Trek to Raigad Fort the Gibraltar of the Sahyadri is perhaps one of the most awaited treks we had decided. Not only this fort is the palace of the king, but also one of the best we had ever seen with the weather favoring us. It was five years ago when he had decided to trek this fort, but unfortunately and fortunately the date never arrived until October 4, 2009. There were lot of people who had volunteered as always for this fort but only three turned up.
With the monsoon gone we thought this trek would be under the bearing sun, but when a postmonsoon season arrived the weather had turned bizarre. I even remember Mano’s mom and dad calling me up and asking me to change the spot, which I blind fully did. Even in the office when I was working my frequently site visit that day was the Indian Weather Forecast. It was 2130 hours on Saturday when I left my home at Sion to reach Mumbai Central by train where Manohar had already reached. At last minute Swapnil my Bhanja also opted into this program. It was Kojagiri Pornima and their society was conducting some program, which fortunately was stopped by Police mama late hours. Swapneel joined us at the MC railway station around 2230 with Manohar friend who had lift from Kandivali opting out as he was late.
At MC ST station Swapnil found a mama who he always finds one who would help and he too was going towards Mahad. From MC ST station there are lots of buses plying towards Mahad and we got one around 2300. Ganpati Bapa Morya and the bus took off, these guys had opted to sit at the last seat and as always the buses were bumpy. Swapnil though went fast asleep once we crossed Vashi, but Manohar was busy with his girlfriend on the cell as she like him does the nightshift, for the matter of fact Manohar after doing yesterday’s nightshift had done Saturday’s dayshift too and was joining, he just was a person who could control sleep wonder how his immune system worked. While driving I remember Manohar was on the cell when the bus bounced of and his cell fell down with his girlfriend on the other side wondering what happened. The bus in midnight had stopped to at Indapur station where these two had some tea and me joining them for misal pav our local favorite. I also remember we three were sitting at the back seat and there was one more guy next to me though there was a gap he was at the window side had shifted towards me coz feeling cold.
Right around 0430 our bus arrived at Mahad, from enquiry we found first bus from Mahad to Raigad is around 0530 so we had a sip of tea again with a slight drizzle around. 0530 the bus was on time and there were few groups going to the fort, our journey still in darkness when first stroke of light arrived when we where amaze to see out of our window watching all fog and fog with us traveling ghats, I wished I had my Sau’s camera Sony Cybershot HC50 which is more magnificent in capture. Before the sunrise we where at the base, the bus actually lift us at the trolley center which goes upto the fort, but that would start at 10.00 and price was 120 or 140 rs. We had already opted to walk, but before that some peethpooja at the local restaurant we had some khandapavah and misal pav again. The trek base from here was actually 2 km away, which we had to walk back on a tar road.
This trek started right where Omkar hotel is present with steps though steep with steps with 2 to 2-1/2 hour of climb the weather favored us completely. Following with us where two dogs husband and wife I guess who acted as our local guide. There were plenty of picturesque scenes while going up there, plenty of waterfall, plenty of rain and ha plenty of dead earthworms and frogs, people coming down told us that they had heavy rainfall yesterday and even landslide, fortunately we did not get to see that though there were few rocks misplaced on our path. Finally after two hours or less, we all reached the gates where we had to purchase tickets to enter and this was a very big gate as one we had in Lohagad. After the gate there were few cannons also around. The main fort still far from here took us another half hour or so to reach.
Finally we were at the fort and the way here was slightly confusing because of few restaurant the dog guided us well and when we did not follow the dog we where lost. I guess we had named the dog Vithal. Finally Gangasagar the pond where Shivaji had brought River Ganga water to be stored and behind it the forts. Swapnil wanted to bath in it but was advised not to as the water was used for drinking. There were beautiful Minar and fortress, the queens palace, the king palace and then the storeroom. We even found the place where MTDC and trolley reached top. By this time there were lot of people on top as the trolley had started and peoples with guide where all around us. We opted not to use a guide and discover things, but my advise do use guide as they have par knowledge than us and we only assume things they inform us about it.
Finally we reached the Court Of The King and the King’s Thrown where our King, the King of Maratha Warrior, a King not by blood but by his own Right’s his own way of doing was sitting. This place is marvelous to see a courtier sitting 100 meters away also could be clearly seen that well was the architecture of this place. On the gates there was one tiger and four elephants which were symbols of Adilshah, Nizamshah, Aurangzeb, etc. Walking further away we found the statue of the King that haunted all of us for years, yes this place was the place where all Marathas must meet with the King watching far, far beyond the horizons. This place was thoroughly special for all of us. A walk from there was the market and this market was almost 3 to 4 km in length built on top of a steep fort. Further from there we visited Jagdishwar Temple and then the place of Shivaji Samadhi. Behind it was Waghya the loyal dog’s Samadhi who died for Shivaji. And truly we thought the legend of Waghya is alive around in form of Vithal dog who followed us.
From here we walked toward Takmak Tok and this is a place where Shivaji punishes the culprit by making them jump into the cliff and believe me this cliff was vertical limit. When we reached this place it started raining and the place was full with clouds. We stood at this place for a while, our ears and most facial parts where all anesthetized we did not have any feeling we where completely froze by simply the raindrops hitting one part of the face. Later we decided to get few snaps for Takmak Tok where I bravely sat on the rock, as the cloud cleared I saw the vertical limit of the cliff and for a while me too had a vertigo and decided better to get out of this rock. We watched this place this probably must be the highest place around with all four sides steep to the steepest and Shivaji had also summed a high amount for people finding different ways of coming up but undetected.
Further walking ahead the rain drizzled heavily and we had to rush, we reached JunaBai a locals hut for food, which was okay sort. After food the rain was still heavy and heavy and our way back down was toughed up with us shivering. Swapnil suggested we bathed beneath the waterfall though bad idea though worked very well for us to stop shivering. Just on the way we where fortunate to find a Green Viper in front of us, I wanted to click a pic, but the rain forbidden us. We reached the base within an hour or so with these two hungry we had omelet pav and snacks. The hotel guy had already fixed up our transport jeep to Mahad.
On the way all of us slept very well in deep, deep sleep. We reached Mahad and realized we have not changed of yet right in middle of the station we stood and changed that was embarrassing. Later we found a bus going towards Borivali, and got in it, but took a ticket till Panvel, got down at Panvel and changed into the train and reached home. All in together one of the perfectionist trek we had on time, perfect travels, everything from start till end.
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