Vardhangad Fort
Vardhangad Fort is in Satara District, Maharashtra, India. The fort is about 1500 feet elevated from the sea level. Vardhangad fort is one of the defenses where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had resided. The temple of Goddess Vardhanimata on the fort is very famous, and it is also frequently worshipped by the villagers.
- Starting Point: Vardhangad village, Khatav Taluka, Satara District, Maharashtra.
- Trek Gradient: It is an easy grade level trek. It takes around 45 mins to 1 hour to reach the fort. It is easily accessible.
- Water Sources: No source of food and water are available on the fort or in between trail.
- Best months to visit: Monsoon season is said to be the best season to visit the fort. The fort surrounded by clouds and drizzling's made the visit more attractive.
Getting there:
- One can take a bus from Phaltan ST Stand to Vardhangad, which is about 45 km.
- One can also reach Vardhangad from Satara, which will take around 1 hour and approximately 30 km distance.
- The for is well connected to nearby towns: Rahimatpur, Vita, Karad, Satara, Phaltan, etc.
- The fort is at a distance of 128 km from Pune, which will take 3 hours to reach the fort.
- From Mumbai, the fort is 272 km away.
• From Pune, one catches a bus and can reach Satara first and then the same route mentioned above.
Vardhangad Fort Trek
About the Vardhangad Fort Trekking:
The fort is a one-day fort trek. It is an easy grade level trek. To reach the fort, proper stairs are maintained till the entrance of the fort. One can quickly get the entrance of the fort within an hour. The fort was built and established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the year 1674. The fort is still known because Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj resided here. The fort's entrance is made in a Gaumukhi architectural style, which is facing towards the east. Entering the fort and moving ahead, we can see a small Mahadev temple that is not in a good state. Facing south from the temple, we could see two ponds that cannot be used as drinking water if we move ahead. Another temple away from this Mahadev temple, we can see a temple of Vardhinidevi. On Dasara day, a fair is being placed here near the temple.
It was said that there's a secret tunnel created to reach Mahimagad, whose door is now covered by stones. The fort on this hill still stands, and the fortification is always maintained. A small raised ridge can be seen, which can be approached by rock-cut steps made on the fort. It takes about an hour to explore this fort. Huge landscapes are seen from the top of the fort. So, let us walk on a new trek, a new trail, and enjoy the Sahyadri Range's absolute beauty. The Sahyadri's are a blessing to Maharashtra, and the mountains play a massive role in making a happy weekend.
