Daulatabad Devagiri Fort - An Architectural Wonder!

If you like to time travel, then go to Daulatabad fort (Devagiri fort). You will get a lifetime travel experience here. During our one day trip, after visiting Grishneshwar Jyotirling Temple, we moved to visit 'Daulatabad Fort'. It is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra and a developing tourist spot. Entry point is on the road itself, it can be easily accessed via bus or through cab, and lots of parking available. It is about 16 km of Aurangabad, about 230 km from Pune and about 280 km from Mumbai. 

The way the fort is built and the architecture is certainly worth admiring. Just get your ticket from outside window, and enjoy the fort. The fort is a place of extraordinary strength. It is situated on a hill top and gives breath taking views for the city from top. We just loved it. The Moon Minar (Chandminar) is a tower which can be seen from all around. It was originally covered with beautiful Persian glazed tiles. The fort has 7 gates in zigzag path. The only means of access to the top is by a narrow bridge, with passage for not more than two people abreast, and a long gallery, excavated in the rock, which has for the most part a very gradual upward slope. At the top, and at intervals on the slope, are specimens of massive old cannon facing out over the surrounding countryside. The cannon on the top was so mesmerizing, that we spent 15 minutes at that place. There are cannons which have signatures of Aurangzeb engaved on them. Also at the mid way, there is a cave entrance meant to confuse the enemies. 

The recommended weather to visit Daulatabad fort would be monsoons to experience the beauty surrounding the fort and will also help to climb the fort at ease. But if you are planning some other timings, better to avoid summer's afternoon. The fort gives you a great sight in the evenings. Now a days, the walkway is surrounded by nice green gardens, so it was a pleasant walk. Carry loads of water and don't forget to visit old Bharatmata temple and a 1000 years old Ganpati temple which is located on the fort itself. I just loved the time spent together with Tanuj and Mom, and then moved to Bibi Ka Makbara. 

Recommendation: Certainly a must and worth visit for all tourists visiting Aurangabad, particularly for those who have not visited this fort earlier. In my opinion if anybody wants to enjoy its magnificent view, he should spend atleast 4 hours. Since Daulatabad Fort lies on the route to Ellora caves and Grishneshwar temple, one can plan to visit this fort in the morning, visit Aurangzeb’s tomb, spend afternoon time at Ellora caves and visit Grishneshwar temple at early evening time. 

Near by places of interest: 

Ellora Caves, Aurangabad 

Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad 

Sai Baba temple, Shirdi 

Grishneshwar Jyotirling and Temple, Verul 

Bibika Makbara (Mini Tajmahal), Aurangabad 

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Jadhavgadh Fort - An unique experience at Heritage place near Pune

Looking for a place near Pune to spend a day or two, go for Jadhavgadh Fort - the only Fort Heritage Hotel in Maharashtra. Located 1km off Hadapsar- Saswad road, Fort Jadhavgadh stands upright with walls, gate and decor depicting royality. The management of resort have planned different packages very carefully to attract maximum footfall. One day package includes Lunch/Dinner with audio-guided tour of the Fort and the museum and extended overnight stay can be for as many days you may wish. It is not only a fort, but a family resort near Pune and Mumbai.
Address: Jadhavgadh Fort, Hadapsar Saswad Road, Jadhavwadi, Pune, Maharashtra 412301

From Magarpatta, we headed towards Hadapsar-Saswad highway and after a drive for approx 40 mins, we could see sign boards for way to Jadhavgadh Heritage Fort. To maintain the authenticity and non commercialization of the surrounding area, the route diverted from main highway is not constructed properly :P After covering the broken road we finally reached our destination and at the first look of it, all of us were awestruck with the beauty of the place. They offer Valet parking and the Guard/darban was dressed no less than a Royal Darban. We were welcomed by the authentic musicians who played trumpet along with Nagada, trust me it was just awesome and is to be experienced. This welcome is for all, irrespective of the fact, that whether you are there for a day tour or for a long stay.

Due to lack of time, we had opted for day tour and dinner. The audio-guided tour takes you approx 40-45 mins if you are really serious to know about facts; but we wanted to take a feel of every nook and corner of the fort and hence we took approx 2.5 hours to cover the place. 'Photography is also important' and hence the delay. The tour explains each point in short in your preferred language - Hindi/English/Marathi. We took audio tour which is quite well managed covering all the points at fort in order.

Photo Gallery
Elephant's dinner plate
Jarokha
Dungeons and Tunnels
Gate & Walls
Kund-Pool
Garden View & Layer-Royal Garden
Ganesh Temple
Tamarind Tree
Quarry
Organic Garden
Payatha Restaurant

Experience of temperature controlled swimming floor on the top is just amazing with two trees. This was the place where we spent around 30 minutes and had few beautiful photographs. The place has well manicured lawns where people relax and play. There are also few outdoor/indoor games equipment, bikes, archery, rifle shooting etc to keep engage all the times throughout your stay. If one is having issue while walking, avoid this place as they don't have lift and stairs are quite high in the fort. The open space is full of greenery and has quite a few activities arranged, like basket ball, swings, garden for kids, huge space for children to run & play, a very old temple, museum.

Aai Museum: Museum gives a sense of development of civilization and how things would have evolved basis the necessities. This place covers most of the points as per audio tour. No photography is allowed inside, but it talks about Pilaji Rao and many things to display across three floors. The objects were like: Pagdipat, Paandaan, Chillums and Hookahs, Objects of Beauty, Food Processor, Transport, Parshuram, Pichkari, Temple doors, Gun powder flasks, Locks. At the top of museum roof, views are amazing specially in the evening.

The fort has suites, different grade rooms, royal tents and neem cottages which are spread across the three wings of fort. Room types include - Maharaja Suite, Maharani Suite, Museum Suite, Premium Hill view room, Premium Rain Shower Room, Deluxe room. The interiors are a mix of old world charm and contemporary luxuries. Many celebrities too visit this fort at different occasions. This fort is also used for photo shoot, Pre-Wedding shoot or other commercial photo shoots.

We had our royal dinner. During dinner as well, staff gave open air table for 8 of us as requested. Excellent food and choices in buffet! Fort Jadhavgadh's roof top restaurant came alive with 'Ghazal Night' that night. The place is great to celebrate anniversary, birthdays, royal wedding, valentines, special days and events. It was a great royal experience including audio tour of the fort and grand dinner with friends. Hope to plan our one night stay at Jadhavgadh soon.

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Ropeway trip to Raigad Fort

"This king of forts is a precious gift to Maharashtra and a must-visit place - full of natural, majestic and historic heritage." - Quote about Raigad Fort (Raigarh Fort) in Maharashtra by Sachin Kumar Gupta

Fort Raigad is much more than a mere tourist spot, it is a sacred pilgrimage. This is the fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned and he took his last breath. Raigad is a hill fort situated in the Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra, India.  Raigarh is approx 200KM from Mumbai and 150KM from Pune and approx 140KM from Satara. From Pune, one can reach here via drive through Mulshi Dam and beautiful curves of Tamhini Ghat.
From Pune - Chandani Chowk - Mulshi - Tamhini - Nizampur – Pachad Road – Raigad
From Mumbai - Navi Mumbai - Pali - Kolad - Mumbai Goa Road - Dhalghar Naka - Pachad Road – Raigad
From Satara - Mahabaleshwar - Poladpur - Mahad – Raigad Road - Pachad – Raigad

We planned our much awaited team event this monsoon. All the friends were quite excited about the trip. A motor-able road leads to Chit Darwaja, about 2kms from Pachad, the village at the base, where lies the Samadhi of Jijabai, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mother. A long climb from Pachad takes one to the Mahadarwaza, flanked by two massive bastions and a high curtain wall. One has to climb approximately 2-3 hours with 1400-1500 steps in order to reach the top of the fort. But we opted for ropeway as planned. 

"Raigad Fort Rope-way"
Raigad Ropeway has opened a new dimension of sightseeing at the Fort Raigad in Maharashtra. There are cable cars/rope-way which take the visitors from base of the hill to the top of the fort and back. It's definitely a clever option to opt for, if you don't want to climb the full trek or don't have enough time. With this you can spend more time on the fort itself. Just near the ropeway starting point, we have small Museum  displaying artifacts which have information about Shivaji Maharaj, forts in Maharashtra and other details. Take a note that you have to wait for about '30 minutes to 1 hour' for ropeway trip in normal days, and upto 2-3 hours during peak season days. Two ways ticket for adults was 200 INR per adult and flight time is approx 4-5 minutes. 

Ropeway in itself could be thrilling experience for few and heaven for others, specially during monsoon. Raigad fort in rainy season is awesome to visit and experience of Ropeway acts like a cherry on cake. A flight through the clouds, whistling winds, full of rains, and cool foggy trip! The sun was playing hide and seek. Many waterfalls and amazing greenland views can be seen while being at ropeway. The Ropeway drops you near Mena Darwaja. The fort’s 5.12 sq. kms hill-top plateau, has three main points Hirkani in the west, Takamak in the north and Bhavani in the east. 

There are many attractions around Raigad Fort with magnificient views. Per our experience, this place can be explored in below order, in order to enjoy it the best (if you are coming by ropeway)
    Ropeway
    Meena Darwaja: a special entrance for the royal ladies and the queens.
    Hirkani Buruj: Just on the top, there is MTDC resort nearby.
    Queens Palace: Its ruins today consist of the queen's quarters: six chambers, with each chamber having its own private restroom. Each one is bigger than 2 BHK flats.
    Rajyasabha Graha
    Nagarkhana Darwaja
    Palkhi Darwaja: The convoy of the king and the king himself used this gate.
    The 12-sided two-storey towers just look awesome during monsoon, this place is must seen place of the fort.
    Ganga Sagar Lake: The picturesque place contains main water reservoir for the fort.
    Holicha Mal: It is a wide-open ground, used for annual Holi festival. There is a temple of Shirkai Bhavani, a presiding deity of the fort.
    Market place (Bazaar Peth): There are few small shops selling few snacks and drink at many places.
    Takmak Tok: a cliff point from where the sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This is a must visit point, but the area is now fenced off, so please be aware of while walking.
    Jagdishwar Temple: The floor of temple is super cool in monsoon, as we were bare feet.
    Shree Samadhi of Shivaji Maharaj
    Throne of Shivaji Maharaj

We also had chance to meet Marathi delicacies at one of the villager's home. It was economic and an experience in itself. Raigad Fort is worth visiting over the weekend with your family, kids (If taking rope-way) or even as part of project groups. Everyone - Gaurav, Gyanu, Paresh, Sarika, Vaibhav, Vijay had lots of fun throughout the trip. 

Raigad fort is ideal for camping. If you are planning to trek in the night, ensure that you are trekking with experienced trekkers and have good flashlights with you. One can stay overnight, at the top of the fort. We would love to go this place again, and will definitely plan for an overnight stay.

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Fort Pratapgad near Mahabaleshwar

Fort Pratapgad (Pratapgarh Killa)

If you are visiting Mahabaleshwar, and have 3-4 hrs to spare, Fort Pratapgad is worth visiting, which is approx 25 KM away from Mahabaleshwar. If you are in Mahabaleshwar for 2 or 3 days stay, count this fort in your travel list. From Pune it is 150 KM, from Mumbai it is 200, and from Satara it is approx 70 KM.

Pune - Panchgani - Mahabaleshwar - Pratapgad Road - Pratapgad Fort
Mumbai - Khopoli - Pali - Kolad - Mahad - Poladpur - Pratapgad Rd, Rajpuri - Fort

We saw many waterfalls during the ghat area on the way to Pratapgarh on the road side, which would bloom during peak monsoon season. During monsoons, visibility is quite low, due to dense fog, so drive carefully specially on turns and hairpin bends. You can reach out to parking place by vehicle, and then by walk and by climbing the stairs to reach the top. There are step numbers also marked at many places. There would be approx 400 stairs to climb but its not really tiring, when you reach on the top and see the views, these are really worth. During the stair route, there are many shops who sell souvneirs and snacks. Quite a variety of Maharashtrian food options are available at reasonable price. As Tanuj was quite inquisitive about Maharashtrian Delicacies, we tried all varieties.

This fort has a great historical significance...Afzalkhan, enemy of maratha empire came to this fort with the plan to kill Chhatrapati Shivaji, but Chhatrapati Shivaji defeated him even though he was much younger than Afzalkhan and later Chhatrapati Shivaji built a huge Maratha Empire. Thats a short history of this fort.

There is a small garden on top with a big statue of Chhatrapati situated is in the center. We bow our head in respect to the Maratha warrior king. The place was covered with fog blanket during most of the times, which makes this place more beautiful. The sun was playing hide and seek, whereas side mountains were covered with dense fog, sometimes sunlight and shadows. It feels fresh and lively, once you reach the top and with rains, it was even more beautiful. 

Fort is divided into several parts. From the fort, you can watch out below points within and breathtaking views outside the fort:

Afzalkhan Tomb
Ancient Cave (Shivkaleen Guha)
Ancient Lake (Shivkaleen Taalab)
Bale Killa
Cannon Attack Points
Chhtrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj Statue
Jawali Valley (Jawali Khore)
Kokan Darshan
Mahabaleshwar View
Main Gate
Makarand Fort (Makarand Garh)
Pratap Garden (Pratap Garden)
Punishment Point
Royal Court (Rajdarbaar Sadar)
Royal Path
Shri Bhawani Mata Temple
Shri Hanuman Temple
Shri Kedareshwar Temple
Under Ground Tunnel (Chorwaat)
Watch Tower

Best way to cover the fort, is to stroll around the fort wall fencing which has stairs and flat areas to walk. It took us 3 hours to be back to parking place. I am not sure if Maharashtra can learn from Rajasthan on how to maintain forts and monuments; but by government, local people, and tourists collaboration and efforts, we can maintain these places. As of now, this place really requires maintenance, the bathrooms are very bad, try to avoid them. Just be careful of the monkeys here. :) I just loved this place and being with Meenal and Tanuj, it added on to the fun.

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