Lohagad Fort-One Of The Easy Trek In Lonavala

LOHAGAD FORT- ONE OF THE EASY TREKS IN LONAVALA

• Height- 3389 Feet
• Trek Level- Easy Trek
• Trek Route- Steep Stairs
• Time For Trek- 2 Hours

ABOUT LOHAGAD FORT

Maharashtra has an extensive range of mountains, which is named the Sahyadri. This range is geographically part of the Western Ghats, and Lohagad is one of the mountains that also has historical importance. Lohagad Fort holds great relevance as it was captured and recaptured by Shivaji Maharaj.

Lohagad is located in Lonavala, Maharashtra. Also known as Twin Fort, as it shares fortification with Visapur Fort. Built in the 18^th Century, the Lohagad Fort is coupled with many winding ways and steps that lead you to the hilltop. It rises to an elevation of 1033 m (3389 ft.) above sea level, and is located to the southwest of the larger Visapur Fort. The range divides the basins of the Indrayani River and Pavana Lake. This is one of the easiest treks in Lonavala.

HOW YOU CAN REACH LOHAGAD FORT

Lohagad Fort is easily accessible by various modes of travel.

BY AIR

The nearest airport is Pune and Mumbai International Airport in Maharashtra state. The proposed Navi Mumbai International airport will serve as the nearest airport shortly. From there, one can hire a self-driving car or can also reach by Bus to Lonavala and then an auto to Lohagad base.

BY TRAIN

The nearest train station is Malavli, which can be accessed by suburban trains between Lonavala and Mumbai and Pune. The nearest major train station is Lonavala. Train frequency is good enough from Mumbai or Pune, and also the cheapest way to reach. Once you get down at Malavli, then take a shared cab that will drop you at the base village of Lohagad Fort. (Share cab charges are 70-80 INR per person).

BY ROAD

If one is traveling by road, then Lohagad is well connected by the Mumbai-Pune express highway and can also be accessed from Paud via Kolvan and Dudhiware Khind for all vehicles.

From Mumbai, the distance to Lohagad is 100 km, whereas from Pune, the distance is 60 km.

People can also hike all the way to the Fort. Bhaja Caves are 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, very scenic, and pleasant trek. The distance from Malavli and Lohagad can be covered in two hours.

TREK TO LOHAGAD FORT

Coming to my story, I always prefer to travel on my Honda Shine as traveling with my own vehicle is always a good comfort. My bike is not less than any bullet for me, who always stays with me for all treks. This time, I, along with my partner, drove a road distance of 170 km two-way on the bike. The road passes through the old Mumbai-Pune highway for bikers, because driving a bike on the express highway is restricted. The road construction is very nice and gives immense pleasure to drive on. The road that we took was the one that passes through Lonavala’s small village, which further meets at Dudhiware Khind. The road condition in the village is not so good, so be careful while driving. The final 2 km of this road is very bad and risky to drive as it is a complete incline drive. Being a narrow path, it’s difficult for two four-wheelers to pass the route at the same time. There is enough space available to park a vehicle at the base, but they charge 20 INR for a bike and 50 INR for a four-wheeler at the first base checkpoint. Being a Sunday, it was a bit crowded. The most interesting part of this trek was that, few children aged between 8 to 15 years, along with their families. This is one of the easiest treks for newcomers.

The route towards Fort starts with simple, steep stairs with a feet distance and it is very easy to climb. After climbing 30 to 40 stairs, there is another checkpoint where you need to take a ticket to move further on this trek. Ticket cost is 25 INR for Indian tourists and 300 INR for foreign tourists. If you have cameras, then you need to pay an extra 50 INR. The road continues with steep stairs. There are lots of monkeys on the way, so my suggestion is to not keep any eating stuff in your hand or any plastic wrapper in the side pocket of your bag. The reason is, as soon as monkeys see a rapper or food in hand, they immediately jump on you to snatch it. So be careful while passing through here. You can feed some food to them, but do not keep it in your hand. While ascending towards Fort, you see the beauty of Pavana Lake, which lies on the left side. Pavana Lake is where one can get engaged with bonfire camping.

The structure of this Fort is magnificent, which was created by the emperor’s century ago. Rules by the Marathas and the Mughals, this Fort has a unique history of its own. As the trek continues, you will come across Ganesh Darwaja (Lord Ganesh entrance Gate), which is the first entrance of this Fort. Other entrance gates in sequence are Narayan Darwaja, Hanuman Darwaja, and the last entrance gate is known as Maha-Darwaja. The climate here was mixed, along with clouds and blue sky that made me more photogenic. I had my backpack loaded with some energy bars, which helped to balance energy throughout the trek.

Ganesh Darwaja at Lohagad Fort

After crossing all the doors, you can see the vast, lush green landscape that overlooks the Pavana reservoir. The major attraction on top is a water pond, which was used by the people who used to live and guard the Fort. There are also a couple of Dargahs on top, along with a big water body. There is also a small temple of Lord Shiv. During the monsoon top of the Fort is covered with mist and clouds and becomes wet with growing moss. The road and trails leading to the hill are quite slippery at this time of the year, and precautions need to be taken while venturing on the routes. The main highlight of the Fort was yet to come.

                                                                            Dargah at Lohagad Fort

SHIV TEMPLE AT THE TOP OF THE FORT 

CANNON AT FORT

The highlight of the Fort is Vinchu Kada (Scorpion’s tail). The route to reach there is just a narrow path without any support to descend from a height of 15 feet. While descending from here, care needs to be taken because there is a valley on the left side with no support and big walls of rock on the right side. One wrong step and you are down in the valley. One person at a time is the thumb rule to descend from here. Viewing from the Fort, this portion looks like a scorpion’s sting, and hence it is called ‘Vinchu Kada’. This ‘Vinchu Kada’ was used for keeping a watch on the nearby area. Somehow, we managed to reach the summit and halted for some time. From the summit, the view of the surrounding mountains is breathtaking. On one side, the view of mesmerizing Visapur Fort wherein other side, the view of gorgeous Pavana Lake. Remember, there are no hotels on top, so carry your own food.

The main highlight of the Fort is called Vinchukata.

Descending from any trek is always an easy and time-consuming process. It hardly took 45 minutes to descend to where we started. This was one of the easiest treks for us, and also time-consuming. For beginners, it is easy to do a summit. After reaching base, we had our delightful home-made lunch with Zunka Bhakri, a famous dish of Maharashtra, and my favorite omelette. Being homemade food tasted superb and was worth it. There are a few hotels available at the base that serve homemade food at reasonable rates. Here we end the trek with cherished memories.

FINAL NARROW TRAIN FROM VINCHU KADA TO SUMMIT

MY TOTAL EXPENSE OF THE TREK

Petrol 300 (both sides)

Parking charge 20 INR

Entry charge-25 INR

Lunch- 100 INR

IDEAL TIME TO VISIT LOHAGAD FORT TREK

Lohagad Fort can be visited throughout the year.

The best time to visit the Fort is during the monsoon season, when the rains make the surroundings look fresh and green.

Post monsoon, October to February is also an option to crowd here.

WHAT TO EAT AT LOHAGAD FORT

At the base of this Fort few hotels are available that serve home-made food at a reasonable price.

One should not miss Zunka Bhakri (Maharashtra famous dish).

PLACES TO EXPLORE NEAR LOHAGAD FORT

• Vinchu kada at Lohagad Fort
• Monsoon trek to Visapur Fort
• Bhaja Caves
• Dinosaur Park
• Wet N Joy Water Park

All the places are located within a radius of 20 km from Lohagad Fort.

WHERE TO STAY NEAR LOHAGAD FORT

Renting a villa is the best option near Lohagad Fort.

There are hotels available for stay, and the cost varies from deluxe to economic.

Some of them are Meritus Countryside Resort and Sterling Lonavala.

TIPS FOR YOU BEFORE VISITING LOHAGAD FORT

• Avoid taking a wheeler to the top as the route is risky.
• Be aware of Monkey on the Fort.
• Keep proper trekking shoes with ankle support.
• Parking and Entry to the Fort are chargeable.
• Do not litter the area.