Name: Karjat
Rating: 3.5

Kothligad Trek, Karjat Overview

Kothligad (or Peth) is a hill fort in Maharashtra. It is located at a modest elevation of 1500 feet in the Raigad district of the state. The pinnacle of the fort is shaped in the form of a vertical funnel, lending it a peculiar look. There are caves carved out of huge rocks at the top of the fort, alongside a pond perfectly square in shape. There are cisterns of water within the fort. An array of cannon balls can be found scattered inside the fortified walls. The veryical tunnel has large cool rooms and spacious caves, along with the staircases which lead to the top. The top of the fort presents a very picteresque view of the forests of Bh'ma Shankar to the North and the pinnacle of Dhak-Bahiri towards the South-West.

Tips and Tricks

1) The Savna lake at the base of the fort is a good place to visit during the monsoon season. 2)

Food availability

Food is available in the base village. You may want to carry your own food though, as the food served is not very good.

Accommodation

There are no caves or shelters atop the fort, or on the way to it. Accommodation must be arranged for in the base village.

Water availability

It is advisable to carry your own water along with you as there are no sources of fresh water once you leave the base village of Vadgaon.

Trek Routes

The first part of the trek involves walking for more than an hour before the village of Peth. This path can test our patience as the climb goes through dense forests and the fort is hidden for the major part of the climb. There is a temple at the base of the fort. Prominent arrow marks begin to show up from this place onwards, pointing the direction towards the pinnacle. We need to follow the arrow marks to reach the door to the fort. The vertical tunnel begins from this place. There are well carved stairs inside the tunnel which lead us to the top of the citadel.

How to reach Kothligad Trek

Rail: Local trains are available to Karjat from Mumbai on the central line. The trains plying on the Mumbai-Pune route also halt at this place.
Road: Karjat is well connected with other parts of the state through NH 4 and NH 7. After reaching Karjat, State terminal buses are available via Neral to Ambi Valley. A straight road from this place leads to the village Peth.