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.
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.
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| 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. |
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| 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. :) |
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| 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!’ |
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| 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. |
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| 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! |
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| Cooling heels This is part of the team that took a pit stop. Tired bodies but spirits raring to go! |
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| Admiring nature Water gushing downstream with moderate force, even though It hadn't rained much the previous day. |
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| 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! |
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| 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. |
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| 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? |
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| 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! |
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| 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! |
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| 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! |
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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. |
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| 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! |
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| 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. |
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Green meditation To each his own… |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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! |
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| 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. |
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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? |
Hi Kane, do you have any contact details of the locals up there? heading there with a group and would love to eat there.
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