Fort : Lohagad

Distance	52 km	Height	3450 feet / 1052 mtrs
Days	One and a half days	Difficulty	Easy
Base Village	Malawli
Shelter	Not Available

Overview

Lohagad (literally "Iron fort" in Marathi) is one of the many hill forts of Chatrapati Shivaji. Lohagad fort is a formidable fort near Pune. Lohagad makes an ideal trekking destination for trekkers from Pune because of its accesibility, ease of the trek and lush green surroundings. Lohagad divides the basins of the Indrayani and Pavna and is situated the Sahaydris.
There are 4 doors to Lohagad from the nearby village -Lohgadwadi. i.e. 'Ganesh Darwaja' , 'Narayan Darwaja' , 'Hanuman Darwaja' and 'Maha Darwaja'. Some sculptures can also be seen on Maha Darwaja. Lohagad is not so spreaded and can be easily seen in few hours . The famous spot on Lohagad is 'Vinchu Kata' - a range of hills that looks like Capricorn. Amazing view of Pawana Dam is also visible from the back side of Lohagad. The wealth from Surat was brought here under the leadership of Netaji Palkar and kept here for some period.

History

Historical records show that in the later Peshwa period, Nana Phadnavis (1742-1800 AD) built several structures in the fort such as a big tank and a step-well.
Lohagad has a long history with several dynasties occupying it at different periods of time: Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizamshahis, Mughals and Marathas. Shivaji captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 CE by the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji recaptured the fort in 1670 CE and used it for keeping his treasury.

How to Reach

By Road :
For people traveling from Pune city, the route is via Chandani chowk – Pirangut - Paud After reaching Paud take right and drive for around 40 odd km. Just after you cross “Dudhiware Khind” you reach to the same place Take right for Lohgad base. It is tar road and you can reach comfortably till the “Paytha”. Have a safe drive. It’s a wonderful place and should be tried in between mid August to mid Sept. when you can still have rain but the intensity comes down.When it rains, the top of the fort is covered with mist and clouds and becomes particularly wet. It is advisable to carry protective gear during the rainy season (mid-June to mid-September). Further, food is not easily available on the route. Most of the food stalls sell water, poha, tea/coffee, snacks, and soft drinks. A panoramic view of the Pawna dam can be seen from the fort.
By Train :
To reach Lohagad from Pune one can either take a local train; there are a number of local trains operating between Pune and Lonavala; you can take any of them and alight at Malawli.

Food Facility

Arrangements can be made at the village.

Drinking Water Facility

Plenty