Rajgad

According to local folklore, Chatrapati Shivaji, the legendary Maratha leader preferred living in stony forts than in comfortable palaces, even though there was no dearth of such luxuries in his domain. He spent the most of his days in the Rajgad fort, which literally means the Royal Fort. And in many ways, the name befitted the fort magnificently. Situated at a height of more than 4000 feet in the deeply wooded Sahyadri Mountains and having a base that covers more or less 40 kilometers, the fort was almost unconquerable. But even then, this Royal fort has changed hands several times. It was finally captured by the British in 1818.

The Rajgad fort has witnessed a number of memorable incidents that happened in the life of Shivaji. For instance, this is where his dear wife Saibai expired, and where his son Rajaram Chhtrapati was born. The history books also tell us about Shivaji’s miraculous escape from Agra and phenomenal entry into the Rajgad Fort as well as the burial of Afzal Khan’s severed head in the Mahadarwaja walls of the Ballekilla and a few more distinctive events.

A trek to the Rajgad fort is now a popular pastime with local and overseas tourists. You can do this trek on any weekend. Don’t worry. The climb is not very difficult. Since it is quite near to Pune, you can take a bus ride to one of the base villages (Gunjawane or Pali) and then start climbing up the hill to reach the fort. If you like, you can also stay overnight within the fort premises. It should certainly feel wonderful in the morning. There are several lakes within the fort and the scenery all round is simply breathtaking.

How to reach: All roads to the fort lead from Pune. So first reach the city. There are many buses, trains and flights that can take you to Pune. You can hire a taxi from Pune to reach either Gunjawane or Pali – the two base villages. The road trip should take you little more than an hour. The trek starts from here.

This is one of the closest trekking routes from Pune. Most visitors to the fort come on a day trip from the city. You won’t find any hotels in Rajgad fort or resorts in Rajgad fort. If you want to stay overnight, you can do so at the Padmavati Mandir inside the fort.