The hobby of mountaineering
cherish I will
For I like the sun, the wild woods
and the air so chill!
… was the promise I made to myself, while returning home from my very first trek to the mighty Lohagad fort!
I always loved wandering in the woods… taking the path less traveled… being lost in nature, and hence trekking! But it was a distant dream until a bunch of college buddies & I made it to Lohagad on November 3, 1997.
We managed to pack our bags somehow stuffing some eatables, bedding and essentials, boarded the 3:30 pm local train from Pune! (Yes, though we crazy bunch of guys who stayed at Chinchwad went all the way to Pune station, to get a comfy place to sit for the entire group and come together with some friends who were to join from Pune J) Excited about the very first escapade of ours we were singing, dancing, shouting aloud and making merry… we made the world around us go crazy in that hour and half train journey to Malavali – the foot hills of Lohagad.
We got out of the train, full of energy and enthusiasm which doubled when we could see our destination, right in front of us. We set afoot and half an hour walk got us to the base village Bhaje. It was a small village – calm and serene. So near to the concrete jungles yet far away from advancements! It had preserved an identity of its own. It housed a few hutments of the farmers, couple of temples dedicated to the local deities and of course some farmlands.
In the hillock nearby were the Bhaje caves, which attracted our attention. We thought we should visit but it was about to get dark and hence refrained and took the pathway leading to the fort. It was a pleasant walk, not very strenuous as we were hiking during sunset. The weather was calm and a cool breeze blew to refresh us as we walked. And then there was the zeal within us that never worn us out!
It took us another half an hour to reach Lohagadwadi another tiny hamlet, in the pass between Visapur and Lohagad forts – called the Gaikhind. It was dark when we reached here. There was silence around as if no one inhibited the place. But we were wrong. As we entered the village we were welcomed by a horde of enthusiastic and overfriendly folks. We soon got talking to them & they narrated us some stories of the past which were really entertaining. They also claimed to have spotted a tiger here a few days back! While most of us didn’t believe, some had a thought it could be true.
We rested for a while before we headed towards the fort again. It was dark but the moon showed us the way. It also showered light on the ramparts and as we clambered up the grandeur left us awestruck. The steps hewn out of rock were a feet and a half high and the fortification was strong and intact even now. This was the only way in and out of the fort and it meant going through three or four entrance gates (viz. Ganesh Darwja, Narayan, Hanuman & Maha Darwaja) and a series of several battlements, ramparts and steep walls. A 20 minute tour through this historic defense got us atop the fort. Jai Bhavani! Jai Shivaji!! We had finally conquered the very first fort!
With a sense of accomplishment we headed towards the Lomeshrishi cave, unburdened ourselves from of the haversacks we were carrying and lodged ourselves. Apparently the great saint Lomeshrishi is said to have meditated here and hence the cave got his name. The cave was huge enough to accommodate around hundred trekkers. Fortunately we were the only ones to be there that day, so we had the whole lot of it for ourselves! J
We were extremely hungry by now. So we unpacked and shared the food we all had got from our homes. There was a variety of spread, from roties to rice and chutney to chicken… and everything so yummy! (Really? Wasn’t it too cold?) It was here we realized the meaning of the old saying “Any food tastes great when you are tired and weary”. After satiating our hunger we chatted, played antakshari and after being tired went off to bed.
Good Morning Lohagad! The chill in the early morning air woke us up almost at the crack of dawn. We all had had a great sleep (probably nicest ones of all) and were fresh as never before. We all caught a glimpse of the rising sun – an experience which enthralled one and all. We then set out for site seeing on the fort. The fort houses some water cisterns, a huge well, a durgah, and many other small monuments which are in ruins.
Lohagad is said to have been built during the Satvahan era or even earlier. Malik Ahmed – the Nizam ruler conquered the fort in 1491, which eventually went in the hands of Adilshah. Shivaji subjugated it in 1657, but eventually lost it to the Mughals during the Treaty of Purndar. It befell in the Hindvi Swarajya on May 13, 1670 when the Marathas strategically won it back. However, like all other forts it went in the British hands in 1818. Another important anecdote in history talks about Lohagad when Shivaji looted Surat. On His journey back, Shivaji is said to have stopped at Lohagad for rest and the loot was kept here!
With these instances from the books of history superseding our thoughts we were taking a stroll over the fort. It was an amazing feeling to be here with cool breeze blowing the beauty all around. While walking besides the durgah were some marshlands where Tony (a fellow trekker) found some crabs. He and some folks got busy in looking for those crabs and caught quite a few of them. These were going to be cooked for our lunch. J
We had planned to visit the neighboring fort viz. Visapur too. Hence we started the descend pretty early. But as we were descending, the vast expanse of the backwaters of the Pawna dam allured us with all their charm. All of us developed strong desire to take a dip in those alluring waters and hence everyone without any second thoughts started towards the Pawna dam. The villagers of Lohagadwadi gave us directions to reach Ambewadi, a small village near the dam. Excited we started walking. The destination was right in front of us – the cool waters of Pawna & our excitement was at its peak!
It was a narrow path, plantations all around and hence pretty shady. We quite enjoyed it, but alas – the enjoyment was pretty short-lived. We got into thick woods and shrubs and we could see no further. There was no way we could find our way down. We tried all possible small pathways but in vain. It was noon and sun was right on our heads. It was pretty hot and we were tired and hungry. We found a small stream and settled beside that for some rest. We then decided to have food before we proceed. So some of them gathered some firewood and others got to serious business – cooking! The crabs came out and took form of delectable curry which definitely was the dish of the day. My mouth still waters with the thought of that yummy preparation. 
With good food gone down the throat and tummies full, the exhilaration reappeared out of nowhere. We packed our bags and soon were off to Ambewadi. We were still struggling to find the lost track, but no luck. So we decided to get into the bushes and only aim to get down and that’s what we did. It was quite a descend and took almost 2-3 hours to get to the village of Ambewadi. We had finally reached where we wanted to be! Unfortunately, it was evening and there was very little time to get dark. Also the last bus out of the village was about to leave in the next 10 minutes. So with a heavy heart we boarded the bus and returned to Kamshet from where we took local train back to our homes.
A dip in the Pawna dam waters has been an unfulfilled wish since then. But then the trekking continued! This was just the beginning…