Tikona Fort Pune

For the past couple of months we were planning an outing and the gang was supposed to come from Mumbai to Pune for a booze party then next day go for a trek to Rajgadh. As planned things were going as usual but the booze party lasted quite sometime and the scheduled plan to wake up early at 5 a.m. and start for Rajgadh never materialised. By the time we woke up it was 10 a.m.

The gang comprised of Nimesh, Nishil, Ninad, Dhaval, Jignesh and myself. Leaving for Rajgadh at that hour was not a good idea so we quickly changed the plans and decided to go to Tikona fort. I was still feeling the whisky running through my veins and the bright sunny day was not much inviting for a trek. However, we decided to move on and started from our place at 11.00 a.m. By the time we refuelled and bought foodstuff to carry , it was already 12 noon.

I decided to take the Hinjewadi route via Godambewadi upto Paud and drive North-west to the fort. This became the first mistake of this trip. The road conditions were very bad all the way upto Paud. The roads are very narrow and make overtaking a difficult task. If you are unlucky to get stuck behind a tractor or truck, getting off the road to overtake is the only option. Not that the road is in good shape, but your vehicle will take more beating doing so.

After painfully making my way through the bad roads we finally reached the Javan junction. From here there is a slight uphill drive and on this road you can clearly see the fort to your right. We kept on moving ahead to find the road leading to the fort. The road goes all the way such that you end up almost making a semicircle around the fort after which a right turn indicating Tikona fort arrives.

Here onwards is a kutchha road and it's better to drive cautiously. After driving for few minutes I was wondering if we are on the right track. The place is quite remote and there was no one around to ask for route. After driving along this dust road, we reach the base of the fort where we could see a few cars parked and most of the people were on their way back.

Hill opposite to Tikona

After parking and having eating few goodies, we started our trek. It was clear that there was no lunch today when I also realised that I was wearing my local floater sandals, hangover!. The trek looked pretty decent but the afternoon heat was draining us off.

Fort visible on top

Parking area 

After trekking for few minutes we reached a point from where the parking area was visible. This place will all green during monsoon and if using proper trekking gear and safety would be a nice trek. While trekking my sandals were not very helpful and I was finding it difficult to maintain proper grip so I decided to stay back. Dhaval who was already tired as usual was more than happy to see me return back to the half way point.

Slippery road to the top

The rest of the guys carried on all the way to the top. After waiting for few minutes at the midway point, Dhaval and myself returned back to the car and waited for the guys to return. Tikona still remains on my list and next time proper shoes would be  a point to remember.


Best time to visit: Nov to Feb

Duration:
Half to One day trip

Things to carry:

• Food
• Water
• Basic first aid
• Torch
• Lighter

The place quite remote and it's better to carry essential medicines along.

Route Map:
Decided to take the route via Hinjewadi. Looked a shorter route, but the road conditions is just too bad to drive on. On the way back took the Paud road to make the drive a bit better.


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Best Route:
This is probably the best route based on travel time and road conditions. If you are staying in the heart of city, you can take the Paud road route.


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Ghorvadeshvar Cave Temple

If you are looking for a quick trek to a nearby place, why not combine it with visit to a temple. Ghorvadeshwar Cave temple is a active Shiv temple on top of a hillock just before the Somatane Toll gate if you are going towards Mumbai. A short walk up the stair will take you to these old caves. The view from the top is quite nice and on regular days the number of visitors is also not high making it an ideal evening destination. I could not make it to Shiv temple on MahaShivratri hence had planned to go to this temple on Sunday.

Temple arch

Best time to visit:

Any day of the year, preferable morning or evening to avoid afternoon heat.

How to Reach:

The Temple is very near to Pune and just about 800m before the Somatane Toll plaza on old NH4 road. There is no distinct marker for this temple but if you are traveling towards Mumbai, the temple will be on the left hand side of the road. Look out for arch and stairs when you start approaching the Somatane Toll gate. Also there is a big water tank on the right hand side which is just a few meters after the temple entrance but to the left. There is ample space for parking your vehicle and there is a small dhaba where you can have snacks. The main stairway of the temple is a few meters away from this dhaba and is uphill. I parked my bike right next to the dhaba. An old man keep a watch on the bikes and charges Rs.5. You can also park your bike right next to the stairs leading to the temple but i preferred it next to the dhaba. Cars can park right next to the dhaba as there is enough of open space.

On way to top

The water tank on the other side of road- marker

 

Going to the top:

To reach the temple you need to climb the stairs which then lead to rough terrain again joining the stairs. The initials stairs are quite good but elders might find a difficult time as the steps are quite big. Once you reach the end of these stairs there is a small flat top from where you can see the highway and the Birla Ganapati at some distance. Good place for few snaps. There are no stairs here. Climbing uphill you will eventually get to the stairs but this time the stairs are not that good. I followed the stairs whic lead me to a path, quite easy to follow and not that difficult and eventually got to the temple.

Birla Ganapati as seen from top

On the kutcha stairs, flat top seen below

Once you reach the top there is a junction and here is where there are two ways- left Vitthal Temple and right Shiv temple. Though I am not 100% sure of which deity was in the temple to the left but as far as my knowledge in mythology and gods it was Vitthal. 

Cave next to Shiv temple

Shiv temple

You can either start you way back after seeing the temple or make your way to the top. There are different routes you can take, one is right next to the temple a small narrow path. There is also a way marked with arrows right at the junction of two temples. This one is a bit difficult to climb as there is no clear path, just rocks. I made my way up this path and reached a point from where I could see the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the new stadium. The way up is however steep and families definitely need to avoid it as the descent is a bit tricky. The view from this place is awesome but the time I went, 4 p.m. was wrong and I had the sun shining at my lens, so could not get clear shots. After seeing around and getting a couple of shots I made my way down, a bit tired but happy to have visited the Shiv temple and I could not go to a Shiv Temple on Mahashivratri.

The marked path up the hill

This is how it looks like once you climb up

The Xpressway and Stadium from the Top

Places Nearby:

• Birla Ganapati
• Pratishirdi

Route Map:


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