Trek to Mahuli

Off to Mahuli:

Four trekkers, Mamma, Akshay, Viren and I, boarded the early morning local from Dadar station to Asangaon (  The rickshaw charges around 60-80 rupees and it’s wise to ask for the number of the driver and ask him to pick you up on your way back to the station. En route to the base village of Mahuli you’ll pass a marvelous Jain temple, popularly known as Shri Bhuvan Bhanu Jain Manas Mandir Tirtha. An awesome panchaloha (5 metals) idol of Aadeshwar Bhagwan adorns the garbha griha (sanctum) of the temple.

Like all sensible trekkers we had travelled light, carrying just sufficient water and sandwiches. We began by feasting on some hot poha and chai from a little shanty at the base village and then started our trek to Mahuli-gad.

A little about Mahuli:

Mahuli Fort is a beautiful hill fort situated on the outskirts of Maharashtra that has witnessed many a war from the days of yore. The fort is situated in the village of Mahuli, at the confluence of the Krishna and Yenna rivers. Also known as Sangam Mahuli, the place is known for its magnificent temples and forts.

MAHULI AWAITS

Standing proud and tall at a height of 762 meters, the fort registers the highest point in the locality and is distinguished from the surrounding mountain ranges by virtue of its prominent pinnacle. Nestled among the Sahyadri ranges, Mahuli offers breathtaking views of the hills and the valleys below, along with a bird’s eye-view of the Tansa Lake in the distance.

(Ref: wikipedia) The creator of this fort is unknown. In 1485 this place came under rule Nijamshahi dynasty. When Shahaji Raje became the secretary of Nijamshahi, Mughals of Delhi tried to end Nijamshahi. In 1635-36, Shahaji Raje transferred himself with Jijabai and Shivaji to Mahuli. When Khan Jaman attacked the fort, Shahaji asked Portuguese for help, who refused and Shahaji surrendered.

Shivaji took this fort from Mughals on 8 Jan 1658. In 1661 it was given back and was won again by Shivaji. In treaty of Purandar, in 1665, Marathas lost these forts again. In Feb 1670, Shivaji Maharaj tried to conquer Mahuli, but failed, Manohardas Gaud, was the in charge of the fort. A thousand Marathas were killed. Most of them were from nearby villages. Manohardas Gaud, soon gave up his position and Alveerdi Beg took over. On 16 June 1670, after two months, Moropant Pingle conquered the forts and Mahuli, Bhandargad and Palasgad became part of Swarajya. Till 1817, Shivaji's dynasty owned the fort but later on it was controlled by the British Raj.

Starting the Trek:

STARTING OFF

A guide wasn’t needed as white arrows painted on the rocks clearly mark the route at regular intervals. The trek itself involved three hours of making our way across a river, through dense forests and clambering over rocks. It’s quite a steep and tedious trek to the summit, but it’s really worth every minute of it. There’s quite a lot of climbing over boulders to be done so ensure you wear sturdy trekking shoes especially during the monsoons. At many places the path is quite narrow and the soil is loose so watch your step. Also, do wear long pants and arm yourselves with lots of mosquito repellant as there a many of those little pests flying around the place.

AT THE SUMMIT

There are many places and corners where you can pause for a breath and take in the view of the valley far below. Hope you like the color green, as there’s just green, green and more green as far as the eye can see.

ANCIENT CISTERN

As you near the summit, the old fort walls are clearly visible and we had to climb a little metal ladder to get to the almost-last part of the trek. Once the ladder was climbed we found some ancient cisterns…still brimming with water and lots of happy looking guppies. Now, just because the fish look happy with the water in the cistern doesn’t mean you can quench your thirst here. If you do want to wash your face or hands, there’s a little stream of cool, clean, sparkling water just a few feet away from the cistern.

FORT CAVES

We also found some more arrows drawn on some rocks near the cistern and followed them to what remains of Mahuli fort-its sturdy walls, a broken doorway, a few caves cut into the mountain wall and an old shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Many trekkers spend the night in these rock-cut caves and, unfortunately, leave the place quite dirty.

LUNCH TIME

Having your lunch atop the peak is on of the best experiences you can ever have. The view is spectacular….lush greenery, the sudden showers of sharp, icy-cold rain drops and the valley far below with the mighty Sahyadris looming on either side. For us, the magic of Mahuli was heightened by the cool, gusty wind and the awesome cloud cover that swirled over and around us. I suppose, it was one of the most enjoyable lunches I've ever had even though it was just sandwiches and aloo bhujiya. 

AT THE BASE

Post lunch, we retraced our steps and headed back to the base. Although getting down takes a little less time than climbing up, it’s wasn’t very easy as the path was narrow & slippery and the visibility was sometimes poor, thanks to the clouds…but we’re not complaining.

We called for the rickshaw to drop us to Asangaon station and as we waited for it to arrive we sat and rested our tired feet. There is a little cluster of small shrines here. You can visit these and sit on the steps taking in the sight of farmers ploughing their fields nearby.

This has been one of our best trekking experiences….Mahuli rocks!


P.S: Pics' by Akshay & Misha