Let’s go Harishchandragad!

Before departing for the tour of Veena World in April, I wanted to conduct season’s last trek in Sahyadri. This last trek must be most beautiful, most thrilling and most adventurous than all the previous 11 treks by KCT. Searching for such fort, I recalled Harishchandragad. All the local arrangements were made. Rented the vehicle. As I put the event on my Facebook page, I got immediate responses. Everyone knew that there won’t be any trek for at least three months, everyone wanted to be a part of it. The response was great. I was expecting 13-14 trekkers but 25 youngsters enrolled. I doubled the meals, vehicles and basic arrangments.

The date was 10th March 2018. The pick-up point was Titwala station. This small town is a home to Lord Ganesha’s beautiful temple. Harishchandragad also has an ancient Ganesha temple. What a coincidence! At around 1.30 pm everyone gathered at the station and with a short briefing about the trek, we started the journey. GANAPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!! New members were little nervous, old one were on cloud 9! Both the cruisers moved towards Malshej Ghat. The route is very scenic. Both the side forest and a small NH 222 (Recently got renamed) makes your journey amicable. The heat was on a clock but the music, gossip, selfies, songs were killing the hotness.

There are three routes to reach Harishchandragad –

1) Paachnai: Easy route. Mumbai – Nashik highway > Ghoti > Rajur > Pachnai. It takes around 1.30 hours to reach the top.

2) Khireshwar: Tough route. Mumbai > Kalyan > Murbad > Malshej Ghat > Kubhi Phata > Khireshwar. This route takes around 3-4 hours to reach the top,

3) Nalichi Vat: Extreme tough route. Mumbai > Kalyan > Murbad > Sawarne Village. This route takes maximum 10 hours to reach the top. Beginners must avoid this route.

khireshwar-pimplegaon-joge-dam

As you cross the zig-zag Mashlej ghat, a huge lake – Pimpalgaon Joge Dam will be seen. This lake is 1560 m long and from Kubhi Phata to Khireshwar village the distance is of 7 km. The road is in poor condition hence the driving duration is approx 30 minutes at this patch. We reached the base village at Hotel Aishwarya. The hospitality is always wonderful in rural areas. After settling down we went near to the dam for an introduction round where everyone shared their names, hobbies, occupation and prior experience. Most of them were beginners. Some were from the engineering field and some were students. Two were from the banking sector and some were photographers. Post introduction we all had yummy Poha and Maggi. Nobody lit the bonfire in summer but all the campings are incomplete without a bonfire. I assigned the task to newcomers and with limited resources and no prior experience, they built the best bonfire ever! We all sat down around the fire and started singing the songs. Sajid played Ukulele very nicely.

After the Masale Bhat, we started the trek at 11.30 pm through dense forest. Harishchandragad is situated in 7 mountains. It lies in Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary which is a major home for Hyena and leopards. Night treks are not suitable for solo trekkers. As you reach the first mountain, (Generally takes 45 minutes), you reach Tolar Kind. From Tolar Khind to another peak, the route is the toughest. On your left side, spot the deep valley, a broken railing on right is not suitable for a support. Once you cross this rocky patch (Takes 1 hour for a group), the route becomes simple but long. We reached Harishchandragad at the morning at 7 am. A small plateau with around 8-9 local restaurants on the top welcomes you with a warm heart. As we reached the Harishchandragad, we could see some caves, an ancient temple and many peaks around us. We took an hour nap and post breakfast, we visited Saptatirtha Pushkarni. It’s a big pond where you can find around 10-12 doors of caves. Previously some idols were kept here. This pond is very deep and swimming is not permissible. Next, to Pushkarni, there is an underground temple of Lord Shiva and Ganapati. The temple was built in the 8th century. The temple complex is very cold, peaceful and calm. After the experience sharing round, we started the return journey. Due to the time issues, we couldn’t see Kokankada, but next time we will travel by Paachni route and will explore the entire Harishchandragad.

Saptatirtha Pushkarni

Here are the important contact numbers:

1. Hotel Aishwarya: Dada Chintaman (Base village Khireshwar) – 9923656559 / 9158561957.
2. Hotel on top of the Harishchandragad Dada Tukaram – 9373897256 / 7744834756.
3. Driver Ghode – 9011835132.

Costings: 

1. Kalyan – base village – Kalyan local jeep: INR 6000
2. Lunch / Dinner at base village – INR 100 (Only veg)
3. Lunch / Dinner on top – INR 100 (Only veg)
4. Snacks (Poha, Upma, Sheera, Maggi + tea) – INR 35 on base / INR 50 on top
5. Local guide – INR 500

 

harishchandragad-ancient-temple

Important points:

1. Do not opt for a local ST bus option as you will have to walk through the dam for 1.30 hours. Better you hire the vehicle.
2. Hire a local guide if you are going for the first time at night.
3. Selling mineral water on the fort is prohibited, hence carry as much water as you can.
4. Do not drink, smoke on the fort and stop others if they are doing the same
5. There are some small stalls en route which sells Kokam juice/lemon juice, but they use spring water which might affect your health.
6. The forest has many wild animals, and we have seen carcasses of some of the animals. Hence do not wander alone.
7. Avoid visiting Harishchandragad in summer.

KCT-Harishchandragad-trek

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