unwrap the sandwiches in the rain taking the shelter of a small remaining beam of the temple and munched on it. Not to mention, those were again one of the most exotic Cheese Sandwiches we ever ate.

Temple of Kangori Devi (sadly without any cover and totally neglected):

Different idols and Shiva-linga inside the temple:

There was a ridge protruding further from the temple and we visited it, too. Unfortunately, cloud cover was not lifting and we only nodded and imagined the view as explained by Onkar. On a clear day, once can witness breathtaking views of Kamtha Khore, Chandragad, Mohangad, Ghats like Chikna, Chorkana, Varandha, Kavlya Fort, Raireshwar, Koleshwar and Mahabaleshwar.

Water Cistern on the fort:

We spent around 45 minutes on the fort and decided to descend. Few of the trek mates started descending, few others went on the side hill to check out the water tanks. As there was hardly any visibility, I and Onkar decided to wait till their exploration was over. As we were waiting, members of a large group (almost 45 members) from Giridarshan Trekking Group started appearing one by one. Trek Leaders of that group were happy to see Onkar, who is really famous in the trekking circle. Onkar was polite enough to introduce me as one of the few English Bloggers who write about forts.

Soon, our other trek mates were back from visiting other part of the fort and we started descending. We again stopped at the plateau and spent around 15 minutes 

Some of us just didn't want to head towards the base and lingered for more than 30 minutes. As most of the trek mates already had gone to the base, we reluctantly trudged back to the base  but not before enjoying the views along the way which we had missed earlier due to heavy fog and rain.

Most of us were quite drenched and changed our clothes and had a lunch inside the temple of Bhairavnath and started our return journey back to Pune. We had a Bhajji, Tea break in the Varandha Ghat amid the heavy rain before reaching safely to Pune around 8.30pm.

Really a magical experience! Travelling amidst the verdant landscapes, walking in the clouds and mist with incessant rain as a company, munching snacks on top of the fort right in the open with rain pounding and enjoying camaraderie of great trek mates led by affable Onkar really made the whole hiking experience unforgettable.No doubt, there was a tinge of disappointment of not being able to view the mighty views of Sahyadri mountains from the top, but there is always a next time and I would definitely revisit it either in winter or summer.

Tips for the hikers:

• Grade: Easy
• No accommodation facility available on top of the fort in Rainy season though stay can be made inside the temple (without any cover) in winter and summer.
• Food can be arranged at the base with a prior intimation.
• This hike can be combined with Chandragad or Kavlya Fort in Varandha Ghat.
• More information can be found here.

Thank you for reading the blog!

Do visit my home page to easily navigate to my other blogs.

Happy hiking!

Appeal: No litter; no plastic; no wrappers; keep the mother nature clean!