Kavnai - A night trek in the starry night

19th Dec 2015

 

           It had been some time since I last trekked, so I grabbed the first opportunity that came my way. With Tattva again, Kavnai it was! And the exciting element here was that it was a night trek.

Though the thought of travelling all the way to Kasara and then Igatpuri played a lazy ruckus in my mind till the last minute, I finally shoved myself into the last train to Kasara.

The base village of Kavnai is around 18 kms from Kasara station. Jeeps are lined outside the Kasara station to take you to various destinations like Igatpuri, Bhandardara, Nasik etc. but to find a ride at such an unearthly hour, one has to call and book in advance which our trek organisers had already done. The ride costs around INR 100 per person up to Nasik. We reached Kasara around 2 am, the train running late and after refreshing ourselves at a dhaba on the highway en-route, we reached the base village of Kavnai at 3 am. There are 2 temples dedicated to Shri Ram and Sita and Hanuman.

We had a local guide for assistance. So finally at 3:30 am we embarked on our journey to the top of the fort. Like ghosts, swaying our torches as we moved through some houses, we were welcomed by barking dogs ready to pounce on us. Thankfully, they kept their shiny pointed teeth to themselves and were satisfied killing the silence of the night.

                In the darkness we could barely see the top of the fort. The initial part of the trek was covered in scree and was very slippery. Without a torch, on these narrow twists and turns, it would be very easy to take a wrong step and reach the base of the village tumbling in no time. All of us expected a cold night and we were dressed accordingly but the climb had us sweating in no time. Halfway through the trek, one comes across a small hillock giving you the first glimpse of the Mukane dam. The lovely waters of the Vaitarna can be seen from the top on the other side. As I have experienced on most of my other treks, the sky was crowded with the twinkling gems and someone pointed a satellite as well.

Our trek guru briefed us that the great Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj secretly visited this fort and had included this fort in his kingdom after his coronation. This fort, like most other forts in Maharashtra was captured by the British and was under their rule for a long time. Another few minutes of trekking over the hillock and we reached an iron ladder. The climb from here is nearly perpendicular and needless to say a bit challenging. It would be more challenging in the monsoons I’m sure. A little above the iron ladder is the door to the fort and seems to be the only structure that is in a relatively good condition that assures you of an entry to a fort, not just another mountain.

We reached the top of the fort in the dark in less than an hour. There is a big pond on the right of the plateau. We decided to explore the fort post sunrise. So, after transferring the cakes, chaklis, wafers etc. from our bags to our stomachs, the melody of the guitar strings was brought to life by Sai, and a romantic rendezvous began in the still of the night.

A few hours later, the children in the sky made a disappearing act back to their homes as the reddish hues spread across, asserting the arrival of the Sun god. The tranquil waters of the Vaitarna were set on fire as the glowing orange sphere grew in proportion. We caught the neighbouring mountains and the beautiful landscape quietly waking up to the mesmerizing sight of the first rays. Sublime scenery for the greedy eyes! One can catch a glimpse of the Kalsubai range, Trimbak range and Tringalwadi from here.

We wandered on the plateau. The calm waters of the pond looked soothing. We met a Sadhu baba feeding fish; he lives in a hut near the small temple by the pond. Less than an hour is sufficient to explore the fort and after we had our fill of sightseeing and photography, we headed back for the descent. The descent almost always proves to be a bit more challenging than the ascent. As we were descending, we could hear the temple bells clanging in the distance. Carefully treading back, we reached the base village of Kavnai in about an hour.

We visited a huge and beautiful temple of Shri Ram. This is not the same temple as I mentioned before. Ask the locals for it. A giant Hanuman keeps watch over an artificial pond outside the temple. Just outside the sanctum, guarded by four elephants, is another small pond and it is said that a saint brought a child back to life by immersing him in this pond (source: our trek guide).

Kavnai is a relatively easy but enjoyable trek and it can also be clubbed with a trek to the neighbouring mountains. A night well spent singing songs under the stars!!

Neighbouring peak

....and the sun rises

Pond at the top of the fort

Remnants of the fort

An open temple by the pond

Temple at the top

Entrance to the fort

The waters of Vaitarna

Temple at the base village from where the trek starts

A beautiful temple in the  Kavnai village

Magical healer

 

Vishramgadh - where the body can rest but the eyes can't!

12th July 2015

Vishramgadh. Resting fort! The fort is so called because Shivaji Maharaj rested on the fort for more than a month due to some illness. This is the only fort apart from Raigad and Rajgad where Shivaji Maharaj stayed for such a long time. You can find more about the history of the fort on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patta_Fort.

Vishramgadh is at a 1 ½ hrs drive from Kasara en route to Bhandardara and one can find private jeeps filling up travellers on a seat basis going up to Nasik or Bhandardara, costing approximately INR100 per seat. 19 kms before Bhandardara, you need to take a left to reach Pattewadi, the base village of the fort. Pattewadi is a small hamlet of a few huts housing around 200 people. The drive to Pattewadi is scenic as you come across the mammoth blades of windmills swirling to the wind, the huge mountains in the backdrop, cattle grazing lazily and goats being herded by the shepherd who gives you a confused look as you pass him. The forts like Alang, Madan, Kulang, Trimbakgad and Kalsubai are in the vicinity of Vishramgadh.

I had joined a group called Tattva for this trek and we were around 21 people of various shapes, sizes and ages taking this trek. This is a relatively easy trek and one can reach the top in about 1 – ½ hrs at leisure after paying a nominal entry fee at the entrance gate. We, of course took more time as the cameras went click click click after every 15 minutes or so. The expanse of the surroundings is really breathtaking and one would only want to take it all in, in sumptuous gulps. This is one of the forts that the Government has tried to preserve and take under its wings and as you start the trek you come across boards with maps, descriptions and history of the fort. A small toilet is also available for the trekkers and travellers though not very clean. A model elephant, a beautiful one with two small ornamented baby elephants probably symbolizes the hugeness of the fort. There is a canon right behind the elephant and into the distance the eyes feast on a dome shaped structure on one of the cliffs at the far end.

A little ahead is a ‘Laxman Swami Maharaj’ cave and further ahead, a temple of ‘Shri Pattai Ashtabhuja Devi’. Railings have been put across at some of the edges around the temple and they actually spoil the beauty of the mountain, but they are there for a reason. Our villager guide Mr.Gulab informed us that there is a huge crowd visiting the temple and the fort during Shiv Jayanti. People from neighbouring villages throng the place and, the local politician; it seems flies in a helicopter to reach there. We trek and they fly, with the tax payers’ money of course! Words of caution here; there are many monkeys around the temple and they would not think twice to grab your cameras or the bar of chocolate you planned to eat.

Another hour of a bit of huffing and puffing and you are at the top of the plateau and come across a temple or ‘sabhagruh’ dedicated to the great king Shivaji. The interiors are still under construction. To cover the entire fort would probably take around 4 hrs and one needs to decide which part he wants to cover. The fort is spread far and wide; in fact it is more of a plateau than a fort as there are hardly any walls or ‘tattbandi’ barring a few which usually defines a fort, but no one’s complaining; the scenery covers for it all. There are a few doors or ‘darwazas’ and a couple of spacious caves on the fort which can easily accommodate 20 people each. Also, there are many water cisterns on the top and probably these cisterns along with a well are the water source for the village below.

From the temple, we took a right to reach to the zenith of the mountain and what a time we had. Though it was cloudy, the rain evaded us, but the wind was blowing like crazy and it almost swept us off our feet, literally! We had to consciously make some effort to keep grounded and a rock perched at the best location had us pose like supermen and superwomen for many pictures. There are scenes and places that are inexplicable and this was one of them; one has to be there to experience it. The vastness of the fort, the serenity except for the swooshing of the wind, the humble swaying of the grass, a few colourful flowers which had sprouted in the rains, the various shades of intoxicating green, the enticing paddy fields below, the command and strength you feel being at such a height, the puny snaking roads below, all of these and more mesmerizes you beyond words and a thankful feeling rises in your heart for mother Nature and its beauty.

We had lunch at the top with the wind singing to us. Post lunch, we embarked again to another plateau right in front of us, towards the windmills. As I said, every edge of the mountain gives you a different view and from here we could see a couple of lakes or reservoirs. Getting closer to the windmills was another high and we sat there for some time gazing at the lazily rotating blades against the lovely backdrop.

This place definitely is a camper’s delight. After a few games and fun and laughter, we dejectedly decided to get back to the hullabaloo of the city. We walked around the periphery of the mountain and were back in almost an hour for the drive back to Kasara station. A Sunday well spent on a date with nature!

  

At Pattewadi, the base village

Pattewadi

Intro time

Grazing to delight

Soldier at the gates