Trek to Kenjalgad Fort – a small, but interesting trek near Wai
Not many know of Kenjalgad fort. But almost everyone would know about Raireshwar Fort, very famous for the fact that Chhatrapati Sivaji took his Swarajya Oath at a temple on this fort. Kenjalgad is Raireshwar’s neighbour. It is a small fort on a plateau, but interesting enough to trek to it. The fact that it is not well known helps as you don’t get the crazy crowds you get at Lohagad or Sinhagad.
The route to Kenjalgad fort from Pune is straightforward. You go on the Bangalore highway until Bhor, Turn right down Bhor-Varandha ghat. At Ambeghar, you leave the varandha route and turn left. Take a stop at Ambawade village to see the hanging/swinging bridge (visible from the road). The final ascent to the base village is very interesting and will give you lot of nice views.
The final km is rugged and Kuchcha. If that concerns you, you can leave your vehicle right at the point you take the exit to the base village (from the road leading to Raireshwar).
Once you reach the base village, you should be able to see the fort (photo above). The path starts between two houses beyond a small field. The villagers will help you find the path in case it is not clear. Once you get the starting point, it is easy. There are 2 paths to the top. When you cross the small field behind the houses, the one on the right is shorter, but steeper. The one on the left is lightly longer, but takes lot of switchbacks, hence not steep. We took the right to climb up and the left to come down. I would recommend doing the same as the steeper path is fun, especially if it is raining 🙂 Also, if it is raining, the steeper would be very difficult to come down.
The best part of the trek/fort is yet to come. Once you reach the bottom of the fort, you should able to see a tall wall in front of you all around. Somewhere in there is the staircase. That’s the beauty of the construction. Such huge steps carved directly out of rock and yet you wouldn’t see them until you are directly below them. These steps would take you to the top of the fort. If it is raining and there is fog, climbing the steps is a beautiful yet eerie experience!
Kenjalgad is a small fort, so it won’t take long to roam around on the top. If it is very foggy, please be mindful of the edges as it is a big drop on all sides. You will see a griding wheel (intact) and few ponds on the top. On a clear day, the view is amazing from the top. After climbing down the stairs, if you take the lesser steep path (opposite direction to where you came from), you will be able to get the view of the fill fort from the side (the opening photo).
If you are looking for an easy yet interesting fort to climb, Kenjalgad is a great option. You can come back to pune the same way you took to reach there or climb down on the other side (you will cross Raireshwar) and then come back through Wai and maybe even stop at Mapro for a well deserved strawberry milkshake 🙂
Since it was heavily raining, i couldn’t use my mobile or the regular camera. Almost all shots were on GoPro. But that meant it was easy to put together a short video of the trip!
