Harishchandragad Trek: Discovering the Hidden Gems of the Western Ghats

 

Commence Date : 29 Jul, 2022

Mode of Transport : Train and Bus

History of the Fort

    Harishchandragad is mentioned in the ancient Agni Purana and Matsya Purana. Changdeva had performed penance in the caves of this fort. This fort is one of the oldest forts in India. The idols of Lord Vishnu are carved in the caves near the temple of Harishchandreshwar, and they are believed to be from the 11th century. Many caves were carved here in the 11th century. There is a Shiva temple on this fort, which dates back to the 12th century. The Mughals captured the fort from the Adivasi Koli Mahadev community. In 1747, the Marathas took this fort from the Mughals and appointed Krishnaji Shinde as the head of the fort. The British captured the fort in year 1818.

Travel and Trek Experience

    This was the trek I had awaited the most till date. Due to limited information about the trek, this time we joined the group ‘Bhatkanti Dhyas Gadkillyancha’ and group leader Mr. Vijay Sutar for the trek.
Including the group leader, our group had a total of seven members. Different members boarded the Kasara train from different stations. Myself boarded the train from Dadar at 11:05 PM and got down at Kasara at 1:30 AM.

Kokankada

    At Kasara railway station, we all gathered and stepped out of the station, where Vijay had already booked a jeep. Around 1:45 AM, we left from Kasara station and reached Pachnai village by 5:00 in the morning. We were almost an hour late. At Rajur, where the Forest Department checkpoint is located, we paid a fee of ₹30 per person and ₹100 for the vehicle. The group leader had arranged breakfast and lunch at a house in Pachnai village. We freshened up and had breakfast (homemade poha and tea). Around 6:30 in the morning, we began our trek. The morning weather and the view of the waterfalls were so beautiful that our excitement only grew further.

Waterfall at base village Pachnai

    After walking for a while, we reached a welcome arch — this is where the actual Harishchandragad trail begins. We took a group photo near the arch and proceeded ahead. As we climbed, we saw a few villagers carrying supplies. We asked one of them, “Is there any event happening at the fort?” He replied, “Yes, the month of Shravan has started, and tomorrow is the first Monday of Shravan. We’re taking flowers to decorate the temple.”

After trekking for about 30 minutes, we reached a spot that most tourists love to spend time at: a small cave and a tiny waterfall along the trail. We got a little wet under the waterfall and clicked some pictures before moving on. A little later, we reached a stream, which further turns into a waterfall. Some tourists were enjoying a dip in the stream. We decided to take a dip on our way back and continued ahead. A short distance further, we saw a metal bridge built by the villagers and the forest department. We crossed the stream over the bridge and reached the other side.

Trail from Pachnai to Harishchandragad

    In just two hours, we reached the top of the hill. The view from the summit was beautiful and mesmerizing. We captured the game of hide and seek between the clouds and the hills in a time-lapse and moved ahead. While walking, we saw a blanket of clouds parting below and the ancient Harishchandreshwar temple emerging in sight, which instantly took away our fatigue. The temple was so captivating that, without a pause, we kept walking in that direction.

Harishchandreshwar Shiv Temple

    Harishchandreshwar Shiva Temple was built at the source of the Mangalganga (Mula) river by Shilahara King Zhanj during the 11th to 12th century. King Zhanj constructed a total of 12 such temples at the origins of 12 rivers in the Pune and Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) regions.

    We entered the temple premises. On the entrance arch, there are two sculptures of Kirtimukhas, along with verses (ovyas) written by Changdev. We visited the sanctum and had darshan of Lord Mahadev, then began exploring the surrounding area of the temple. Though the temple is small, the surrounding area is filled with small caves, were idols of various deities kept.

Statue of Nandi and Shivling

Group photo

    I came out of the temple premises and turned left towards the Kedareshwar cave; inside the cave, there is a massive Shivling. Out of the four pillars, three are broken; according to mythology, the four pillars represent the four Yugas (ages). It is believed that when the fourth pillar breaks, Kaliyuga will end. If we set aside the mythological tale and look into the history of Harishchandragad fort, it is evident that at one point, the fort was under Mughal control. As was their usual practice after conquering a fort, the Mughals likely attempted to destroy the temples.

Shivling in Kedareshwar cave

    After visiting the Kedareshwar Caves, we proceeded towards the Saptateertha Pushkarni. In ancient times, the water from this Pushkarni was used for drinking and other daily chores, but now tourists are using it like a swimming pool, which is wrong and needs to stop. After spending a little time near the Pushkarni, we headed towards the most fascinating spot — the Konkankada. After walking for about a kilometer, we reached the Konkankada, but were disappointed to see it completely covered by clouds. We sat on the edge for a while and ate the snacks we had brought in our bags. Being mindful of cleanliness, we packed all the wrappers and empty plastic bottles back into our bags and started our return journey.

Saptatirth Pushkarni

    After the monsoon, we decided to visit again and started walking towards the Harishchandreshwar Temple. A little before reaching the temple, there is a road on the right that leads to the Ganesh Caves. We took the right turn and arrived near the Ganesh Caves. Inside the cave, there is a beautifully carved 8-foot-tall idol of Lord Ganesh. The cave area is so spacious that 20 to 30 people can stay inside. Even today, tourists and trekking groups spend the night in these caves.

8 Feet Lord Ganesh Statue

The stream on Harishchandra hill

    After spending around three hours exploring the fort, we began our return journey. After walking for about an hour, we reached the stream once again. We took a short break by the stream—some members even took a dip and enjoyed a refreshing bath. Although we were running behind schedule, our group leader didn’t rush us. He allowed us to enjoy every moment! After the break at the stream, we resumed our descent and reached Pachnai village by around 12:00 noon.

    After having a warm, home-cooked meal, we got into the jeep and began our journey towards Kasara. By around 4:30 PM, we reached near Kasara railway station. We boarded the 5:00 PM Kasara–CSMT train and reached Dadar by 7:15 PM.

👉 Blog Post – Harishchandragad and Raucous form of Nature

Places to See on Harishchandragad

Konkankada

Harishchandreshwar Temple

Kedareshwar Caves and Shivling

Taramati Peak

Saptatirtha Pushkarni

Ganesh Caves and Ganesh Idol