Trek to Tikona Fort & Bhedse Caves, Lonavala on 9th June '13

Little Information about the event:
Type: Hill Fort
Height: 3500 ft Feet above MSL (Approx)
District: Lonavala.
Base Village: Tikona peth

Leader: Vishal Khond 

Tikona Fort (Vitandgad fort), is a major hill fort in Maval region near the Lonavala. Tikona fort, literally means triangle fort, had witnessed many dynasties ruled in the Maratha region. This was the nerve centre of the many activities of entire Malwan Pawna regions. The small hamlet close to the fort is Tikona peth. The fort’s mammoth entrance is a special attraction.

It is also a great trekking destination for the adventurous tourists.
One can get the eye catching views of the Pawna Dam and the forts at Visaput, Tung and Lohagarh. The fort encloses a lake, Satvahan caves and the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev'.



The fort was built during the Silhara dynasty. There is a temple on top of the peak. The view of the Pawna dam, Kathingad and valleys from the top is breathtaking.

Tikona (Marathi: तिकोना) also known as Vitandgad) is the dominant hill fort in Maval in western India. It is located near Kamshet around 60 km from Pune The village nearest the fort is called Tikona-Peth or Tokono-Peth. The 3500 ft high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means "triangle".^[1]

The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', a water tank and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pawna dam and the nearby forts of Tung,Lohagad and Visapur.^[1] There is a lake at the summit.

History[edit]

Steps leading up to the ramparts of the fort.

Little is known about the origins of this fort. There is a vihara on the fort datable to circa seventh-eight centuries A.D.^[3] Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 and annexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657, Shivaji brought the whole of Konkan, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of Karnala, Lohgad, Mahuli, Songad, Tala, and Visapur. This fort was a strategic nexus: the centre of control for the entire Pawana Mawal region. In 1660, Dhamale family one of theDeshmukh from Maval region was charged with ensuring the security of fort Tikona. Jaysingh invaded the region in 1665 and the local villages were by Dilerkhan but the forts held out. Tikona fort was surrendered to the Mughalwarrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halal Khan and others, according to the Treaty of Purandar signed on 12 June 1665. Kubad DKhan took over the fort on 18 June but it was later recaptured by theMarathas

How to go to Tikona Fort from Pune (Magarpatta): Go towards Swargate, then tilak Road, karve Road and then Paud Road which will take you to Chandni Chowk. Then go in the direction of Mulshi/Tamhini. You will first cross Pirangut (Ghat) and then reach Paud Village. You have to take a right towards Pawna dam in this village. There are signs marked as Tikona/Pavana for this turn. After this, it is one long straight road until you start seeing Pavana dam on your left. Here you will see signboards for Tikona. You have to take a right towards Tikona Peth, the base village. the distance is approx 70 kms and should take you approx 2 hrs to reach there. Other alternate route is through NH4-Kamshet-Pavana-Tikona.

Located near Pavana River, Tikona boasts of a very rich history. The fort was initially part of the Nizam Empire during 1585. In 1657, it came under the rule of the Maratha Emperor, Shivaji Maharaj when he conquered the entire Konkan territory and all the other forts in its vicinity. During the Maratha reign, it served as a watch tower and helped the Marathas keep an eye on all the activities in the Konkan region. In 1665, Tikona was surrendered to Kubadkhan only to be recaptured by the Maratha dynasty.

To reach Tikona you can catch an early morning local from Pune and get down at Lonavala and then head towards Kamshet to catch a ST bus to Kale colony. From Kale colony you can board a jeep or bus to reach Gavhande village which is also known as Tikona Peth. If you want to drive all the way, you can head straight to Gavhande village via Mulshi.

Once at the base, it can get a bit confusing to locate the right path to the top of the fort. If you think you are lost simply ask the local villagers for directions and they’ll be more than happy to help you out. Another easy pointer to ensure you don’t divert from your path is always keeping Tung to your right hand side when climbing to the top. If you are on the right track, you’ll be on the fort in less than an hour.

Once at the top, you will be greeted with the awe inspiring view of the Sahyadri mountain range and the shimmering Pavana River. These ranges are home to quite a few of the other forts of Shivaji Maharaj which are worth exploring once you are done with Tikona. Exploring the entire fort of Tikona will take you about an hour. The huge gate at the entrance and the Mahadev temple at the top are among the main attractions of the fort. The historic edifice also houses a number of prehistoric caves and reservoirs. These caves serve as a good place for overnight stays, all through the year except the monsoons when they get flooded with rain water.

You can visit Tikona at anytime between June and February. However, nothing beats the beauty and greenery that engulfs this place in the monsoons. There are no eateries on the top and so carrying your meals and water is recommended.  If you are an avid photographer, a trek to Tikona, will present you with countless opportunities to photograph its splendour.

Trek to Matheran via Ladder Route with TMI On 24th Feb 2013

Place: Matheran

Height: 2516 feet.

Base village: Varosa

Time: 5 hours approx

Trek Leader: Vikram singh

Matheran is situated in the Matheran range of sahyadris at a height of 2516 feet. With more than eight to ten different routes, Matheran (2516 feet) is the ultimate destination for the trekker, naturalist and outdoor enthusiast. It is literally a forest on top of the hill (mathe means head and raan means forest). The dense forest cover, teeming bird life, long walks and flora and fauna make this an all-time favorite. The best part is that it’s pollution-free as no vehicles are allowed in the hill station.

While trekking up to Matheran hills from chowk, it’s a long flat walk and then steep ascend which in turn also have some risky rock patches. There are three ladders fixed on those patches. First ladder is made of iron while other two ladders are of wood and bamboo, thus making it very risky affair especially in Monsoon.

According to local legend, Shivaji rode up this route on horseback. Locals also call this route as Shivaji Ladder route.

About Shivaji S Ladder Information-Matheran

A path down to the valley from One Tree Hill point, which is a scenic spot, it offers picturesque views of the surrounding hills and is an ideal place for trekking. It is said that Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler had usedthis path and hence the name Shivaji s ladder. It was discovered by Hugh Malet in 1850.

Matheran

Matheran is a popular place, both for the tourists and the trekkers. There are many routes to Matheran, other than the road or rail route from Neral. For example, one can climb up the Bhivpuri Hill from Bhivpuri station and go on to the Garbat plateau of Matheran.. One can also climb up the Shivaji Ladder point of Matheran, which can be approached from Panvel-Chowk-Varosa. But probably the most interesting route to Matheran is to climb Peb fort and then traverse to Matheran. This route goes all around Peb fort and then on to the saddle between Peb fort and Matheran, and then after a 6m rock climb, which can be quite slippery in the monsoon, one reaches the railway line from Neral to Matheran, under Panorama Point. From there one can walk on the railway line towards Panorama Point.

There are many popular "points" on Matheran. Some of them are the Echo Point, Louisa Point, Sunset Point, Monkey Point, Panorama Point and the One Tree Hill. The road from Neral to Matheran goes upto the car park area of Matheran. Beyond that motor vehicles are not allowed. From there the main railway station and the bazaar area (called Bazaar Peth) is 2.5km away in the south. Echo and Louisa Point are 3 and 4km respectively from Bazaar Peth, and One Tree Hill is a further 1km away from Louisa Point. All these points are south of Bazaar Peth. Panorama Point is on the northern tip of the Matheran, about 4km from the car park and 6.5km from Bazaar Peth. It gives a great view of the surrounding mountains. The entire north-south length of Matheran plateau is about 13km.