Sinhagad Trek

Sinhagad fort is around 49 kms from Pune city. The fort was one of the many strategically located forts of the Maratha empire.

We have been to Sinhagad fort for trekking about two years back. You can catch a bus from Pune city, which takes about 1 hour to reach Sinhagad foothills. Enroute you can take a stop at Khadakwasla dam and have a quick snack. For trekking, rainy season is the best time to visit and next is winter. Early morning trek is advisable as it gets difficult to trek in the afternoon heat. It takes about 1-2 hours to reach the fort depending upon individual’s stamina. There are plenty of stalls providing water bottles, buttermilk and local fruits on the way. Just before the top of trek, there is a steep slope for which you actually have to use all four limbs to get pass it. Alternatively there is a relatively flatter route adjacent to it.

Recently we went to Sinhagad fort to eat Pithla bhakri, baingan ka bharta and kulhad dahi. We drove upto the base of the fort- you can either take the Expressway -Shikrapur route or via Khadakwasla dam. Entry fees for private vehicles is 100 Rs. The fort is 2 mins walking from the parking spot. It gets crowded by 11 am, so again early morning visit is advisable. There is a small restaurant named Narvir after crossing the Pune darwaza, managed by the locals. For Maharashtrians, this is the local food, but trust me when I write this – You will get the best baingan ka bharta at this shade. Leave a comment below if you think any other place in Pune city can beat this baigan bharta. Eat this food all the while enjoying the amazing scenery of Khadakwasla dam.

There are plenty of places of historical importance to visit inside the fort like Tilak bungalow, Rajaram’s tomb, Amrutheshwar temple, Tanaji samadi and Kalyan darwaza. After walking in the sweltering heat, you can again have kulhad dahi and pithla bhakri for lunch. There are plenty of shades managed by the local villagers inside the fort.