In Natures Lap: Trek to Sudhagad

Sudhagadh (Bhorapgad) is a hill-fort situated at about 53 km or 33 miles to the west of Pune, 26 km (16 miles) to the south of Lonavla and 11 km (6.8 miles) to the east of Pali in Raigad District. The summit is 620 metres (2,030 feet) above sea level.

Pali is known for a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, more so as the idol here is identified as amongst the famous 8 (Ashtavinayak) temples dedicated to the deity.

The fort is said to date back to the 2nd century BC, of the same age as the Thanale and Khadsamble caves nearby. It was then called Bhorapgadh (after its presiding deity, Bhoraidevi). In 1436, it was captured by the Bahamani Sultan. In 1657, the Marathas took over, and renamed it to ‘Sudhagadh’(the sweet one). It was a large fort, and was considered by Shivaji as the capital of his kingdom. However, he chose Raigad because of its central location.

During the reign of the Peshwas, the ‘Pantsachivas’ of Bhor became the custodians of this fort. After the annexation of princely states in 1950, the fort became patronless. As a result, the fort is now in a state of ruins, even though it escaped the wrath of the British.

Breaking news

After 4-1/2 hours of travelling in the bus, we stepped out to stretch our legs and take in the sights of the countryside. We had to reach the base village of Dhondse, though this place provided a more difficult access route than the other option of Pacchpur village.

Taare Zameen Par

We stopped by a village school, and I was delighted to see the children. While some of them were in uniforms and the others in regular clothes, they all wore a look of exuberance and enthusiasm. They even belted out a song that was just taught to them. Just being around the kids and watching them took me back to my schooling days. :)   

Pearls of Wisdom

This is a picture of the colocassia leaf, which has a waxy surface that does not let the water. Surely, nature’s way of saying ‘Waterproof!’

Out and about

What you see in the background is the summit situated at 620 meters above sea level. Along this route, we came across streams flowing through dense vegetation, motifs typical of monsoon treks. Another typicality of a trek is the mosquito, and we ended up being a good catch for a colony of them! Ergo, trekkers must carry an effective mosquito repellent amongst other.

Cool water
Another glimpse of the water bodies in the region. Nothing comes close to the sight and sound that a running, gurgling stream provides. Comes attached with an invite for a dip!

Cooling heels

This is part of the team that took a pit stop. Tired bodies but spirits raring to go!

Admiring nature
Water gushing downstream with moderate force, even though It hadn't rained much the previous day.

Hidden treasures

We came across this open temple, simple and basic in build, without any fanfare. Dedicated to the monkey-god Lord Hanuman, the idol has a more human-like face than a monkey. What gives it away is the tail that runs around the border of the stone sculpture. Oh by the way, the trek gets tougher beyond this point!

A grand welcome

Seen here are the high walls that surround the pathway to the Maha Darwaja. The 20-feet-high walls guard the narrow pathway – built strategically to restrict the number of enemy troops in case of an attack.

Maha Darwaja The pathway leads up to the Maha Darwaja, an example in imposing architecture. It’s a wonder how these structures were put up at an age when there was none of our present-day technology like cranes or building material like concrete. Despite having survived the tests of time, it still stands tall and mighty, albeit a bit weathered. You can tell it must have looked stunning at its prime, perhaps even more regal with its doors intact.

Maha Darwaja

The pathway leads up to the Maha Darwaja, an example in imposing architecture. It’s a wonder how these structures were put up at an age when there was none of our present-day technology like cranes or building material like concrete. Despite having survived the tests of time, it still stands tall and mighty, albeit a bit weathered. You can tell it must have looked stunning at its prime, perhaps even more regal with its doors intact.

A soldiers view
This is what the enemies must have appeared like to a soldier defending the fort from the top. That the fort has its doors at right angles is proof of excellent construction. It explains the strategy that doors at right angles could not be rammed in easily. Food for thought, eh?

Private Jacuzzi

This little ditch filled with water helped us refresh our tired feet. Make that a 4-1/2-hour-long trek, THAT tiring!

Walk to eat

The trek worked up a huge appetite. We had arranged for a meal to be cooked by locals from the base village. During festive seasons, the locals cook for up to three round trips in a day! Unimaginable!

There comes the lunch!

Mealtime was indeed the most awaited event of the afternoon! Needless to say, there was pin-drop silence in the dining area!

Explore

Stepped out to explore the place post lunch, the fort has a very vast area. It would take 2 to 3 days to completely explore it. The climate was very pleasant with occasional, heavy to moderate rain showers.

Cloud No 9

To get a panoramic view of the valley, we climbed right up to the clouds, no less! The weather was almost as if it was out of a magician’s hat – it would fog up and clear up – all within a matter of minutes!

Breathless
We trekked up to the top together allright, but I’m sure each one of us had a different experience altogether. Every once in a while, the group would break up, each taking his own time to stuff his eyes with the views. It was no less than an open treasure chest, waiting to be taken away… and take away we did, yet came back leaving it behind just as intact.

Green meditation

To each his own…

Home is

No frills, but this simple setup was to be our haven for the night. This shelter is big enough for 100 people, and works very well especially if you want to rest for a couple of hours. Make sure you carry a good sleeping bag and clothes to keep you warm, especially in monsoons and winters.

Chor Darwaja
The small opening on the right is the chor darwaja, a flight of step that take you in and out of the fort. Used as an escape route in those days.

Threaded together


Rain leaves behind a lot of gems for you to experiment with. If you are especially fond of macro photography, you will find many such portrait-ready visuals around you. Take your pick from amongst insects, blades of grass or even cobwebs like I did!

On the watch
The outer walls of the fort is still intact in certain places. The fort itself is no longer there. The Maha Darwaja and a few outer walls are the only structures still standing tall.

Wide

A panorama view of the shelter. Seen here is the main shelter, apart from a small room outside and a temple situated a few meters away.

Most of our forts lie in ruins, the government of Maharashtra is doing its bit in restoring them, but the real onus lies in the hands of the visitors. People who make trips to heritage sites must, in no uncertain terms, leave the places clean and undamaged. That should take care of these places not just for the next set of trekkers, but also for generations to come. Is it really that difficult?

Nature Beckons: Trek To Anjaneri

To me, monsoons are no less than a magic wand that transforms the dry, parched landscape of Maharashtra into a lush and verdant carpet of green. Not only is it visually rewarding to take off to the countryside, but also is a good time to explore the varied inclines that the mountains our state has to offer. For an average city-dweller who associates monsoons with magnified traffic problems to deal with, my treks into the Anjaneri and Sudhagadh forts helped me redefine the monsoon this year.

Whereabouts:

Anjaneri is a beautiful little village of historical significance to Indian mythology. It is believed that it is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. The name ‘Anjaneri’ is derived Hanuman’s mother, Anjani, also the wife of the Lord of the Wind, Pavan.

Anjaneri Fort is situated 4,200 feet above sea level in the Trimbakeshwar Range, near Nasik in Maharashtra. It is considered to be ideal for beginners and novice trekkers as the steps are carved into the rock face. On an average, it takes about  2 to 2-1/2 hours to reach the summit.

The nearest railhead is Nasik.


My experience at Anjaneri Fort in pictures:

Country road
Nestled in the majestic Sahyadris, Igatpuri is one of the most popular hill stations of Maharashtra. Igatpuri is placed at a height of 1,900 feet and is naturally endowed with a spiky-pebbly terrain. It owes its serene and tranquil ambience to tenuous forests and gurgling cascades.

Here we go!
When we reached the village, there was no sign of the rain whatsoever, making us a little nervous about the difficult trek that it would make for. However, soon enough the weather turned around in our favour!

Peeping Tom
I look at this opening as though it were a ray of hope. Don’t look at me… blame it on the weather! Even you would have turned philosopher!

Stepping down from the clouds
Not satisfied by just raining on us, eh? The water coming down the steps made for a delightful sight. It makes the climb a little tedious, but fun nonetheless!

And miles before I sleep
This is a picture of a friend, looking at the ‘uphill’ task at hand. The mountain in the background was where we had to go.

Divine sighting
On climbing the initial stretch of steps, we came to a plateau which had a temple dedicated to Anjani. Cold, gusty winds made the stop unbearable, so we moved on to the second leg of the trek, also the more difficult part.

Still waters

Within a few minutes of walking, we reached this serene-looking pond. At first, it was shrouded in fog; but it cleared up soon to give us trekkers a glimpse into its beauty.

The powers that be
This picture was shot right at the top of the fort, where an array of idols awaited us. The weather added to the mystique of the place.

Hanuman – The God of Strength

Right outside the entrance of the temple were idols of deities, with Lord Hanuman highlighted in saffron. Seen jetting into the sky is a trishul (trident), a significant symbol of Hinduism.

The Mother's abode
This is the second temple dedicated to Anjani Mata, located on the summit. We started our journey back to the base after her blessings and a much deserved snack.

Downward spiral
I missed getting a shot of the route on my way up, and managed to steal one as we were climbing down. This part of the trek reminded me of the tea estates of Munnar, Kerala.

Not quite the devil or the sea
The crisp monsoon air made you want to breathe deeper than usual and even take some back to the city! It makes me want to reiterate that we must do our bit to preserve nature in every way possible and save it for generations to come.

Been there, done that

Once we reached the base and looked back at the summit, all we could think of is ‘Mission Accomplished!’.

World view

This captures the essence of the place for me. But this panoramic shot is just a trailer; you have to be there to experience the elements.

An oasis stashed away: Five Gardens

It's amazing how a row of buildings stacked up by the jam-packed Ambedkar Road at Dadar-Matunga nearly hide ribbon-like smooth roads behind them. If the 'main road' gags and chokes with traffic every day, the road that runs parallel to it runs free like a little girl.... A girl who runs straight into a park, and oh! She has five of them to choose from! The satiny strip, or Adenwala Road, that shoots off as a ray of the Kings' Circle garden, ends at Dadar Parsi Colony, further breaking into little stream-like paths that encircle the famed Five Gardens. Barely a mile away from the main road now, the lush green grass that spread in front of me almost felt as though it was all untrue. It took me some walking around, some looking up at the sky through the branches of rain trees and some comforting chirps from birds to tell myself that it was indeed a succour of sorts for my parched eyes.

Eponymously named, Five Gardens has a smaller central garden surrounded by four large gardens. Each of them looks vastly different from the other. I was walking in around this particular one because I reached here first, and it was the greenest of the rest. Also, better maintained, almost like a golf course. Five Gardens is one of the fortunate treasure houses of rain trees which are approximately over 50 years old! While they make for a wonderful home to birds and squirrels, they also make great resting places for Fox bats. Look around at the tops of these trees if you happen to pass by - they look like little black plastic bags hung on high branches. This picture is a personal favourite for the star light; almost in a voice-from-the-skies manner! The Dadar Parsi Colony has been famous for buildings, small 'n' cute in build, typical of those owned by the gentle Parsis. Of late, though, old constructions have been demolished to give way to high-rises which look monstrous in comparison to the others around. Sooner or later, urban demands will have had swallowed them too. But they all seem to have a common advantage, that of a view to kill for! I had to stand at the mouth of Adenwala Road for this shot, right in the middle at that. It is almost reminiscent of a dense forest, the road, what with the lush arch that is formed by the rain trees on either side. Like I said, the quiet that this road offers is in contrast to the hustle-bustle of the main road that it meets at its other end. The rock layout beneath a large tree reminded me of the roads in Rome. If nothing, they make for splendid subjects for my newly acquired ultra-wide angle lens! Of the five, two gardens serve as parks - while one is a flat ground for some cricket, the other has park equipment for children... swings, slides, a sand pit, the works. The cricket ground even has an open gym of sorts; you will often find the odd muscleman doing his pull-ups and the like. A secluded area, it is also ideal for couples to sneak in a few private moments; not an excellent idea anymore since moral police can be a major cause of concern. Students from nearby colleges have their fix of chaat and gola, while it makes for an ideal expanse for trainers to give their canines a good run.  Morning walks, evening jogs, laughter clubs, poetry societies or a photographer... we'll always have Five Gardens.

Just another dawn for Flora Fountain

Great architectural works have always been one of my favourite subjects to shoot. It is not just the work itself, but the people who have built it, the thought that has gone into its making and its impact on the environment around it that I find just as fascinating. I have my roots in South Bombay, and walking out of the overpowering VT Station (now CST) or running about on the area by the Gateway of India make up for images from my childhood. As a kid, these places were just that – functional places for us to use, or as ornaments for us to gape at with awe. We took them for granted then, and in a way, we still do. I hit South Bombay one morning, this time to spend some time to capture Flora Fountain, a work of art, almost negligible in its purpose. But stunning all the same.

My knowledge of Flora Fountain as an architectural piece is straight out of Wikipedia. However, it pains me to see this splendid  work of art as something that has been crying for help for years now, almost as though Flora, the Goddess of Spring has been jailed by the coat of white oil paint.

What Flora (am I permitted to take this liberty?) does need is perhaps some regular scrubbing and oodles of TLC, and she will do just fine. If only I were allowed to simply roll my trousers up and step into the so-called pool around it, I would. Is anybody listening?

I find it amusing (and depressing too) that we are yet to build anything just as striking in the post-Independence, modern India. Indeed, we have been too busy to decorate our buildings with motifs and embellish them with anything remotely pretty, let alone create something like Fountain. The least we could do is maintain what we got so easily.

Despite having silently borne the effects of insensitive handling by the changing powers-that-be, the attractiveness of the structure still manages to hold attention. The grime has not dulled the beauty of the mythological figures that surround Goddess Flora perched right at the top, and the lions at the bottom of the arches look just as ferocious as real ones do. Oh they would, wouldn't they? They are keepers of a woman so beautiful... so what if she has been relegated to a memory of an era gone by?