Rajmachi

If you are coming from Mumbai side, you can start the trek from the Kondhane Caves side. Please note that this is the longer approach to Rajmachi and the trek will easily take you around 3 - 4 hours depending on how fast you walk. The trek, however, is pretty easy for beginners - most of the route is a gradual ascent, with well-defined steps on the steep ascent legs. The trail is very well defined, and there are small arrows indicating the direction to Rajmachi fort on a few points where you might be unsure where to head.

Pro tip: You can put these coordinates on Google Maps as the starting point of the trek - this is where you can park your car, so you can navigate to here (18.8418316,73.3764473)

From the Pune side, the trek is much shorter. You can drive your car all the way up to Udhewadi village. However, be warned - the 15 km route from Lonavala to Udhewadi is extremely bad and we would recommend you only take this route on an SUV or a car with a high ground clearance. From there, the route to the top of the forts is hardly 30 minutes, and the tourism department has built new steps on almost half the way. This is by far the more convenient way to reach the top of the forts - however this route wouldn't really give you much feel of "trekking".

Pro tip: Just type "Rajmachi Fort Udhewadi" on Google maps and you will be able to navigate till here.

The mighty fort was built by the Satavahanas who established their kingdom soon after the Mauryan Dynasty came to an end and ruled the kingdom till 230 BC. This kingdom started getting recognized when it was taken over by Shivaji Maharaj in 1657 from the ruler of Bijapur, Adil Shah. Under the rule of Shivaji, the Rajmachi fort was made defensive and a few structures were added for battalion purpose. It was under the rule of the Mughals from 1704 to 1705 before the Marathas gained control after their fight with Aurangzeb. After the Marathas, the fort was taken over by the British when the Maratha Kingdom declined in the 19th century. Soon after independence, magnificent the fort was announced as an ancient and protected monument in Maharashtra. The forts have an eventful history and a brilliant architecture because of which they have been recognized all over. The Buddhist caves dedicated to the local deity are situated on the Western side of the Rajmachi plateau and were carved during 200 BC.

The Rajmachi Fort has a brilliant architecture and comprises of vast and robust walls, gigantic gateways, residential units, administrative centres, water reservoirs and some secret gateways which were used for exiting purpose at that time. The fort is built upon two hill stretches namely Shrivardhan Hill and Manaranjan Hill. Shrivardhan Fort and Manaranjan Fort inside the Rajmachi Fort have been constructed in a traditional Indian style. It is a stone marvel. Inside the forts are a few ruined complexes. Since the area is considered as a heavy monsoon area, it has a number of man-made as well as natural water catchment areas. Some manmade lakes have been built in the area for the summers. A famous temple known as Kal Bhairavi Temple too has been established here which is decorated beautifully on auspicious occasions.   The various functionaries and officers in the military and administrative set-up for Rajmachi region under the Maratha rule resided at Rajmachi till the British defeated the Peshwa in the year 1818. Ruins of their big residential houses are found in the forest on the south side of the hamlet Udhewadi. A big water reservoir constructed about 200 years ago is situated further down from the forest mentioned above. A carved stone plate in the wall of the water reservoir indicates that it was built by Ramrav Narayanrav Deshmukh, Mamlatdar of Danda Rajpuri (near Murud Janjira in Raigad District). An ancient Shiva temple, built in Hemdpanti style, is situated on the western side of the water reservoir. A large amount of silt coming in the stormwater from the high land behind was deposited around the Shiva temple. The inhabitants of Udhewadi have now cleared the silt. A fountain in the shape of cow-head and a water tank in the front of the temple have been discovered.

In Udhewadi, the village at the base camp, some villagers can make delicious home-cooked food for you - mostly egg/chicken curry or usal, dal along with bhakri and rice. You can also opt for snacking options like pohe, bhajis and maggi. Also available are refreshing drinks like kokam sharbat and neebu paani. You might be able to get misal pav and vada pav as well. The food is simple but has an extremely authentic Marathi flavour - a great pit-stop after a tiring trek.

However, for the trek, we recommend that you carry some snacks (dry fruits, apple, biscuits, etc) and plentiful of liquids and glucose because you won't be able to find any food while trekking.
View Top Restaurants in Rajmachi

Rajmachi fort can be covered easily in a day. Whichever route you choose, aim to reach the base village of Udhevadi by 9-10 am to start the ascend. Trekking in the misty morning while surrounded by such scenic beauty of the fort, is a sight you wouldn't want to miss. After you reach the plateau connecting both the peaks of Rajmachi which would take about half an hour, visit the temple and then chose which peak you want to climb first. You can easily do both in a day. Carry packed lunch which you can have at one ruins of the fort. The view from the peaks are breathtaking and gives ample backdrops for excellent photo-ops. Relax soaking in the beauty and then start descending for the by 4pm so that you reach the base before it gets dark. If you plan to stay, be sure to make prior arrangements. Lonavala and Khandala, two famous hills of Maharashtra, are near Rajmachi, if you want to extend your trip.

There are two approaches to Rajmachi forts - from Mumbai you can drive upto Kondhane side and do the longer trek (3 - 4 hours) or from Pune/Lonavala you can drive up to Udhewadi village and do the shorter trek (30 - 40 minutes). Both the roads are a little rough (although the one from Pune side is definitely worse) and we would recommend driving an SUV only, especially in the rains. For more details about the treks from the two sides, please read the "Overview" section.
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The top places near to Rajmachi are Lonavala which is 9 km from Rajmachi, Matheran which is located 22 km from Rajmachi, Mumbai which is located 61 km from Rajmachi, Kamshet which is located 17 km from Rajmachi, Khandala which is located 8 km from Rajmachi

In Udhewadi, the village at the base camp, some villagers can make delicious home-cooked food for you - mostly egg/chicken curry or usal, dal along with bhakri and rice. You can also opt for snacking options like pohe, bhajis and maggi. Also available are refreshing drinks like kokam sharbat and neebu paani. You might be able to get misal pav and vada pav as well. The food is simple but has an extremely authentic Marathi flavour - a great pit-stop after a tiring trek.

However, for the trek, we recommend that you carry some snacks (dry fruits, apple, biscuits, etc) and plentiful of liquids and glucose because you won't be able to find any food while trekking.
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There are 532 in Rajmachi which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Rajmachi are Mount Palace, Princess Villa by Vista Rooms, Hill Top Home Near Amby valley, Taraangan Farm, EKO STAY- SUNSHINE VILLA, Luxury 5 BHK Villa. You can see all the hotels in Rajmachi here

The months from June to September is the best time to visit Rajmachi since the monsoon season here greets you with water springs and greenery all over as you keep climbing the fort. Although it is a beautiful place which can be enjoyed throughout the year, the silvery flowing streams, lush green forests & meadows and the misty clouds make the rainy season the best time to visit the Rajmachi Fort.

Noon to evening is considered to be an ideal time to visit the fort with full visibility. It becomes comparatively difficult to drive during the night.
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