Name: Pune
Rating: 3.5

Purandar Trek, Pune Overview

Purandar is a fort in the Pune district of Maharashtra. Purandar and Vajragad are twin forts. Purandar is the larger of the two and is situated at a height of 4472 feet from the sea level. The top of the fort presents a very scenic view of its twin fort Vajragad.

The fort has two distinct levels. The lower part has a number of temples dedicated to the patron deities of the fort. This level also has a catholic church dating back to the 19th century, not very far from its first entry point. The upper level houses the Kedareshwar temple, which is also the highest point of the citadel. There are a pair of water tanks at the top of the hill.

Trek Routes

There are two routes. The first one starts from the base village itself. A motorable road from Narayanpur will take you to the base of the fort. There is the Binni Darwaza which is the first entrance to the fort. A British time Catholic church greets the visitor at the gate. The actual trekking begins from the back portion of the church. It takes hardly around an hour to reach the top of this place. The second way is to alight at the base village and start trekking from there itself. This route is more preferrable because of the panoramic beauty of the mountains leading up to the fort.

Food availability

It is advisable to carry your own refreshments, as there is just one small eatery at the base of the fort and no such food stalls around the citadel.

Water availability

There are two water tanks at the top of the fortification, and a number of reservoirs within the fort. Carrying one's own supply of drinking water would be advisable though, for safety purposes.

Accommodation

Accommodation can be arranged for in the base village. Purandar fort is home to a National Cadet Corps Academy and as such is managed by the army. The fort premises are out of bounds for visitors after 5 p.m

Tips and Tricks

1) The road from Narayanpur up to the base of the fort is a visual delight for the bird-watchers.
2) The visitors and trekkers are expected to report back to the base village by 4:30 in the evening. Trekking plans must be made keeping in mind this point.

How to reach Purandar Trek

Rail: Pune is well connected to the rest of the country through its Pune Junction Railway station. In addition, there are as many as 45 local trains either passing through or converging at Pune. This provides an additional benefit to the visitors.
Road: Narayanpur village is well connected to Pune through NH 4. State terminal buses ply frequently from Pune to Narayanpur. One can easily walk from Narayanpur to Purandar fort.

More about Purandar Trek

Approx trek time : 2 - 2.5 hours

Availability of Night Trek: Purandar fort is a military protected area and is out of bounds for visitors after 5 in the evening.

Base Camp: Narayanpur village

Days required for the trek: 1 day

Difficulty level: Medium

Height above sea level: 4472 feet

Nearest Airport: Pune

Nearest Railhead: Pune

Region: Sahyadris

Starting point of trek: There can be two starting points. The first point can be from the base village itself from the designated parking spot around the Banyan tree. The second point is from the base of the fort where the road from Narayanpur village comes to an end, and the steps begin.

Type: Hill fort