Amazing Monsoon Trekking at Rajgad Fort, Pune, Maharashtra

Rajgad Fort is one of the grand forts of the Sahaydris and lies at an altitude of 1400 m (4, 600 feet). Formerly known as Murumdev, Rajgad Fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire during the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for 25 years, before moving the capital to Raigad Fort. The Rajgad Fort was built with the treasure found on the adjacent Torna Fort. This was one of the favourite forts of Shivaji Maharaj and he stayed the most in this fort. Many historical events took place in this fort, such as the birth of Shivaji’s son, Rajaram Chhatrapati, his queen, Saibai’s death and Afzal Khan’s head is buried in the fort.

The fort is of great historic significance. Rajgad was home to Shivaji for over 25 years till he became Chhatrapati. Post coronation he shifted his capital to Raigad. The fort has witnessed lots of historic events, including the birth of Shivaji’s son Rajaram, the death of Shivaji’s Queen Saibai, the return of Shivaji from Agra, the burial of Afzal Khan’s head in the Maha darwaja walls of Balekilla, the strict words of Sonopant Dabir to Shivaji, and the Khandoji Khopade episode. Rajgad Fort is an iconic place located near pune. The place is historic and attracts many tourists to it. This fort can be considered as a Holy place as it was first capital of Hindavi Swarajya, established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahataj. Trek to this fort via Gunjavane & Chor darwaja is bit difficult, but will test your mental and physical ability.

The fort is divided into four parts, Padmavati Machi, Suvela Machi, Sanjeevani Machi, and Balekilla (small fort). The fort is an example of splendid design and construction. The diameter of the fort at the base is 40 km making it difficult for anybody to lay siege to it.

Sanjeevani Machi:

The three layer fortification of Sanjeevani Machi is simply a marvel and is located on the southwest end. This extends approximately for 2.5 km along with many cisterns. The lower layers of the fort were separated by fortified bastion along with gate in order to defend independently. There is also an underground escape route which leads directly to the outermost fortification.

Suvela Machi:

Suvela Machi, located on the eastern part of Rajgad fort, is a narrow strip that leads to a fortified end. Before the fortifications, there is a Hanuman temple and towards the right of the hanuman temple is Nedh. Nedh is a giant hole on the rock face about 3 m in diameter carved by years of erosion.

Padmavati Machi:

This part of Rajgad Fort was a military base as well as a residential area. The Padmavati Machi has a Lake, Padmavati Temple, Pali Darwaja, Chor Dwaraja, Gunjawane Darwaja, Diwankhana, Daru Kothar, Rajwada, and Ghod Tale. Besides these there is also a Samadhi of Saibai, Shivaji’s first wife.

Balekilla:

This site is one of the highest parts in the Fort Rajgad that includes caves, water cisterns and palaces. The entrance door of the Balekilla is called as Maha Dwaraja. From here, one can easily view the whole fort. Rajgad is amongst the most popular trekking destinations near Pune, Maharashtra. There are several trekking routes to reach the Fort. Trek to Padmavati Machi via Chor Darwaja is the most popular route and the trek starts from Gunjawane village. From Gunjawane the 4.5 km trek is a little bit tough and it takes almost 3 1/2 hours to reach Padmavati Machi. One needs to navigate a steep rocky incline to reach Chor Darwaza.

The trek via Pali Darwaza is a simple climb and it starts from Pali village. The 3.5 km trek from Pali should take approximately 2 hours to reach the fort. There is another route called Bhor route which starts from Bhutonde. From Bhutonde village, a 3 -4 hours trek will take visitors to Alu Darwaja of Rajgad. This route is not popular as other two routes. It is always recommended that visitors should carry their own drinking water and food.

The post Amazing Monsoon Trekking at Rajgad Fort, Pune appeared first on MustVisitPlace.com.

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves, Karnataka

Yana Rock Caves and Trekking – Yana is a village located in forests of the Kumta, Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Yana village in the Sahyadri mountain ranges is known for unique rock formations. These rock formations (limestone) are found in the forests of North Karnataka. Yana in Karnataka is a tourist as well as a Hindu pilgrimage site; the cave temple below Bhairaveshwara Shikhara has a self-manifested Linga (Shiva). Interestingly, the Shiva Linga is always drenched by the water dripping from the roof of the cave. Yana rocks surrounded by thick forests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka.

History
According to the Hindu mythology, there was a demon king with the name as Bhasmasura. By austere penance, Bhasmasura was able to make lord Shiva very happy. So lord Shiva asked Bhasmasura to ask him for a boon. So Bhasmasura obtained a boon from lord Shiva when he will place his hand over any one’s head, he would burn them up and turn them into ashes (Bhasma). Now with the boon, Bhasmasura got excited and to test his powers, he thought of testing the power with Shiva’s head. So he began running after Shiva while lord Shiva began escaping from him.

Looking at this scenario, there was a hue and cry in the heaven and all the Gods went to lord Vishnu who is said to be the Guru who can resolve all the problems. So to protect lord Shiva, lord Vishnu turned himself up into a beautiful damsel (Mohini) to entice Bhasmasura with her beauty. Bhasmsura was quite infatuated by Mohini and asked Mohini to marry him. But Mohini put up a challenge before him that he had to do some dance before her. The dance steps involved putting the hand on his own head. Infatuated, Bhasmasura, began dancing. Without realizing, he put his hands on his own head and he burnt himself down.

According to Hindu Mythology, that’s why rocks near Yana are so black .The two hillocks are also named for this event: the tall peak being Bhairaveshwara Shikhara (“Shiva’s hill”), and the smaller peak, a few steps down below, being Mohini Shikhara (“Mohini’s hill”) where an idol of goddess Parvathi is installed.

There are several trek routes to these majestic Karst limestone formations. The Bhairaveshwara Shikara is bigger than Mohini Shikhara and the cave inside it also has a bronze statue of goddess ‘Chandika’ (Durga). The place is also related to the legend of the Bhasmasura and Lord Shiva.

Watch Yana Rock Cave & Trekking Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afJIL2aZiw0

Trekking to Yana Rock Caves

Trekking routes begin with a well-paved trail and staircase leading above. It later opens out to crests and troughs of the plantation and natural terrain. You could start the trek from any one of the two sides – Sirsi or Kumta. The route from Sirsi is relatively easy as compared to the one from Kumta.

The hike takes at least half a day or about 6 hours or so in total. Gear up with some snacks, water, and sunscreen and get ready to brave the walk. You will encounter different species of snakes and reptiles. Be mindful of leeches. Closer to the monsoon season, their numbers seem to multiply. Carry a bag of salt with you to apply on leech-struck patches of your skin to wean them off. It is advisable to avoid the monsoon months and head there soon after the rain spree is over.

How to Reach?

Distance – 445 KM from Bangalore, 136 KM from Hubli.

• By Road: It lies 55 kilometers from Sirsi and 30 kilometers if you’re coming from Kumta. You could take the local bus from Bangalore or hop onto one that plies between Kumta and Yana. They might not be very frequent, so make sure you check the timings in advance. In case you’re heading from Dharwad, it lies 182 kilometers away.
• By Train: To travel by rail, board the train from Hubli Railway Station or from Bangalore to reach Kumta Station. From there, take a bus or taxi to reach the village of Yana.
• By Air: The closest airport to Yana Hills is Mangalore Airport at 262 kilometers. The second closest is Kempegowda International Airport of Bangalore at 463 kilometers.

Accommodation:

• Sanskruti Quality Resort (26 KM from Yana Rocks)
• Sathwik Home Stay
• Palm Beach Huts (24 KM from Yana Rocks)
• Nirvana Nature Resort (24 KM from Yana Rocks)

Nearest Cities / Town

• Sirsi
• Gokarna
• Hubli
• Kumta

The post Yana Rock Caves – Mesmerizing, Breathtaking Mountains & Cave Temple in Karnataka, India appeared first on MustVisitPlace.com.

Falling from an altitude of 400 feet this place gives its people an enchanting outlook of the place when viewed from the height. It is always true that in such natural place there is something, which is natural there is always a myth. It is told that there was a sage who lived here and his name was Agastya. This place is also related to the lord Veerabhadra. The specialty of this fall is that anyone taking bath under this would surely cure his or her health problems. The fauna and fauna around this place would make one go mesmerizing. This place is a nice hang out for anyone to move away from his or her normal polluted life.

Location:

The Kalahati falls is placed in kallantipura, Chikamagalur district in Karnataka. This place is around 250km from the center of Bangalore, about 170km from Mangalore and 10 km from Kemmangundi.

Best Time to Visit:

The best time for one to go to this place is during July to October as that is the time when rains are heavy and the fun is its utmost.

How to Reach There:

By Air:

Kozhikode is the nearest airport at this place and Mangalore is another airport, which is recommended more as it is well connected with other cities.

By Rail:

The nearest railway station is the Coimbatore railway station.  There is also another option of catching the Shimoga express that starts from Bangalore.

By Bus:

The best route to move from Bangalore is through Tumkur-Tiptur-Arsikere-Kadur. The above route comes over NH206.

Major Attractions:

Flora and Fauna:

The nature around this place is always different from the others as it gives us a different feeling for people who visit it.

Pilgrim Center:

The remains of the sage Agastya are the pilgrimage at this place. The various caves where he lived are also a major attraction. A fair is organized once in a year by the locals to give a tribute to the lord Veerabhadra. This fair mostly happens during the months between March and April.  A cave temple is present with the statuette of three elephants in the beginning of the cave.

Trekker’s Spot:

It is introduced recently and has a good response from the people.

The post Kalhatti Falls- Recreation Spot in Karnataka, India appeared first on MustVisitPlace.com.