Name: Pune
Rating: 3.5

Chavand Trek, Pune Overview

Chavand (or Prasannagad) is a hill fort in the state of Maharashtra. Located at an elevation of about 3500 feet from the ground in the district of Pune, this fortress is a part of the 'famous five'. The other forts which are included under this category are Hadsar, Shivneri, Jivdhan and Naneghat.

The fort is remarkable for the the seven water tanks laid out in a single line, carved out from a single rock. There are some cannons on the way upto the fort. There is a Chamunda temple atop the citadel with a water tank situated beside it at the highest point on the fort. The famous Kukdeshwar temple and the river Kukdi are visible from the southern end of the fort.

Food availability

You must carry your own food supply with you, as proper food is not available in the base village.

Tips and Tricks

The Kukdeshwar temple at the southern end of the fort must be visited along with the trek to Chavand fort.

Accommodation

There are man-made caves atop the fort, but these are infested with mice. A shelter can be arranged at the base village.

Water availability

It is advisable to carry ample water supply with you, as the water tanks atop the fort do not have water which is worth drinking.

Trek Routes

The trek route is simple. The trek begins from the school located at the base of the fort in Chavandwadi. After walking for about 20 minutes from the school, we reach a set of steps carved

into rocks. To scale the steps, two successive railings have been installed along the stairs. The railings must be used with caution though. We come across a cannon after climbing 15-20 steps. From the cannon, another 25-30 steps will lead us to the entrance of the fort which is in a relatively good condition. We now need to take the route which is on the right to reach the top of the fort. Once at the top, there are two routes. The route which goes straight takes us to Chamunda temple, and the other one leads us to the seven adjoining tanks of water.

How to reach Chavand Trek

Rail: Kasara railway station is well connected to Mumbai and Kalyan railway stations, and a number of local trains are available from both the places to Kasara.
Road: The Pune-Nasik highway can be taken to reach Junnar by road. From Junnar, there are state transport buses available to the base village of Chavandwadi, going towards Aaptale village.