Being ardent followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , me and my friend decided to trek to the capital of Swarajya. Growing up listening to the stories of bravery and valor of the marathas , it kind of convinced us to trek to the fort.
We started our journey early in the morning at about 6:30 from Chandni chowk in pune from where we boarded a Shivshahi bus to mahad.
We reached mahad at around 10:30 and waited for a bus ahead to raigad fort. Meanwhile we had some Brunch to get energy required for the trek. At about 11 AM we got on a local bus which took about an hour , after some stops , to reach raigad fort. Now there we were at the base of the mighty fort standing tall with all its glory. We started to ascend at around 12:30 PM. The climb was beautiful. Not very tough but surrounded by greenery and birds. Moving ahead there are many local venders on the path selling refreshments. We took some at points while we stopped to take some photos and to rest. Finally after trekking slowly for 3 long hours we reached the gate. There was a tourist charge of 25 Rs. each for visitors.
First thing we did after entering the fort was to book a room for stay. We headed to the rope way stays near the rope way gate. We booked a room there for Rs 800. After checking in and settling down it was almost 6 PM. We had heard a lot of stories about exploring the fort at night and hence decided to experience it. We set out to explore the fort while it was getting darker. Going in through the Mena darwaja we saw the Rani mahals and the Sadar. We walked further ahead right till Jagdhishwar Mandir and back. We were accompanied by two other groups. After a tiring day of travel and trekking we returned back had food and slept.
With a fresh start in morning at 8 AM , we now decided to hire a local guide to tell us more about the fort. The local guides usually take around 500 Rs for the tour of fort. The guide told us about the history of the fort. He told us how it was built and then attacked by many forces. Starting from the Mena Darwaja the tour ended at Jagdishwar temple. We paid the guide the amount and sat for a while near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Samadhi. We sat there for almost half hour and then headed back. While going back we also happened to see the Takmak Tok. The view from here was Breathtaking. We headed back to the Rope way as we decided to descend down through rope way to experience it. After reaching the base we got on a local bus which tool us back to Mahad. We already had bookings for a bus back to Pune.
The trek and the fort were both great experiences. The Fun of travelling with your friend , fun of trekking through the lush green paths , the fun of exploring the fort in the dark and knowing about the history , bravery and valor of our king is definitely exhilarating and cannot be compared to anything.
Cheers
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