Sudhagad Fort trek also known as Bhorapgad was built as a hill fort. It was built for defensive advantage due to rise in elevation It is situated in Pali,Maharashtra and lies within the Sudhagad Wildlife Sanctuary.
History
According to sources, the Sudhagad Fort was built around in 2nd century B.C and is said to be the same age as the Thanale Caves and Khadsamble Caves which are not far from Sudhagad. It got its name Bhorapgad after the presiding deity, Bhoraidevi and was eventually named Sudhagad meaning sweet one in 1657, after the Marathas captured it from the Bahamani Sultan.
Owing to its large size, it was the only fort that was considered by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be the capital of the Maratha Empire.
During the regime of Peshwas, the ‘Pantsachivas of Bhor- the Pant Sachiv family of Bhor state were made the keepers of the Sudhagad Fort but the fort became patron less in 1950 when the princely states were annexed. Since then it is in a state of wreckage.
Geography
Sudhagad Fort is at a height of 620m above sea level. The area surrounding the fort is the Sudhagad Wildlife Sanctuary. The Thakurwadi village is base village and is the starting point for the most used and popular route.
On reaching the fort, one can visit the Bhoraidevi temple which is well maintained and can see the ruins of two temples dedicated to Shiva. From the top of the fort, two lakes, a house, a large granary , some tombs and the shrine of Vrindavan can also be seen. The Sudhagad Fort offers a clear view of forts like Sarasgad, Korigad, Dhangad and Taila-Baila. The fort has a number of secret passages as well. The largest of the three doors on the fort is called the Maha Darwaja.
The slopes of the hill have Pandhri trees which are used as walking sticks.
The Trail
The Sudhagad Fort trek has an easy trail and consists of slopes and steps carved of solid rocks. For vertical patches, long ladders have been provided for an easy climb. Upon reaching the entrance, the fort has three entrance gates-the Pachchapur Darwaja, the Dindi Darwaja and the Maha Darwaja, the largest one. One can also have a night stay at the Pantsachiv wada and Bhorai mata Mandir.
The base village is Thakurwadi village and from here it takes approximately 2.5 hours to reach the summit.
How to reach
The Sudhagad Fort is situated at 53 km west from Pune, 26 km south from Lonavala, 11 km east from Pali district.
If travelling by private vehicle, one can come towards Khopoli which is not far from Lonavala, and then can reach Pali by asking the locals for directions. For public transport, from Mumbai, you can take an ST bus that will take you Vakan and from there you can hire a sharing auto to Pali.
From Panvel, direct buses are also available to Pali but are less frequent. The base village of the trek, Thakurwadi village, is 13 km from Pali and you will need to hire a private auto to reach there.
Via road from Mumbai-Khopoli-Pali-Pachchapur-Thakurwadi-Sudhagad Fort
Via road from Pune-Shivajinagar-Chinchwad-Dehu Road-Lonavala-Khopoli-Pali-Pachchapur-Thakurwadi-Sudhagad Fort
No trains are available either from Mumbai or from Pune.
