Ramshej Fort Treak and its Bravest Fight

 

Journey Date : 15th May, 2023
Mode of Transport : Train and Bus

History of the Fort

    The history of Ramsej Fort, built atop a rocky hill in the Sahyadri mountain range, dates back to ancient times. Originally constructed by the Yadavas, this fort later came under the control of various dynasties, each leaving its mark on its architectural splendor.

    Located north of Nashik, Ramsej is one of the rare forts in the Sahyadri that holds both spiritual and historical significance. The name "Ramsej" translates to "Lord Rama's resting place." It is believed that during his exile, Lord Rama made this place his abode for some time, which is how the fort derived its name.

Ramshej Fort

How to reach by Public Transport

• There are several trains from Mumbain CSMT and from Pune to Nashik.
• Nashik is the nearest railway station for Ramshej.
• From Nashik Road bus depot board a bus for Nashik Old CBS bus depot.
• From Nashik Old CBS bus depot board a Peth route bus and get down at Ashewadi. OR
• There are sharing taxis available from Nipani. OR
• Auto rickshaws are available from Nashik Road, but they will charge very high.

Travel and Trek Experience

    The plan was to visit Harihar Fort, but due to some unavoidable reasons, we canceled the Harihar Fort plan and decided to visit Ramshej Fort instead. This fort holds significant historical importance in ancient India as well as during the Maratha Empire.

    My friend Vijay Sutar, the owner of a trekking group called Bhatkanti - Dhyas Gadkillyancha, and I met at Thane Railway Station. Due to the last-minute change in plans, there was no faster alternative to reach Nashik, so we decided to travel in the general compartment. We boarded the Mahanagari Express at 12:50 AM and arrived at Nashik Road Railway Station at 4:00 AM.

    We headed west toward the Nashik Bus Depot and inquired about a bus to Ramshej Fort via Peth Road. There was no direct bus from Nashik Road Bus Depot, so we took a bus to Nashik Old CBS Depot. The bus departed at 5:00 AM and reached the Old CBS Bus Depot around 5:20 AM. At the inquiry counter, we asked about a bus going via Peth; it was scheduled to arrive at 5:30 AM. We waited for 10 minutes, boarded the S.T. bus going via Peth at 5:30 AM, and got off at Ashevwadi Bus Stop, at the base of Ramshej Fort, at 6:30 AM.

    

Map of Ramshej Fort

    We crossed the Peth Highway and took the road toward Ramshej. After walking for 15-20 minutes, we reached a village at the foothills. In the village, we saw a signboard, read the history of Ramshej Fort written on it, and headed toward the fort. While climbing the hill, we witnessed the sight of the sun god at sunrise, captured it on camera, and continued onward. After an hour of climbing, we arrived at the temple of Lord Shri Ram located in a cave, spent some time there, and then moved forward. Below the cave, there is a water tank with potable water. In 2-3 minutes, we reached the Mahadarwaza (main gate), where we were greeted by a captivating view. Seeing the cool breeze and the monsoon clouds drifting over the hills, our fatigue vanished. We spent some time watching the play of the monsoon clouds.

 

Sunrise view from Ramshej

Lord Ram Cave Temple

    Some tourists were seen descending through the stone archway, so we moved forward to explore what was there. We climbed down the stone steps and reached the bottom, stopping near another cave. Upon checking the map, we realized the place was an armory or ammunition storehouse. After visiting the armory, we ascended again and headed toward the northern side of the fort. Walking along the path by the fortification, we reached the entrance. Recently, an unknown fort conservation group had installed a door at the entrance. We entered and arrived at a secret passage. Vijay told us that descending the steps would lead to a Shivling. Both of us went down the steps, and after a short distance, the steps ended. Peering through a hole in the ground, we saw the Shivling inside the cave.

    The gate we passed through is called "Gomukhi Dwar," carved from a single stone using a hammer and chisel. Following the same path, we reached Mahadarwaza. From there, we took a slight U-turn and moved forward. We saw remnants of lime grinder, but while the lime-mixing wheel was missing, the circular groove carved into the ground was still in good condition. After climbing 20-25 steps, we reached the water tanks. The chain of tanks is designed so that excess water from one tank flows into the tank below, keeping the water filtered and clean. Salutations to the ancient architects!

Main Gate - Gomukhi Dwar

Ruined Limestone Grinder

    We moved forward, climbed a small hill, and reached the Goddess Bhavani temple. Near the temple, the villagers have installed a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We took some photos and videos and turned left to search for the Chor Khind (secret passage). While exploring, we came across the ruined remains of the fort keeper’s mansion and some water tanks; near the tanks, we found a structure resembling a small entrance, which was the secret passage we were looking for. The Mughals had besieged the fort for 5-6 years. During that time, this hidden route must have been used to deliver supplies to the fort.

Godess Bhavani Temple

    The view of the other forts is awesome from the secret door. We spent some time and had a snack while discussing the history. The Mughal commander in chief, Shahabuddin Khan, assured his king Aurangzeb that he would capture the fort in one week, but he miserably failed. The Maratha army and commander in chief of the fort fought bravely for 5 to 6 years. Unfortunately, the name of the commander in chief of the fort is still unknown.

    We come out of the secret door and move upside towards the highest point of the mountain, where we again see multiple water tanks, which were constructed in such a way that overflow water would get transferred to other tanks. These water tanks can hold water for one year (till the next monsoon). After exploring the top part of the fort, we started to descend and reached the Maha Darwaja (earlier, we moved left from the Maha Darwaj). We move forward to explore the right side of the fort.

Water Tanks

    

    On the right side of the fort is a plateau with no ancient structures to see except some water tanks and old markings on the rocks of Shamyana (Canopy). Within an hour, we had explored the fort. Before starting our return journey, we had lemon juice and started descending the fort. At around 9:00 a.m., we reached the base village of Ashe Wadi,

    We headed towards Peth Road for the bus, where we saw a hotel, so we decided to have breakfast. We ordered a Batata Vada Usal and pav. The usal was too spicy, which we could not bear. We had only Batata Vada to finish our breakfast.

    Note: In Nashik, you will get spicy food in the villages; if you are not used to it, then visit tourist areas like Panchavati or Nashik Road for South Indian food like idli and meduvada. Still, you have to compromise on the taste of the food.

    We waited for almost 30–45 Minutes for the MSRTC bus, but finally we got a shared Taxi that dropped us off at Nipani at a fare of 70 Rs each. From the Nipani bus depot, we boarded a bus and reached Nashik Road. Due to no reservation, we again boarded a general compartment of the Chapra Express and reached Thane station.

Expense tracker (Excluding Food)

Time Tracker

Places to see Near by

Bhorgad Fort
Dehegad Fort
Anjaneri Fort - Birth Place of Lord Hanuman
Panchavati - Godawari River

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling and Bramhagiri Fort

Shaptashrungi Shaktipith and Fort

Water tank below Lord Ram Temple