Lohagad ( Iron Fort )

Lohagad is a hill fort situated close to Lonavala, approx 50 km from Pune, Height of 3389ft above sea level and is connected to a neighboring fort Visapur by a small range.  Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648 AD, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 AD by the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji recaptured the fort in 1670 AD and used it for keeping his treasury. This fort was used to keep the loot from Surat. Later in Peshwa time Nana Phadnavis used this fort for living for some time and built several structures in the fort such as a big tank and a step-well.

 I left my place at 6:30am. Met my friend Akshay who stays in Malavli. He was going to be my guide. We reached the steps of the fort by 7:00am. the road going to the fort is not in very good shape, it also has some very steep turns. The car can go up to the steps from where you can start climbing. Many parts of the fort are recently rebuilt by following the old process of construction.

It takes about 2 hrs to reach the top of the fort. While climbing we can see some beautiful stone architecture and construction done hundreds of year ago. We can even spot some caves around.


There are lots of monkeys on the way up. They try to snatch bags and food. Try to stay away from them and interact as minimum as possible. The view from the top is breathtaking. Visapur fort towards east, Pavna lake towards the south, Lonavala city towards west and north.
On reaching the top you can see some old monuments and very big caves. There is a temple of Lord Shiva, a mosque and a Darga. Some old canon Toaf which were found is also placed for display.
Do take a close look at its construction.

On heading towards the west there is a small natural water pond. The water inside is very clear. A gulp of that water can easily fulfill your thirst. After that you reach a very big pond called Hatti Haud or Elephant Pond. It was the pond in which the loot from the Surat was kept. It has a Dam like construction with some kind of mechanism to release water.
Then at the westernmost part of the fort, you reach a fortified spur, called Vinchukata (Scorpion's tail) because of its resembling shape.It is not very easy to reach at the end as there are broken wall and steep valley down. There are pipe railing done, but they are also broken. Be careful while going there. 

There is location marking all over the fort which gives us detailed information about places over the fort. One to two hrs is enough to explore the fort. During the monsoon, the top of the fort is covered with mist and clouds and becomes particularly wet with growing moss. The roads and trails leading to the hill are quite slippery at this time of the year and precautions are necessary to be taken while venturing the routes. I came down from the fort around 9:30 am. At that time the Nearby Snacks center were open. We had breakfast and then returned. My MI band indicated 11025 steps. That is what you can consider while planning this treck.

Tips
1. Fort is situated a bit far from Lonavala, Going there by a private vehicle makes sense.
2. You can also travel Up to Malavli station Via Local from Lonavala or Pune and then start your treck from there. But waking from Malavli station may require one complete day.
3. You can also take rikshaw from Malavli station.
4. There is nothing to eat or drink at the top of the Fort. Carry enough water and food.
5. There are lots of monkey on the steps going up. Try to stay away from them. They won't harm you until you try to harm them.
6. Do proper research before planning this trek.
7. Carrying a foldable stick is always good during treck.
8. Keep the fort clean. Don't throw Plastic bottles and wrappers. Instead, if found carry them with you and dump them at a  proper place below the fort.
9. There are some stray Dogs at the top. Please do feed them.

If you have any doubts don't hesitate to as them in the comment section below
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I am very much motivated by work of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi jii with his initiative of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. and request all of you to keep the environment clean and nature green.