Shivneri Fort

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Shivneri is the birth place of Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior king.

It is located in Pune district, near Junnar on the outskirts of Pune city. It is located at a distance of around 125 km from Pune.

Shivneri fort from a distance

A large part of our school history had to do with Shivaji. So it seemed like a good idea to get an update on our history lessons. Nimish, one of my trek buddies, agreed and we made plans to see the fort.

I boarded the Indrani Express at Dadar at 5:53 am and Nimish joined me at Thane 15 minutes later. We bought a local ticket to Pune, boarded the unreserved compartment and made ourselves comfortable on the footboard near the door.

Temple, from where the road to Shiveri starts

For our pains, we were rewarded with scenic village views all the way to Pune. Wow! There is nothing like watching the rising sun from a train. The sight is to be seen to be believed.

View from Darwaja

 At around 9 am, we reached Pune station and trundled off to have some breakfast. A small hotel seemed to promise satisfaction. We had vada pav (potato patty mixed with chillies and masala served within a loaf of bread). Not content, we polished off some onion bhajjis and hot tea. Wow, what a way to start a day. With our stomachs full, we said, Junnar, here we come. We waited at the bus depot for about 30 minutes. But there was no sign of the bus. Finally a bus heading towards Junnar arrived. We ran to catch it, only to discover that it was just the two of us going to Junnar. We could take any seat we wanted.

View from the top

ST buses, also called Lal Dabbas (or red containers), are usually packed to capacity, with seats and the bus groaning under excess weight. Very often enterprising people will slip in their belongings from the windows in order to stake claim to a seat if there happens to be a big crowd. Of course, this leads to disagreements and hearty quarrels. Luckily none of this happened on our bus.

After inquiring with the bus conductor we boarded the bus. The distance from the depot to Junnar depot was roughly around 125 km. When he heard this, Nimish began to have second thoughts about the trip. I convinced him to go along, even though it would take us 2 hours to reach Junnar.

Ganesh Darwaja with the emblem of lion

The bus suddenly halted just fifteen minutes after we left the depot. The conductor collected Rs 120 per head as the ticket cost to Junnar and went shopping with the booty. The driver and conductor wanted to buy some soft toys from a local vendor who had his moveable outlet near the road. Leaving us to guard the bus.

Tombs

 After around 15 minutes, they arrived and we set out once again. We reached Junnar at 1 pm. Again Nimish was confused about whether to go ahead and see Shivneri or whether it was better to go home. I somehow influenced his decision and Shivneri Fort became our destination.

Caves

We boarded another ST bus which would take us to the entrance of Shivneri fort; it took us around 20 minutes to reach the base of the fort. The bus was packed with people. We were standing on our toes and we thanked God for the little space we had.

Fortification

Reaching Junnar, we alighted at the Ganesh temple constructed near the road and then walked on to the fort. It was 2 pm when we started our march up the fort. With rucksacks on our backs and the hot sun shining on us, we started. The road to the fort is made of tar, but it takes you only halfway up. From there, you need to climb a flight of stairs.

Very soon we reached the fort. The view from up here was amazing. We could see hill ranges and waterbeds in the distance, besides villages and square shaped farms in shades of green and brown, and the fortification of the fort on top.

Rooms atop the fort

We entered via the Ganesh Gate or Ganesh Darwaja atop which we saw carved emblems of lions. Atop the fort there was a small garden, a temple and a few caves. One of the caves had a stupa in it.

There were a few water tanks on the fort, but they were dirty. Of course, that didn’t stop the frogs from breeding in there.

birth place of Shivaji

From here I could see the entire way up, even the road we had taken to come up to Shivneri after we had alighted from the bus. We then entered the fort via Mena Gate and Kulup Gate.

structure atop the fort

Finally we reached Amberkhana. Here we visited a few structures which could have been palaces or store houses at one time. It was hard to tell. Later we reached the place where Shivaji was born. It was a one-storey square shaped structure with a protruding balcony at the top. The balcony had five windows, three front facing and the other two on the sides. The balcony was very neatly carved. It was all very marvellous.


Badami tank

A stairway takes one up to the first storey. The ground floor is locked but the doors still offer a glimpse of a statue of Shivaji and the cradle in which he used to sleep. The doors of this structure have been treated with a coat of varnish, giving them a very new appearance and taking away their charm. They should have been left the way they were.

There was a Badami Tank close by, but it was empty.

Kadelot point

Kamani Tank and Ganga Jamuna Tank are waterbeds carved out in the rocks. There are pillars in the tanks. The water has turned green over the years, and is obviously unfit for drinking.

There are a few structures on the fort. One of these houses the bronze statues of Shivaji and Jijabai. It also contains a painting showing Shivaji sitting on a throne, while holding court.

Shivaji's cradle

From Kadelot Point one can see the entire city below. It is truly beautiful.

Two tombs are situated atop the fort but there is no mention of whose they are.

After exploring the fort for around two hours, we decided to head back home.

At 4:30 pm we had reached the bus stop. Getting a vehicle to take us to Junnar was quite a task. With no buses in sight, we decided to board a tum tum to Junnar.

Even the tum tums were packed with people, with people shooting out from all the exit points. Luckily we got one and reached Junnar. From there, we boarded a bus to Bangar Phata. It took us 30 minutes to reach there.

Door to Shivaji birthplace

By now, I was exhausted. I had no energy to do anything. So I sat there eating a few bananas, while Nimish tried hard to get us a ride to Kalyan. All this while ST buses, transport vehicles and dumper trucks, all packed, whizzed by.

Finally after 45 minutes, we finally got an air-conditioned ride to Kalyan in a Mahindra Xylo for just Rs 100 per head. Now that is a steal! At 9 pm, we were at Kalyan station from where we boarded a train to Andheri.

Painting of Shivaji in his Darbar

One lesson learned from this trip was that it is better to carry food and water, as there are no hotels around the fort.

Finally we got home tired and exhausted, but still raring to go on the next trip.

Peth Fort in Karjat near Mumbai

Sunday, November 21, 2010

It had been a while since my last trek, so I decided to go on an easy one. Ha, ha. I got in touch with my trekking buddy Neel and we agreed to go do some exploring.

Peth fort from a distance

Neel, his fiancée Neelam, another Neelam’s brother Rahul and I decided to check out Kothaligad in Karjat.

Kothaligad is a small fort, roughly around 1500 ft in height, shaped like a pinnacle. Since it is located at the base of a village named Peth, it is also called Peth Fort. Not much is known about this fort other than the fact that it was captured from the British by the Marathas.

We had to board a train to Karjat on Saturday morning. I filled my backpack with water bottles, and food articles. I met my trekking group at Kurla, and from there we boarded the train to Karjat.

After alighting at Karjat railway station, we boarded a State Transport (ST) bus to Ambivali. From there we had to walk all the way up to the base village of the fort.

ST buses are also known as Lal Dabba in Hindi, literally red container. The driver drives the bus so fast, you wonder if he nurses secret ambitions of being a race car driver.

It took us around an hour to reach Ambivali village. Then from there we walked to the base village of the fort. We met a few villagers on the way. Out of curiosity, we asked them how much time it would take us to reach the village. Thirty minutes, they replied. Taking their word for it, we walked and walked and guess what? After three hours, we reached the base village. Fortunately for the welfare of the villagers, we didn’t meet them again. Grrrr.

Peth Fort from the base village

At the base village, we had our lunch as it was nearing afternoon. And then we set out to see the fort. It was a vertical climb, very steep and very tiring but after a few halts for water and quick snacks we finally reached the walls (the fortification of the fort) and entered the fort through the Maha Darwaja (Main Door). It took us two hours to reach. Phew!

The pinnacle was used as a watchtower by Maratha warriors. They would keep a watch lest their enemies attack the fort.

Entrance to Peth fort from the inside

Amazingly the top part of the pinnacle has to be climbed from the inside of the pinnacle. Doesn’t that sound interesting? Can you imagine having to trek your way up the pinnacle from the inside of the fort which is carved out of sheer rock?

Temple on the fort with carved pillars

Way to the temple

There are a few caves and a temple up here. The top of the pinnacle is like a plateau which had a few cannons and water cisterns, some of which supply water to the base village too. We shot some pictures there and then rested in one of the caves. Finally we decided to descend from the pinnacle. Luckily the descent didn’t take us as long as the climbing had and we were down in an hour’s time.

Cannon atop the fort

Carving on the wall of the fort

We spent some time in the village and then decided to head home. We reached Ambivali and boarded the Formula One car. Oops! I mean the ST bus and reached Karjat. We boarded another ST bus to Panvel. From there we boarded a BEST bus to Kurla, where my buddies went their separate ways. Finally I boarded a train back home to Andheri.

Now this is the first time on a trek that I had had to change three buses and two trains and by the time I reached home, I was dead tired.

But it had been an enjoyable trek, and all said and done, that’s what counts. Readers, check it out some time.

Pinnacle of Peth

Ganpatipule Roadtrip (Jaigad and Ratnadurg Fort trek)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Maharashtra is home to a number of beautiful places. One such place is Ganpatipule, located in Ratnagiri district.

My family reached Ganpatipule at 4 in the evening. We had snacks at MTDC Resorts - Narang Hotel and then decided to hit the beach. One good thing about MTDC Resorts is that all the cottages give you a great view of the sea. That evening we spent the day at the beach. 

That night We enjoyed dinner at Abhishek Resort at Bhandarpule which is an upcoming place. The authorities are constructing a highway around here which will connect Ganpatipule to Ratnagiri city and save both time and gas.

The ambience at Abhishek Resort was quite nice but since it was far away from the main city of Ganpatipule, there was no one there to have dinner except for the people staying in the resort. We had dinner and headed back to our resort.

Beach at Ganpatipule 

DAY 2: We decided to go and see Jaigad Fort. The fort was around 40 km from the MTDC Resort. It took us two hours to reach it. Although the entire fort is in ruins, the walls of the fort still stand strong. This 17th century fort, perched on a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Sangameshwar River and the Arabian Sea, offers spectacular views of the village and the sea.

There is a moat which surrounds the fort from the land entrance. Inside the fort there is a temple, a few ruins of houses and a resting place for the soldiers. There were two square shaped wells, around five storeys deep, inside the fort. They had some water in them. I shudder to think of the fate of anyone who would happen to fall into the wells. It would not be easy to get out and help would be miles away.

Darwaja to Jaigad Fort

I was hungry again so we decided to head back to Ganpatipule. We had lunch at Krishnali Resort at Bhandarpule. This place was deserted as it is far from the city. Once again we ate alone.

Krishnali Resort serves the most wonderful fish thalis. The fish slices in my thali were gigantic. It was also served solkadi after lunch. After a heavy meal, We decided to head back to our resort where we rested for some time and then enjoyed the evening at the beach.

DAY 3: Ratnagiri city is around 45 km from Ganpatipule. Here we saw Ratnadurg fort which is around 10 km from the main city. This fort was built by the Bahamani rulers way back in 1350 AD. In 1670 Shivaji conquered the fort from Adilshah, the ruler of Bijapur. The fort traded hands a couple of times and at last landed in the hands of the British.

The fort is 1300 metres long and 100 metres wide. It has steep cliffs on all sides. The fort is rather well maintained. It consists of a temple, a few houses and away in a distance, there is a lighthouse.

Ratnadurg Fort

Another attraction there is the Thebaw Palace which was built in 1910-11. The King and Queen of Burma stayed there during their exile. The British let King Thebow build the palace the way he wanted. The palace looked like an Old Portuguese bungalow. The King and the Queen spent a major part of their lives there. A part of the palace has been converted into a museum and old stone sculptures dating back to the 10th century have been kept. It also has the throne of the King and the Queen. The place also includes the tombs of the royal couple. 

Thebaw Palace

All that exploration makes a man hungry. I took leave of the palace and went off in search of some place where I could eat. We had lunch at Hotel Vivek. Everything about this place was good. The ambience was soothing and the food was delicious. The place was crowded and there were still more people waiting outside for their turn. After a heavy meal consisting of fish and chicken, We decided to check out the local bazaar at Ratnagiri.

With any luck, I’d be able to lay my hands on the famous Alphonso mangoes, known locally as Hapus mangoes. But it seemed that lots of hard cash, not luck, was what was needed. The prices were exorbitant. We came away without buying any.

On the last day of our trip, I decided to try some of the water sports that the resort had on its own premises. I had great fun in the speed boat and on the motor scooter.

DAY 4: We left early on Sunday morning to come home. It had indeed been a most exciting and refreshing holiday