Name: Pune
Rating: 3.5

Rajgad Trek, Pune Overview

Rajgad trek is a moderate level trek that begins at the Gunjavane Village in Pune District and ends at the Rajgad Fort. It is a favourite trekking trail among intermediate level trekkers who are looking for a great location to satisfy their urge for the thrill. The climb is through a hill called Murum Dev Dongar in the Sahyadri Mountain Range. The fort is located over 1400 metres above sea level amidst scenic surroundings of the Western Ghats of India. This provides for a beautiful and thrilling terrain for the adventure activity.

The most preferred time for a Rajgad Trek is during the monsoon and the winter seasons. The weather remains cool and pleasant all through the day and allows adventure seekers to complete the hike. Some areas of the hill have railings to aid the hike. However, trekkers need to be aware of the tricky, slippery and dangerous parts of the terrain to be careful during their climb, especially during the monsoon season. Some may even enrol themselves in trekking groups and climb the hill under the guidance of a trainer.

History of Rajgad Fort, Pune

Rajgad Fort was the capital of the Maratha Confederacy before Raigad Fort was given the title. The hill fort was previously known as Murumdev before it was conquered and managed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for over 26 years. Shivaji’s son, Rajaram Chhatrapati was born in this fort and unfortunately, he also lost one of his wives, Saibai, in the same fort. When Shivaji Maharaj beheaded Afzal Khan, he even buried his head in the walls of the Mahadarwaza of Balle Killa. This fort was one of the forts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj retained after he signed the Treaty of Purandar with Jai Singh I.

Rajgad Trekking Trail

Rajgad Trek takes less than a day to climb up and return to the base. However, if one wants to stay overnight, they can camp on the hills. There are three trekking routes that lead to the Rajgad Fort. Two of the three routes begin at Gunjavane Village, the base village located at the foothills of Murum Devacha Dongar. One of these routes goes via the Chor Darwaza and leads to Padmavati Machi and requires about 4 hours to trek through. This is the easiest of the two routes. The other is a little difficult as it consists of muddy trails and rocky terrain. The rugged patches require trekkers to climb the rocks. Some experience in rock climbing helps if people choose to take this route.

The other route goes via Alu Darwaza which can be approached either from Pali Khind or Bhutonde Village. Reaching this entry point to the fort is a difficult task. So, people do not prefer taking this route. Also, during the monsoon season, the road that leads to Bhutonde Village from Bhatghar Dam is often closed due to flooding and the other trail becomes slippery and a little too dangerous. Therefore, trekkers skip this route during the monsoon season. Once trekkers have chosen a starting point for their activity, the can either take public transport or drive themselves to reach the base. Intermediate level trekkers can easily climb through as the difficulty level is moderate.

Food, Water, Camping Facilities near Rajgad Fort

There is little provision to provide water and food for the trekkers. However, one can definitely find vendors in the base villages who sell local foods like Poha, Upma, Pithla Bhakri, Pakoras, Wada Paav, Misal Paav etc. Trekkers may find some vendors near Padmavati Temple too. People can grab a bite and rest for a while at the temple. Availability of potable water may be an issue. People may ask for clean potable water at the villages. But, it is strongly advised that trekkers carry at least three litres of water with them. For the health-conscious people, it is always advised that they carry enough snacks for their trek and their trip.

The hilltop is also deemed perfect for camping. People need to carry their own camping gear and other essentials to make their stay enjoyable. Setting camps at Padmavati Temple is preferred by most trekkers. Having said that, safety is a concern. Trekkers should camp in groups and know self-defence, especially all-female trekking groups. Females are advised to gauge the situation and decide if they want to camp out near the temples. If that does not seem like a safe option, they can book their stay at one of the hotels or resorts nearby (Hotel Rajgad, Shantai or Heritage View Resort).

How to reach Rajgad Trek

Rajgad Fort is located 50 kilometres from Pune. Travellers can reach Pune by the airways, railways and the roadways. Pune airport is located about 64 kilometres away from the attraction. Those taking a flight to Pune would have to take the route that goes through Vishrantwadi Lohegaon Road – Airport Road – Maulana Azad Chowk – Samrat Ashok Chowk – Satish Sheth Anna Misal Chowk – Golf Club Chowk – Gunjan Chowk – SH 60 – Bund Garden Road – Raja Bahadur Motilal Road – R T O Chowk – Abhiyantriki Maha Vidyalaya Chowk – NH 60/ NH 65 – J M Road – Lakadi Bridge –– Lal Bahadur Shastri Road – Sinhagad Road – SH 106/ SH 65 – MDR 42. Rajgad Fort is located 8.5 kilometres ahead.

The closest railway station to Rajgad Fort is the Pune Railway Station, 55 kilometres to the north-east. From the railway station, travellers can choose between the city buses, auto rickshaws or rental cabs to reach the fort. The directions to reach Rajgad Fort from Pune Railway Station goes through H Prince Aga Khan Road – Sadhu Vaswani Road – Ladkat Wadi Chowk – Raja Bahadur Motilal Road – R T O Chowk – SH 60/ NH 60/ NH 65 – Barve Chowk – J M Road – Khanduji Baba Chowk - Lakadi Bridge – Lal Bahadur Shastri Road – Sinhagad Chowk – Narveer Tanaji Malusare Path – Sinhagad Road – SH 65/ SH 106 – MDR 42.

Pune is quite well-connected by the national and state highways too. So, people may also choose to board a state transport bus to reach the city. The closest bus stand is the Swargate Bus Depot which is located 50 kilometres away from the Fort. Public transport is easily available to reach the attraction. One needs to follow the route via Shankar Sheth Road – NH 65 – Balaji Vishwanath Peshwe Path - NH 4 – Chinmaji Appa Path – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Chowk – Sinhagad Road – Narveer Tanaji Malusare Path – Sahitya Bhushan Bha D Kher Chowk – Sinhagad Road – SH 65/ SH 106 – MDR 42.

Rail: Pune is connected to every major city in India and you can find a train up to this point without any inconvenience. But from Pune, the only option for the rest of the trip is to make it by road.
Road: One can take a bus directly from Pune as busses run from Swargate bus stand to Gunjavane village frequently multiple times a day. Also, you can easily find a bus from Pune to Margasani Village and from there hire a jeep for the rest of the journey. If you are making the journey from Mumbai, then the village is about 200 kms away (about 5-6 hours).