Purandar Fort Trek In Maharashtra
Purandar Fort enjoys being located on a unique position. It is located on a mountain ridge stretching from west to east. It is a part of Western Ghats. It has high rainfall region and mountains on one side, on the other side it carries plateau with low rainfall region. You will come across topographical changes along the height as Purandar is a high peak. Purandar Fort trek in Maharashtra is a hike in which you will give equal importance to the journey as to the destination.
Season to trek Purandar Fort
You can trek here throughout the year but it can be hot in April and May.
Location of Purandar Fort
It is located in the Bhuleshwar Range, in Pune district.
Importance of Purandar Fort
Purandar Fort was captured by the British after the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Maratha War in 1818 A.D. This is evident by the presence of an old stone church just beyond the main entrance. The fort's main gate, walls and ramparts are preserved very well.
Though the Fort is now used as a shelter for cattle, its entire structure is in excellent condition.The reason is that the Fort was in the possession of the defence services which used it as a training base for the National Cadet Corps until few years back. It still maintains a presence there.
Trekking Purandar Fort
Narayanpur Village-Purandar Fort : At Narayanpur visit the ancient Narayaneshwar Mahadev Temple. It offers an important pilgrimage and belongs to Rashtrakuta-Yadava period (753-1375A.D). Now move to Narayanpeth. You will see a large banyan tree in the village square. Climb from here, following the electric poles most of the way. The walk will bring you to a forest. From here, you will see the entrance to the fort and an old Church. Now pass the Purandeshwar Temple. A path leads to the top from here. If you want to camp in the fort, the temple is a good place for the purpose but the place offers more possibilities, so move on and explore according to your choice. You can also visit an old British bungalow which is still in a fairly good condition.
From the Fort's top, you explore the grandeur of the hills surrounding the city of Pune. You can see Sinhagad Fort, Torna, Rajgad and long ridge connecting Katraj to Sinhagad. There are 3 hillocks on Purandar-Khandkada, Gadipathar and Kedar. To return, descend the way you climb and get a bus to Pune.
Tougher Option
Head to the Konkani Darwaza and descend to Chinchewadi village. You can walk to Kapurval village on the Pune-Bangalore Highway or tread cross country till reaching the highway. From here, catch a vehicle.
Trekking Options
- Visit Purandar first, then trek across to Katraj Ghat.
- You can undertake a trek for 2-3 days from Purandar to Sinhagad via Khed Shivapur and Kondanpur.
- A trek of Malhargad-Kanifnath Temple-Purandar-Katraj-Sinhagad-Rajgad-Torna and Raigad will take 10-12 days or more.
- Start trekking to Malhargad Fort making Purandar the last stage of a 3-day trip.
Through Purandar Fort trek in Maharashtra, you reach to the height of 4,472 ft above sea level. As there are changes in the topography, it rewards you with a wide range of flowers on the way, thus you enjoy the journey all the more and reaching to the destination becomes more pleasurable. Thus, you explore a physiographic division having lots of historical significance.