State: Maharashtra
Location: 50 km from Bhandardhara
Famous as: Historical fort, hill fort
Serves as: Trekker's paradise, Ideal picnic spot, adventure sports, caves
Height: 4510 ft
Other than a fantastic trekking opportunity, Harishchandragad has lot of historical importance to boast about. Located 50 km from Bhandardhara, Harishchandragad is one of the famous hill forts located in the Ahmednagar districts. Thus it is part of the hill forts within the Western Ghats. This fort was ruled by Moguls until 1747 after which the Marathas captured it. The caves within the Harishchandragad find their mentions in ancient scripts and Puranas. It is said that during the 14th century, Maharshi Changdev resided in one of these caves and used it as a place for meditation. More and more caves could be found within this hill fort which claim to be carved out in the 11th Century AD. The fort gets the name due to the presence of Harishchandreshwar Temple within. This temple finds it's place in one of the holy places visited by Hindus. Towards the east side of this temple is a beautiful lake named Saptathirtha Lake. Other than this temple, there are many temples such as Nageshwar Temple, Kedareshwar Temple and caves within the hill fort of Harishchandragad that depict intricate carvings found in the Medieval Period. The highest peak of Harishchandragad is Taramati. Taramati Peak offers scenic view of the surrounding expanse and one can see Kalsubai, Malshej Ghat, Ratangad, Jivdan and Naneghat from here. Few other peaks apart from Taramati peak include Rohidas and Harishchandra.
The famous Konkan Kada of Harishchandragad is considered as one of the most challenging trek till date with it's altitude height of 3500 feet. This also happens to be the most famous peak of this hill. Other than Konkan Kada there are many treks available with so many amazing peaks all over the hill fort. Each hill peak offers mesmerizing view of the beautiful scenic surroundings below. And hence trekking through this hill fort is really worth it! There are in all seven routes to trek on this hill fort. The trekking to Harishchandragad suits everyone from novice to a champion trekker. The closest base village for one of the treks in Harishchandragad is Khireshwar. Khireshwar village is at a distance of 8 km from Harishchandragad. This trek route is a straight trail which passes through Tolar Khind and straight away leads to Harishchandreshwar Temple. The route timing is roughly three hours and one passes through rocky patches, small hills and streams in between. Other than Khireshwar, one can also trek to Harishchandragad from Paachnai Village which is about 48 km from Bhandardara. This is one of the most scenic trek and the difficulty level of this trek is easy to medium with forest path, rocky patches and steep climbs. This trek from Paachnai Village is considered to be the best for beginners. The third base village to Harishchandragad is Walhivale Village from where you can carry on trek through Nalichi Vaat. This trek leads you to Konkan Kada and is considered one of the trickiest climb. The difficulty level of this trek is medium to difficult and one needs safety gear such as ropes for the trek as there are steep climbs and rocky patches all throughout. Overnight camping is allowed on the peak.
Harishchandragad is at it's best post monsoon as the lush greenery adds to it's existing beauty. One gets to enjoy series of streams, waterfall all over the hills post monsoon and thus the experience of this trek is exhilarating. Hence the best time to visit Harishchandragad is Mid September to early March.
Trek to Konkan Kada and Taramati Peak.
Visit the ancient caves and temples carved out in the 11th Century AD.
Enjoy majestic view from the top which include glimpses of Malshej Ghat, Naneghat, Jivdan, Kalsubai Peak.
Camp overnight.
Capture some amazing beauty in your camera
Distance from Igatpuri Station to Harishchandragad - 80.7 km
Distance from Ahmadnagar Station to Harishchandragad - 159.6 km
Distance from Pune Station to of Harishchandragad - 172 km
Distance from Kalyan Station to of Harishchandragad - 173 km
1. Trekking to Harishchandragad during monsoons could be tricky. The steep slopes and loose rock patches could get slippery during monsoons.Try it at your own risk and use proper safety gear.
2. Nights get cold at the top of Harishchandragad with freezing and windy air. Hence it is best to carry some warm clothing.
3. It is advisable to carry enough drinking water if you plan to camp overnight.
4. Start early.
5. Tread carefully while descending. Balance each step downwards and hang on to the rocks and then stabilize your footing.
Location: 50 km from Bhandardhara
Famous as: Historical fort, hill fort
Serves as: Trekker's paradise, Ideal picnic spot, adventure sports, caves
Height: 4510 ft
About Harishchandragad
Other than a fantastic trekking opportunity, Harishchandragad has lot of historical importance to boast about. Located 50 km from Bhandardhara, Harishchandragad is one of the famous hill forts located in the Ahmednagar districts. Thus it is part of the hill forts within the Western Ghats. This fort was ruled by Moguls until 1747 after which the Marathas captured it. The caves within the Harishchandragad find their mentions in ancient scripts and Puranas. It is said that during the 14th century, Maharshi Changdev resided in one of these caves and used it as a place for meditation. More and more caves could be found within this hill fort which claim to be carved out in the 11th Century AD. The fort gets the name due to the presence of Harishchandreshwar Temple within. This temple finds it's place in one of the holy places visited by Hindus. Towards the east side of this temple is a beautiful lake named Saptathirtha Lake. Other than this temple, there are many temples such as Nageshwar Temple, Kedareshwar Temple and caves within the hill fort of Harishchandragad that depict intricate carvings found in the Medieval Period. The highest peak of Harishchandragad is Taramati. Taramati Peak offers scenic view of the surrounding expanse and one can see Kalsubai, Malshej Ghat, Ratangad, Jivdan and Naneghat from here. Few other peaks apart from Taramati peak include Rohidas and Harishchandra.
Trekking in Harishchandragad
The famous Konkan Kada of Harishchandragad is considered as one of the most challenging trek till date with it's altitude height of 3500 feet. This also happens to be the most famous peak of this hill. Other than Konkan Kada there are many treks available with so many amazing peaks all over the hill fort. Each hill peak offers mesmerizing view of the beautiful scenic surroundings below. And hence trekking through this hill fort is really worth it! There are in all seven routes to trek on this hill fort. The trekking to Harishchandragad suits everyone from novice to a champion trekker. The closest base village for one of the treks in Harishchandragad is Khireshwar. Khireshwar village is at a distance of 8 km from Harishchandragad. This trek route is a straight trail which passes through Tolar Khind and straight away leads to Harishchandreshwar Temple. The route timing is roughly three hours and one passes through rocky patches, small hills and streams in between. Other than Khireshwar, one can also trek to Harishchandragad from Paachnai Village which is about 48 km from Bhandardara. This is one of the most scenic trek and the difficulty level of this trek is easy to medium with forest path, rocky patches and steep climbs. This trek from Paachnai Village is considered to be the best for beginners. The third base village to Harishchandragad is Walhivale Village from where you can carry on trek through Nalichi Vaat. This trek leads you to Konkan Kada and is considered one of the trickiest climb. The difficulty level of this trek is medium to difficult and one needs safety gear such as ropes for the trek as there are steep climbs and rocky patches all throughout. Overnight camping is allowed on the peak.
Best Time to Visit Harishchandragad
Harishchandragad is at it's best post monsoon as the lush greenery adds to it's existing beauty. One gets to enjoy series of streams, waterfall all over the hills post monsoon and thus the experience of this trek is exhilarating. Hence the best time to visit Harishchandragad is Mid September to early March.
What can one do at Harishchandragad
Trek to Konkan Kada and Taramati Peak.
Visit the ancient caves and temples carved out in the 11th Century AD.
Enjoy majestic view from the top which include glimpses of Malshej Ghat, Naneghat, Jivdan, Kalsubai Peak.
Camp overnight.
Capture some amazing beauty in your camera
How to Reach Harishchandragad
Harishchandragad is located in the Ahmednagar Districts of Maharashtra. It is 50 km from Bhandardhara, 166 km from Pune and 218 km from Mumbai. The nearest airport for Harishchandragad is Mumbai Airport, from here you have the option of continuing your journey by road. One can reach Harishchandragad from Igatpuri via State Highway 44, from Ahmadnagar via NH61, from Pune via NH60 and from Kalyan via NH160. One can hire private cabs from all these stations to reach Harishchandragad. Bus services are also available from all these stations to this hill fort. The nearest station for Harishchandragad is Igatpuri. One can reach Igatpuri station via train from Kalyan Station. One can also take buses from Kalyan Station to Harishchandragad. Buses that ply to Malshej Ghat from Kalyan are the perfect option for Harishchandragad. If you ply by this bus, get down at Moroshi Naka and then walk down to Walhivale Village or get down to Khubi Phata and walk down to Khireshwar Village. You also have the option of hiring private cabs and travel up to the base villages. From Pune you have the option of travelling to Khireshwar Village by buses that ply regularly from Shivajinagar bus stand.Distance from Igatpuri Station to Harishchandragad - 80.7 km
Distance from Ahmadnagar Station to Harishchandragad - 159.6 km
Distance from Pune Station to of Harishchandragad - 172 km
Distance from Kalyan Station to of Harishchandragad - 173 km
Tips to remember while trekking on Harishchandragad
1. Trekking to Harishchandragad during monsoons could be tricky. The steep slopes and loose rock patches could get slippery during monsoons.Try it at your own risk and use proper safety gear.
2. Nights get cold at the top of Harishchandragad with freezing and windy air. Hence it is best to carry some warm clothing.
3. It is advisable to carry enough drinking water if you plan to camp overnight.
4. Start early.
5. Tread carefully while descending. Balance each step downwards and hang on to the rocks and then stabilize your footing.
Wabi Sabi Resorts Igatpuri offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and a gorgeous swimming pool for the ultimate in relaxation.
ReplyDeleteresorts in igatpuri with swimming pool