Koraigad, in the rains

Summer 2016 was a dry, drought, depressing summer, with hassles for water.  (Oh! That was alliteration by the way.)  Maharashtra was pleading for rains, and the rains too were a late-comer.  Makes me realize that no matter how technologically advanced mankind grows, we still are hapless when it comes to natural disasters, or what you call acts of God; a reminder for humans to stay humble at all times and respect and preserve nature.

Well, finally when the rains came, joy knew no bounds, and what else would the residents of Mumbai and its suburbs and Maharashtra at large wait for.  There was greenery and waterfalls everywhere.  Not to miss out on experiencing the slow bloom of nature, we planned a trek.  Since we were not too much keen on undertaking some hardcore trek, we planned on one of the easy-to-climb forts of Maharashtra, that’s Koraigad or Korigad, situated at the outskirts of Lonavala.  I must tell you that we had visited Koraigad in winter some years back, but it was a completely different experience with the rains.  We had pouring rains, cloud, fog, waterfall all at the same time, which was a complete contrast to the winter platter.

Koraigad in the Summer

Koraigad in the rains

Since travel was just some 2 hours long and we were not worried about the sun, we decided to catch up enough sleep and not be an early riser that day, a mistake we realized later.  It was decided to meet at 7 am.  We had a vehicle arranged from Badlapur, and our saarthi Nilesh was a careful driver.  We got down at Badlapur station and after exchanging pleasantries, we eagerly hopped into a nearby tea shop for our morning brew, yummy I must say.  Having tea with drizzles and friends and lots of laughter is an experience in itself.  With our body warm from the tea, we started our trip via the old Mumbai Pune Highway, which was a picturesque ride in itself.  We stopped at Karjat for our breakfast and loo break.  Hungrily gulping the hot vada pavs and bhajis, we finished it with berry chocolates that a friend brought.

We reached Koraigad passing through the scenic Lonavala, Bushi Dam, Lion’s Point, et al.  Since our adrenaline was surging, we didn’t have any more eatery stopovers till we reached the fort.  I must tell you that there are two ways to get to the footsteps leading to the fort.  One starts opposite the Peth Shahapur village busstop, where there is provision to park your vehicles, if you are traveling by private transport, bus, or car.  Just a short mention, here that on our first visit, we had taken a Karjat train from Mumbai, alighting at Karjat and again taking a connecting train to Lonavala.  From there, we had hired a local transport to Peth Shahapur.

Parking space

The other trail starts at Bhairavnath temple which is an easier walk especially in the rain, though a long one, as you have to travel through the village.  But you will not regret the extra mile as each path has a beauty of its own.  The shorter path from the bus-stop was slippery and we hoped we had not taken that path.  So just a forewarning.

Trail to the steps

The trek was lovely as it was raining continuously and it was fun exchanging a word or two with other trekkers.   We walked through forest thickets, open land, and muddy path, all having an excitement of its own.  Once we reached the stone steps, altered and repaired now, the climb was easy and even more fun as we had water flowing through steps like a waterfall. 

The serpentine steps

Water flowing through the steps

A closer shot by the talented Amit

Pictures and oohs and aahs and monkeys followed.  Treks are one of the amazing ways of connecting with raw nature.  To me, it felt like a prayer and worship.  You go to the house of God per your religion and worship the Almighty, it’s different.  But, trek is like you are only praising the creator, thanking Him for this amazing creation.  What a lovely prayer where you just praise Him and not ask anything in return.

The steps are serpentine with curves, and with every curve you get a waterfall from the steps above.  It was not dangerous, yet it always helps to be cautious.  They have put barriers and railings for support in many places.  This trek is so easy and safe that you can even get children along.

You will find a medium size cave, the size of one room kitchen, which you can use for short rest; and during the rains there are vendors selling hot tea, snacks, and Maggi too.  During the non-rainy seasons, it’s a beautiful stopover as you have provision to sit there and enjoy the views around.  There are a couple more smaller caves on the way.

Cave on the way

Finally when we reached the Ganesh darwaja (entrance to the fort), the wind was chilling and we were ready for another round of tea.  There were a couple of villagers who were carrying hot tea in flasks along with eatables.  The fort was cleaner than expected, yet the travellers can do more justice by safeguarding nature and not littering plastic and most of all avoid liquor bottles.  The fort is in excellent condition with renovated steps and strong walls.  You will find the Koraidevi temple atop the fort.  The Koraidevi temple is even known to accommodate up to 25 people, making it ideal for night treks and camping.  There are two more temples on the fort and those too make for a comfortable stay.  To the northern side, alongside the Koraidevi temple, are two ponds.  The ponds supposedly contain drinkable water, so another plus point for camping as you can cook there.  You can enjoy a dip and quench your thirst.

The Ganesh Darwaja, Fort Entrance

Koraidevi Temple

The pond with the temple at the backdrop

There is a vast area to explore, around 2 kms.  To the southern end of the fort there are several cannons (Thop in Hindi), so we can get a feel of our history.  Do take time to touch and feel them as you are transferred to the times of Shivaji and wars, as your mind travels to history and historical people.

You can go to the edges of the fort wall and enjoy the view below.  You will see the much acclaimed Aamby Valley and its air strip.  There are two lakes that you can see in the distance.   As you can expect, the view is splendid as it is from any mountain or hill top.  One can walk along the walls of the fort and enjoy the beauty both within the fort and simultaneously enjoy the view below.   To the pond side, there are some steep climbs, which become easy if you have friends like mine.

We had explored the entire fort when we had been there in the winter.  But this time, during rains, low visibility and continuous downpour were a problem, and as I had mentioned earlier, we were not feeling too adventurous.  Too much clouds and fog were a hindrance to any view that you would hope to see.  So we stayed just about half an hour and indulged in some home brought munchies.

We started the descent, which was even more amazing than the ascent as we indulged in the waterfalls and clicked lot of pictures.  On our way back, we dropped in to see some houses at Aamby valley.  Wow! What beautiful bungalows.  We walked through Peth Shahapur village before reaching the parking lot.  A short distance from here you will find some houses where you have provision for changing clothes (they charged Rs. 20 per person) and food.  You have options of veg and nonveg thali and Chinese too.  This was not there during our winter trip, so I am not sure if it’s a seasonal stopover or they operate year round.

We encountered heavy traffic at Lonavala; hence, it is advisable not to visit this place in weekends.  Took us 4 hours just to cross Lonavala city, compared to the two hours it took to reach from Badlapur.  We were so tired that we were compelled to take a tea break before reaching Karjat.  From there, the traffic was sparse and we chit-chatted, played Antakshari, and dosed off too amidst all this.

It was pretty late due to all the traffic we had to encounter, but it was a day well spent with friends and nature.

Lessons learnt:

Admiring God’s creation is one of the purest form of worshipping.

It’s high time, we take steps to preserve nature and such historic monuments; else, future generations will have little to relive these times.

Friends are an unending source of energy and happiness.

Due to heavy rains and fog, we were unable to click any clear pictures.  Hence, the pics below, some are clicked by my friend Amit, while the others are from the internet to give you an idea of the beautiful, beautiful fort.  

Map of Koraigad fort

Koraigad, view from base.