Lohagad Fort Trek: The Real Experience

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In the third and final part of the Lohagad Fort trek series, we focus on the experience of climbing up the fort.  The first part of the trek focuses on the Bhaja Caves Lonavala. In the second part, we focused on the Bhaja Caves to Lohagad Fort base. Lohagad Fort is at an elevation of 3,389 feet above sea level. In 1648, the fort was taken over by Shivaji Maharaj. The fort was captured by Shivaji Maharaj in 1648. However, he surrendered it to the Mughals in 1665 under the Treaty of Purandar. He recaptured it later in 1670.

At the base of the fort, we saw monkeys jumping around the trees excited to have a piece of our food. Many tourists and trekkers around buy corn on a cob for them that they enjoy thoroughly. Surprisingly, the monkeys here are quite decent and patient.

While the monkeys were busy looking for corn-donors around, infants were busy playing and jumping around in the bushes. I guess, kids are not really bothered about food, they just want to hang out with buddies alike. We moved on further with our Lohagad Fort trek.

As we hiked higher, we saw the road that we walked. The road ahead leads to the Pavna Lake. Some of the views were obstructed by the trees. However, there are certain places that offered a bird’s eye view of the location.

We finally reach a spot from where we could see a wider view of the mountains all around us, but still, there’s a long way to climb up.

Tip: Always carry plenty of water. Wear a cap and sunglasses to avoid harsh sunlight. Also, wear full-sleeve clothes to avoid sunburn on a Lohagad Fort trek even during the monsoon season.

Ah! we finally get a first glimpse of the Pavna Lake which certainly is way too far from here, but from the top, it seems like its just a distance away.

If you’re staying in Lonavala longer you can also visit Pavna Dam and Lake. When the weather is good, you can enjoy some boat activities at the lake. Lonavala is one of the popular hill stations close to the city.

We all decide to take a few seconds break to catch our breath, so we decide to take some pictures. Always be careful when you are taking pictures because you don’t want to slip accidentally.

After climbing up for around 40-45 minutes we see the first structure that looks like a fort. A feeling of triumph and satisfaction floods our heart as we begin to realize that our goal is not too far away. Our Lohagad Fort trek was going to be successful.

We finally reach the first gate of the fort which is also known as the ‘Ganesh Darwaza’ named after Lord Ganesh.

The First Gate had these iron spike door that was pretty much intact. Some spikes were missing, but it certainly is a heavy wood door and the rusted spikes are pretty much sharp enough.

The fort is built from the rocks from the mountain and historically it dates back around 2000 years ago. It was ruled by the Chalukyas first, then it fell into the hands of Rashtrakutas and then Yadavas ruled it for many decades.

It eventually passed hands from the Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar to Adilshahi of Bijapur. In 1648, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured the fort and took it under the Maratha Empire.

In 1665, Chhatrapati Shivaji had to surrender the fort to the Mughals under the Treaty of Purandar, but he recaptured the fort just five years later in 1670, and this fort was used for storing treasury. However, Mughals decided to get their hands on it once again and the fort once again went under Mughal power. This indicates the importance of this fort because of its strategic location.

In 1713, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre (Sarkhel means Admiral of the Naval Fleet) of the Maratha Empire, captured Lohagad Fort. He defeated the Mughals and took over the Lohagad fort along with nine other forts. Soon after he met, Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath who accepted Chhatrapati Shahu as his king. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre decided to hand over the fort to Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and the fort now came under the Throne of Satara.

Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath took great care of the fort and passed it down to Nana Phadnavis, who was then the Chief Minister of the Maratha Empire. Nana Phadnavis realized the importance of the fort to store treasury which was crucial to the functioning of the Empire and got the fort renovated.

In the picture above, we are climbing up the steps of the second gate called ‘Narayan Darwaza’ which was not a part of the earlier fort structure. In 1790, Nana Phadnavis, Chief Minister of the Maratha Empire and the supervisor of the fort, came up with a new plan to create a way for easy access to food supplies.

The gate construction took 4 years and it was ready by 1794. Many people who come on Lohagad Fort trek take selfies and pictures here.

As soon as we crossed the second gate, (refer pic above) the smoothly carved stone steps turned into a rocky climb. The steps are weathered by the rain and heat and therefore hikers have to be more careful. At some places, the passage gets narrow, so hikers climbing up and down have to adjust accordingly. This is a tricky part of the Lohagad Fort trek so be patient and discipline here.

From above, we can see the way below. In the picture above, you can see the settlement at the foot of the mountain and some refreshment stalls and restaurants that cater to the tourists. You will see the picture of these stalls below in the post.

As we moved higher and inched towards the end of our Lohagad Fort trek, we were facing another challenge. The steps were abrupt and wobbly and now the rocks were soaked with rainwater. The water was dripping from the gaps in between the stones, probably leaking from the lakes and wells on the top of the fort. The moss-layered stone steps were slippery and we had to make sure we look for dry spaces where we can step on to move ahead.

We finally reached the final and third gate of the fort called the ‘Hanuman Darwaza’ named after Lord Hanuman. In the picture, you can see the carving of Lord Hanuman on both sides of the gate. It is said that the gate was re-made by Nana Phadnavis when he took control and supervised the fort. The door has iron spikes and knockers on it.

The moment you walk inside the Hanuman Darwaza, this is what you see. The fort is just a plateau on top. There are many broken and ruined structures that are now covered by wild plants. The only structure that still remains is the tomb. When British (East India Company) captured the fort, they razed most of the structures of the fort to the ground. Thereafter, the fort was rendered inactive.

No one really knows much about the tomb. While some claim that it has a body of an Arab invader Shaikh Umar, some claim that it holds the body of Aurangzeb’s daughter. It is said that the body was buried here when the fort was under the Mughal Empire. There are two more unknown tombs towards the east of this structure.

I and Sarah take time to pose. You can see the mountain rocks around us and behind us is the north-east view. In the background, you can see the Visapur Fort.

Okay, just in case you weren’t able to see the Visapur Fort because of us standing in between, here’s the full view in the above picture. In the picture below, I go to the edge of the fort to give you a full view of the hikers still behind us hiking up slowly on those wet rocky steps and the settlement at the foot of the mountain.

No air conditioner in the world can match the freshness of the natural wind blowing right into the face. After all the climbing, I wanted the cool breeze to freshen me up and that is what I got here. I wanna fly like a bird.

Tip: When you are clicking pictures at the top of the Lohagad Fort make sure you don’t stand right on the edge. It is risky.

Sarah takes a halt on a stone which is a broken part of the fort wall with the Pavna Lake landscape behind her.

Below is the view of the South-west side of the fort. The Gurumai Ashram is clearly visible in the picture below.

After hours of hike and intense heat, its time for some relaxation and cool water. My colleagues decided to enjoy the cool lake water and wet their feet before they move ahead.

These water tanks are the only source of water for the army and people living on the fort then. Now, it has become a temporary swimming pool for the hikers that dive in for fun and adventure.

Splashing InThis giant well (in the picture below) which probably is deep was left alone. Not sure, but there are rumours that tourists have lost their lives diving into the well. Who knows what’s inside at the bottom of it?

Here below is another temporary lake that you can see. On the east side of the fort, there are two unknown tombs.

The picture above shows the south-east view from the fort. I decided to zoom in and take some shots of the mountains that were far away but under the shadow of the clouds.

Towards the south side of the fort, you can see many mountain ranges in the distance. You can also explore the forts on these mountains. Lohagad Fort trek is also ideal for photographers and nature lovers.

Another landscape view with the Pavna Lake and the mountains and the white fluffy clouds hovering above.

We decided to walk up the north side of the fort plateau until we reached the watchtower. I am standing at the watch tower which is the extreme north end of the fort. However, behind me is a space from where you can climb down around 10 rock steps down and reach where those people are standing.

You walk ahead 1500 meters in the north-west direction along the fortified spur called Vinchu-Kata which literally means The Scorpion Tail. The fort has a scorpion-like shape when seen from above. This is the best part of the Lohagad Fort trek.

The Scorpion Tail section of the fort is just 30 meters wide and has a very steep slope on both sides. During the rainy season, it is advisable to be extremely cautious while walking it.

While we were busy in our own world, admiring the natural landscape and clicking pictures, someone was spying on us quietly, probably waiting for us to leave, so that he can inspect if there are any food droppings.

At the end of our Lohagad Fort trek, we came down the same path as we went up. We took a halt at these shacks that offered us the refreshments we wanted. They also provide lunch, breakfast and dinner, which you can choose from the menu.

In the picture below, you can see the ramparts of the fort on the left side above the trees from where I shot the settlement area below. Here below is a house that also doubles up as a restaurant offering food to the hikers and trekkers on the Lohagad Fort trek.

The above picture is the home of the hotel owner. The picture below is the section where you can see they have a small store on the left. The patio area (below) which is the restaurant where hikers can chill out.

After our refreshments, we decided to hire an SUV and head to Lonavala from where we would catch our train back to Mumbai.

Hope you enjoyed the three-part blog post of my recent hike to Bhaja Caves and Lohagad Fort trek. If you have already visited Lohagad Fort, please share your experience below.

If not, do let me know how you liked the post and probably some stories of the hike that you did in your country or town. I am always eager to listen to stories from all over the world.