‘होस्पेट‘ हे तुंगभद्रा नदीच्या काठावर वसलेलं, ऐतिहासिक महत्व लाभलेलं, आणि युनेस्कोच्या जागतिक वारसास्थळाच्या यादीत असणाऱ्या हम्पीचे प्रवेशद्वार म्हणुन ओळखल्या जाणाऱ्या एका छान ,स्वच्छ आणि टुमदार शहरात, जिथे गर्दी,गडबड याचा लवलेश नाही, अशा शहरातून वाट काढत आमची स्वारी निघाली रेल्वेस्टेशन जवळील ‘Hotel Hampi International’ कडे.
स्वच्छ,सुनियोजित असं ते हॉटेल पाहून आमचा पुणे ते हम्पी हा तब्बल १२ तासांच्या प्रवासाचा क्षीण कुठल्या कुठे नाहीसा झाला. भरपेट नाश्ता झाला आणि वेध लागले हम्पी सफरीचे. आम्ही हंम्पी ची सफर निसर्गाची मजा घेत बाईक रेंट वर घेऊन करायचे ठरवले आणि तो आमचा सर्वात बेस्ट निर्णय ठरला . पहिल्या दिवशी आम्ही हॉटेल मधून निवांत बाहेर पडलो आणि हंपीचे नैसर्गिक सौंदर्य पाहुन डोळ्यांचे पारणे फिटले,चहूकडे नजर जाईल तिकडे उंच उंच नारळाची झाडे आणि डोळ्यांना सुखावणारी हिरवीगार भाताची शेते….. असे वाटत होते जणु “हिरवे हिरवे गार गालीचे, हरित तृणांच्या मखमालीचे “या बालकवींच्या ओळी त्यांना इथेच स्फुरल्या असाव्यात. भात आणि केळी च्या शेतांमधुन वाट काढत, रस्ता शोधत शोधत आम्ही पोहोचलो ‘सानापूर लेक’ला. तिथे अगदी नीरव शांतता अनुभवायला मिळाली कसलीच गर्दी नाही की गोंगाट नाही. सानापुर लेक चे आणखीन एक वैशिष्ट्य म्हणजे ‘कोरॅकल राईङ’ म्हणजेच बांबू च्या काड्यांपासुन बनवलेल्या या छोट्याशा नावा, ज्याला पूर्वी आपल्याकडे कढई असे म्हणत. तिकडे बराच वेळ घालवुन आम्ही निघालो ‘पंपा सरोवर’ ला, असे म्हणतात की याच पंपा सरोवर काठी श्रीराम भक्त ‘शबरी’ ने राम लक्ष्मण यांना उष्टी बोरे खाण्यास दिली आणि अशी ही आख्यायिका आहे की ‘पंपा’ म्हणजेच पार्वतीने महादेवाशी आपले लग्न व्हावे म्हणुन तपश्चर्या केली. समोरच विष्णू-लक्ष्मी चे मंदिर आहे. आम्ही रात्री हॉटेल वरती परतलो, रात्रीच्या जेवणाचा आस्वाद घेतला आणि झोपी गेलो.

दुसऱ्या दिवशी आम्ही लवकरच निघायचे ठरवले ,अगदी सकाळी आठ वाजताच हॉटेलच्या बाहेर पडलो. हाताशी होता फक्त हंपी चा नकाशा आणि गुगल मॅप. आम्ही आज साऊथ हंपी फिरणार होतो. आधी निघालो “विरूपाक्ष” मंदिराकडे.
मंदिराकडे जाण्याचा रस्त्यातच हेमकुंट टेकडीच्या उताराशी अतिशय सुंदर असे उंच कोरीव काम केलेल्या खांबांचा शामियाना आणि आत एक अखंड दगडात बनवलेली अवाढव्य अशी गणपती ची मूर्ती, म्हणजेच त्याच प्रसिद्ध कडलेकाळू गणेशाचे दर्शन घेतले. कन्नड मध्ये कडलेकाळू म्हणजे चण्या सारखा आकार. मूर्तीच्या पोटाचा आकार चण्यासारखा असल्याने हे नाव पडले. समोर हेमकुंट टेकडीचे मनोहारी दृश्य पाहुन फोटो काढण्याचा मोह काही आवरला नाही. भरपुर फोटो काढुन आम्ही निघालो विरूपाक्ष मंदिराकडे. विरुपाक्ष मंदिराची मुळं सातव्या शतकातील आहेत. याचा विस्तार मात्र 15 व्या शतकात विजयनगर साम्राज्यात झाला. विरूपाक्ष मंदिराच्या प्रवेशद्वाराजवळच एक नितळ पाण्याचे कुंड आहे, ज्याला “पुष्करिणी” म्हणतात.विरूपाक्ष मंदिर हे द्राविडियन शैली च्या शिल्पकलेचा एक उत्तम नमुना आहे. ९ मजली ‘गोपुरम’ हे ही तेथील मुख्य आकर्षण. त्या नंतर आम्ही पाहिला “उग्र नृसिंह” अगदी नावाप्रमाणे मोठाले एकदम बाहेर आलेले डोळे, आणि नागांच्या वेटोळ्यावर विराजमान नरसिंहाची विशाल मूर्ती आणि डोक्यावर नागांनी धरलेला फणा,कल्पकता आणि सृजनशीलतेला अनोखा संगम. तिथेच अगदी बाजूला आहे ते “बदावी लिंगम” म्हणजेच महादेवाची विशाल पिंड, आणि तिथला आजूबाजूचा निसर्ग पण खूप सुंदर होता.

मग आमची स्वारी निघाली “विजय विठ्ठल” मंदिराकडे ज्याच्याबद्दल आम्ही बरंच ऐकलं होतं आणि पाहण्याची बरीच उत्सुकता होती.मंदिराच्या प्रांगणात प्रवेश केल्यानंतर दृष्टीस पडतं ते ‘stone chariot’ जे खरेतर मंदिराचे मुख्य आकर्षण आहे.ते भारतातील 3 stone chariot पैकी एक आहे आणि मंदिरातील दुसरं आकर्षण म्हणजे रंग मंडपम जे प्रसिद्ध आहे तिथल्या 56 संगीतमय खांबांसाठी. त्या खांबांवरती हलक्या हाताने स्पर्श केल्यानंतर त्यामधून संगीताचे सूर ऐकू येतात, परंतु काही वर्षांपासून सरकारकडून त्या खांबांना स्पर्श करण्यास मनाई करण्यात आली आहे, जेणेकरून त्या वास्तू ची वाताहत होणार नाही. विजय विठ्ठल मंदिराचे स्थापत्य हे “द्राविडीयन शैली” मध्ये केलेलं
आहे. कल्पकता आणि सृजनशीलता यांचा अनोखा संगम इथे पहायला मिळाला. आता झाला विठोबा मग पोटोबाचं काय…..आम्ही बाहेर येऊन तिकडेच थोडेफार खाल्ले आणि निघालो पुढच्या भ्रमंती साठी. हंपी मध्ये फिरताना एक महत्त्वाची गोष्ट म्हणजे आजूबाजूच्या सुंदर निसर्गामुळे थकवा अजिबात जाणवत नाही, उलट रस्ता कधी संपूच नये असं वाटत.आता आम्ही निघालो “Lotus Mahal ” पहायला. लोटस महाल चे वैशिष्ट्य म्हणजे त्याच्या छताचा आकार हा कमळाच्या पाकळ्यांसारखा आहे. महाल दोन मजली असून तो राजांनी मनोरंजनासाठी बांधलेला आहे. तिकडून जवळच आहे ते “Elephant stable’ म्हणजेच विजयनगर साम्राज्यातील राज हत्तींसाठी बांधलेला पागा. भलीमोठी आयताकृती आकाराची लांब वास्तू आहे. या वास्तू मध्ये 11 विशाल घुमटाकार खोल्या आहेत. एका खोली मध्ये एक वेळी 2 हत्ती बसतील एवढी ती मोठी होती.

तिथले जवळच असलेले काही आणखी प्रेक्षणीय स्थळं पाहून आम्ही निघालो अंजनाद्री टेकडीच्या दिशेने, जिला स्थानिक लोक अन्नेगिरी असे देखील म्हणतात. मूळ वाल्मिकी रामायणातच असा उल्लेख आहे की हनुमानाचा जन्म माता अंजनी च्या पोटी याच अंजनाद्री पर्वतावर झाला. आजघडीला आपल्याला दिसते ती एक छोटीशी टेकडी, जिच्या ५७५ पायऱ्या सर करून आम्ही “जय श्रीराम” चा जयघोष करत वरती पोहोचलो. खूप दमलो होतो, परंतु वरतून अगदी विहंगम दृश्य पहायला मिळालं. प्रभू श्रीरामचंद्रांच्या पदस्पर्शाने आणि महाबली मारुतीरायाच्या वास्तव्याने पावन झालेली कोणे एके काळची हीच का ती किष्किंधा नगरी जिचे आता फक्त अवशेष च उरले आहेत या विचाराने सद्गदित होऊन हनुमानाचे दर्शन घेतले आणि हनुमान स्तोत्र म्हणत आम्ही परत खाली उतरलो. एव्हाना खूप अंधार पडला आणि आम्ही वाऱ्याच्या वेगाने हॉटेल वरती पोहोचलो. तर अशी झाली आमची कुठलंही पुर्व नियोजन नसलेली, छोटेखानी अशी ‘हम्पी ट्रिप’ but unplanned trips are always the best, नाही का?

केवळ इन्स्टावर ट्रेडिंग आहे, फोटो चांगले येतात किंवा दहा जण जाऊन आले म्हणून नव्हे, तर हंपीला जायचं ते त्या साम्राज्याचे जिवंत जागते पुरावे बघण्यासाठी ज्या साम्राज्याने छत्रपती शिवरायांच्या जन्माच्या अगोदरची जवळजवळ तीनशे वर्ष भारतात परदेशी आक्रमकांच्या नाकावर टिच्चून भारतीय संस्कृती जिवंत ठेवली. आक्रमकांनी हम्पीवर हल्ला करून कित्येक महिने प्रयत्न केले तरी सुद्धा अस्तित्व पूर्णपणे संपवू नाही शकले. हंपी केवळ एक टुरिस्ट डेस्टिनेशन नाहीये, हंपी आठवण आहे आक्रमणाची, त्याविरोधात दिलेल्या लढ्याची आणि भारतीय संस्कृतीच्या समृद्धतेची. जेव्हा एकीकडे बाबर अयोध्येतलं राम मंदिर तोडत होता, तेव्हा इकडे विजयनगर हे जगातलं दुसरं सर्वात श्रीमंत राज्य म्हणून उभारीस आलं होतं. हंपीला जायचं ते बाबराच्या आठवणी पुसून कृष्णदेवरायाच्या जाग्या करण्यासाठी

फुल- ना-फुलाची-पाकळी

तनुजा जोशी – कोहणे

The post Be happy in Hampi appeared first on Words Of DPM.

Some things are destined to be special. My trip to Hampi in July 2022 was one of them. Being a history and travel enthusiast, Hampi attracted me for almost a decade before I went there finally with my friends Satyajeet and Vyankatesh. The capital city of one of the greatest empires of medieval era is now in ruins, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hampi attracts a lot of foreigners because of its astonishing architectural marvels. I had a greater reason to go, a hostility towards the last empire which preserved true Indian, Sanatani Hindu Culture through its architecture that still have some strong vibes. I wasn’t disappointed though.

History of Hampi

Hampi was the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Empire mostly covered modern-day Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and the Kerala States of India. During the times of King Krishna Deva Raya, The empire was also extended till Udaygiri, present-day Udgir, dist. Latur in the state of Maharashtra. Basically, the empire was huge. Established in 1336 by King Harihara Raya I of the Dynasty Sangama, the Empire went on expanding against many challenges, especially during the times when the great Kakatiyas of Warangal (Present day Andhra Pradesh) and Yadavas of Devgiri (Present Day Maharashtra) were fallen to the invasions of Foreign Islamic Invaders. This was indeed an inspirational Kingdom where the Sangamas united all the Hindu powers of South India against the invaders, and risen above all like phoenix. A Portuguese traveler named Dominigo Paes visited Hampi in 1520 during Krishna Deva Raya’s rule. He described Hampi as the second largest city in the world after Beijing, as beautiful and large as Rome, and was so technologically advanced that the likes of which lacked in the Europe at that time. He also described the advanced and robust system of irrigation that allowed farmers to yield the best crops at the lowest cost. He described city as a market full of precious stones, gold, abundant vegetation, artificial lakes, nearly 3000 temples, educational hubs, and so on. Basically, Hampi was the city of dreams built and preserved by the people.

Not only in development and asthetics, Vijayanagara Empire had a powerful army and political wisdom too. Any invader would not even dare of meeting Vijayanagara soldiers on the battlefield, and those who dared enough failed miserably. The only thing that doomed Hampi, was a fraction of their own soldiers. The Muslim soldiers in Vijayanagara Army fought for the Islamic Bahamani Army when the Bahamanis attacked Vijayanagara. The Radical Islamic power was so obsessed with wiping out the cultural heritage of a Hindu empire that they spent years demolishing each establishment, temple, palace, and idol in Hampi. Eventually, they ran out of money and manpower but the architectural marvels are still there. If they look so beautiful and dope in ruins, imagine what it would look like if it weren’t brutally destroyed. Taj Mahal is overrated, real architectural wonders are still there in Hampi. A disclaimer, though some of you might label me as an Islamophobe, whatever I said is an official archeological record. In any circumstance, interpretation, or narration, I do not intend to disrespect any Islamic religious ideology at all. I am against the tyrants who destroyed my nation in the medieval era.

Best Spots in Hampi

You will find a plethora of blogs, articles, and YouTube videos regarding what to see in Hampi. I am briefing my experience about some places that I loved the most, and some travel advices as well.

1. The Virupaksha Temple

All the ancient temples in Hampi are under the authority of Department of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) except a few. The Virupaksha Temple is a grand religious establishment which is still under worship. There is an entry fee for the Grabha Griha (The closer look of God Virupaksha Mahadev) of ₹ 25/-. The temple is full of mesmerizing views. It is really hard to believe that the Shikhars (High temple towers) carved with thousands of idols and having altitude of around 100 feet are still standing without any depreciation, even after 600 years. The next wonderful thing you notice is when you enter the temple there is a Mandapam (banquet halls made for carrying out religious and cultural functions. Every pillar is carved with ancient Hindu sculptures. In fact, all these pillars convey pictorial representation of the

Dashavtar saga depicted as per Hindu mythology.

As you enter the Garbha Griha, there is an ancient idol of Mahadev Virupaksha in a calm, blissful environment. After exiting the Garbha Griha, there is a pool beyond a door and 3 adjacent temples. We need to climb down the stairs to visit the ancient pool. The entire view looks beautiful. In the temple premises, there are some other Hindu deities with separate Garbha Griha for each. The pillars look like a polished marble work, but they’re ancient.

2. Kadlekalu Ganesh

Located just beside Virupaksha Temple on a hilltop, Kadlekalu Ganesh is a 30 feet, monolithic Ganpati Idol in a temple. There are Dashavtar and other Hindu Sculptures carved on literally each temple pillar of Hampi. There is a mandapam in this temple too. Entire Hampi looks beautiful from this hilltop.

3. Hazar Rama Temple

Few kilometers from Virupaksha Temple, Hazar Rama Temple is perhaps the legit 8^th wonder. Entire epic of Uttar Ramayana (Ramayana’s later parts) is carved on stones in this temple. As you enter, there is a Yadnya Mandapa on the right, Kalyan Mandapa on the left and a grand Rama Temple in front of you. The pillars, ceiling, terrace palisades are so delicately carved that we literally feel two eyes are not enough to see this beauty at its full.

4. Underground Shiva Temple

This is one of the earliest establishments of Vijayanagara Empire. This temple was built by King Bukka Raya I in probably 14^th Century. The idol of Lord Shiva in this temple is known as Prasanna Virupaksha or Pataleshwar. For some reasons I don’t know, I felt a weird vibe here. The ruins of temple might have made me feel nervous but the feeling was same as when I saw the fictional city of Old Valyria in Game of Thrones.

5. Vijaya Vitthala Temple

This temple is the main reason why all the national and international tourists visit Hampi. Widely known for the famous Stone Chariott inside the premises, the temple is a real eye catcher. Built in 16^th century over 42 years by 2 Kings, the temple contained musical pillars in its main Sangeet Mandapam (Music Hall). The pillars were made of stone and sounded like musical instruments. It is said that on Mahanavami festival, there used to be a music program in this temple and the sound of musical pillars could be heard from 2 kilometers afar. On the other hand, the chariot made of stones depicts the chariot of Arjun in Mahabharat. Despite the efforts of demolishing, the entire Vijaya Vitthala Temple is still a beauty. The Garbha Griha of temple contained idols of God Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini together. Locals say the same idols have been relocated to Pandharpur’s famous Vitthal Mandir in Maharashtra. However, this theory is debatable. There are still some musical pillars in there, you can hear them sound like Tabla and Pakhwaj.

6. Kishkindha and Anjanedri

Though it lacks historical evidences, I strongly believe that the epic of Ramayana had happened for real. Speaking of wonders spoken in the story, I believe we, and especially the Indians exaggerate things too much. So much so that even real incidents seem fake. When it comes to the Vanar Sena, the army of Monkey-like species in Ramayana, I believe they were one of the highly evolved but not human kind of monkeys. Even until the 20^th Century, the North Sentinal Island in India had humans who were having tails. Therefore there is a good chance that the Vanar Sena, possibly the Neanderthal men existed in South India during the times of Ramayana.

The Kishkindha empire was the kingdom of Vanaras. They were strong, huge, spoke languages and possessed knowledge as well. Present day Hampi was the capital city of Kishkindha. Lord Hanuman was born here. The birthplace of Lord Hanuman is the Anjanedri Hill. There is a temple atop the hill for which one has to climb around 700 steps. Temple does not look like its ancient but there’s a stone in a glass shelf inside the temple. The stone was one of the millions that were used for building the Ram Setu. Interestingly, the stone is floating above the water even today.

From the hilltop, you can get a mesmerizing view of nature. For me, climbing this hill was the most divine experience ever.

There are other hills in Kishkindha as well, including those where Vanara King Bali and his brother Sugreev used to live.

7. Tungabhadra Dam, Hosapete

After all the ancient architectures you have seen and all the places you have visited, the Tungabhadra Dam feels like a delicious dessert after a feast. The River Tungabhadra flows through Hampi as well and there are Coracle Rides available for enjoyment. The river further goes to Hosapete, a nearby town and a huge dam is built on it in the British Era. The dam is surrounded by some mountains. Once you visit the entry gate of dam, a bus comes and takes you up to the light house of the dam. The dam looks immensely beautiful and huge from atop the Light House hill. Another bus then comes and takes you down to the dam wall. There are gardens all beside this wall and a closer look to the dam gives chills. Down the line, there are musical fountains, dashing cars and so many other recreational activities that make this place truly enjoyable.

Travel Guide for Hampi

1. How to Reach Hampi ?

If you are an international or even an Indian tourist not from Karnataka or nearby, traveling to Bengaluru by flight is the best option. From Bengaluru, there are a lot of trains available to Hosapete. Hosapete is a town located 12 KM from Hampi. From Hosapete, you can reach Hampi by 3 modes

1. City Bus from Hosapete Bus Station, available on 20-30 minutes frequency, costs around 20 ₹
2. Auto Rickshaw, costs ₹ 200-300 for 3 people
3. Cabs – Costs around ₹ 1000 for 4 people

If you are from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, Train to Hosapete is the best commute. You can also come by your own vehicle as Hosapete is situated on a junction of national Highways.

If you’re anywhere from the north of Maharashtra, flying to Bengaluru is the best option. Trains are also an option when time is not a constraint.

2. Where to stay?

The best advice can be to stay at Hosapete, as it has hospitals, chemist shops, good hotels, resorts, security, daily needs shops etc. Hampi is a small village and there are no hospitals or chemist shops. There is also a network connectivity issue in there. You can go to Hampi during day and return to Hosapete in the evening.

However, I liked staying at Hampi. I stayed at this beautiful guest house called “Temple View Guest House” in Hampi. It is located just 200 meters from Virupaksha Temple. The rooms were clean, every necessity was available including high-speed Wi-Fi. There is a restaurant at the ground floor run by Mr. Shambhu. Shambu makes delicious Dosa and Uttapam.  At night, the view of Virupaksha Temple from its terrace was dope. The cost of stay at this restaurant was very reasonable and the owner was very kind and welcoming. I would highly recommend you all to stay at this guest house.

There was one more restaurant right in front of this guest house called Taste of Brahmins. It was a home-style food restaurant. If you love South Indian food, this place is highly recommended. I loved the taste of Idli and Appam.

3. How to commute?

The best way to commute in Hampi is by hiring a cab. I highly recommend Travel MaaYa travel agency to book your cab. The fares are reasonable, their drivers are experienced & disciplined and cars are clean as well. My experience was pretty good with Travel MaaYa. Apart from cabs, you can hire scooters from Kamalapur, a village 4 KM from Hampi. You can also hire an auto rickshaw for 3 people. There are bicycles and mopeds available on rent in Hampi. The total area is around 30 KM. So it is best you consider bicycles and mopeds for a limited distance.

4. Sanitation and Other Services

There are public toilets available at every site in Hampi. However, best advised that you should get your stuff done at the hotel itself and then leave for exploration. There are a lot of Lemonade and Juice Stalls at every spot. Snacks, biscuits, and fruits are also easily available. There are some Italian and continental restaurants in Hampi too. So if you feel hungry or thirsty during exploration, do not worry at all.

One more thing to keep in mind, as there is a severe network connectivity issue in Hampi, it is best that you take enough cash and change with you to avoid the card and UPI payment. There are high chances that low-speed internet can disrupt the transaction.

5. When to go?

Though I visited Hampi amidst light rain showers and low rush in July and it was beautiful too, the best time to visit Hampi however, is during October to February as there is low heat and humidity in that period. A pleasant weather and lush greenery will be welcoming you.

6. Security and Other Issues

There are less than 1% chances that you’ll get robbed or attacked in Hampi. It is a completely police-protected area. The people in Hampi i.e. the hotel owners, shop owners, agents, tour guides, small vendors all are very genuine and they do not charge beyond limits. Their hospitality is commendable as well.

7. Overall cost

A day in Hampi will cost anywhere between ₹ 1500 to ₹ 3000 depending upon the level of accommodation and mode of commute. It may even cost ₹ 5000 to ₹ 10000 per day if you stay at a 3 star hotel or a resort. My total cost from Latur to Hampi and return was ₹ 5000 for 2 days, including train tickets and almost every penny I spent in the entire tour.

However, the hotel and guest house prices may increase during peak days.

What happens in Hampi, becomes a happy memory lifelong!

Warm Regards,

Dnyanesh Make ” The DPM”

The post The Hampi Tour appeared first on Words Of DPM.

“Bhai iss speed se jayenge toh aadhe raste se baki log hamein wapis aate milenge!” Said Sairaj

“Poora toh aaj nahi hoga, jitna hoga utna toh karte hai na.” Said Dhananjay.

“Thoda abhi aur upar jayenge na toh elevation milega aur photos ache aayenge.” I added

“Prachi aaja, baith yahan..” said Sairaj when Prachi and Rinky were passing by.

“Prachi tu inke saath hai ya mere sath? Chal hum pura upar tak jane wale hai.” Said Rinky.

Our apparent group of 5 boys and 3 girls was having two opinions about climbing the mountain cliff of Rajgad Fort. We were the last amongst 80 other trip members. Rinky and Prachi were from the organization committee themselves. Halting at every 150 meters climbed, we had already finished our water bottles midway. Rinky and Prachi were still faster because they were the organization’s team members and they must not fail to reach the fort. The 5 boys – Dhananjay, Gajanan, Sairaj, Sanidhya, and Me were lagging behind. As the first two dialogues might conclude, we were doubting that would we even reach the fort? On reaching around 700 feet below the fort entrance, we boys found the girls Muskan, Rinky, and Prachi halting there. Rain started. We all kept our smartphones in Prachi’s waterproof bag and started going further. This last section was a very steep cliff. There was no going back now because nobody appeared coming towards us and climbing seemed easier than retreating. The very sincere-looking Muskan had so much luggage in her backpack that it was practically impossible to climb up with that. Despite that, she made it before the rest of us. That was indeed very inspiring. Muskan’s consistency, Rinky’s responsibility as a secretary, Dhananjay’s enthusiasm of going ahead, and my sheer wish to go to as high an altitude as I can, ended up we being on the fort eventually!

Flashback

On the right moment when WICASA Secretary Rinky Khithani posted about Rajgad Trek, I quickly filled up the form and paid the fee. I was lucky, the seats filled up in just a few hours after that.

With 2 Buses full of 90 students including WICASA committee members, the journey towards Rajgad was very enjoyable. 6 kilometers before the destination, the police officers stopped our buses. It took around 1 hour to get a grant for the journey ahead.

Initially, we weren’t just 8. Dashrath, Pooja, Avinash, Sagun went up so fast and literally disappeared. Dashrath and Sagun are indeed professionals when it comes to Trekking. Our turtle gang was left behind. Still, Abhiraj was with us for a considerable time and then he also geared up. The humidity and heat were making our gasps louder as we were walking further. We started taking many halts which had definitely cost our already limited time. But as described above, we made it to the fort.

The Fort

I have been living in Pune for a few years. The nature gift of Sahyadri ranges and the fortresses legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would never keep you away from visiting them. Rajgad happens to be the first Capital Fort of Shivaji Maharaj’s Empire. Located on a hilltop named Murumb Devacha Dongar, the fort is 4514 feet high above sea level. There is no rope-way to make it convenient or faster, steeper slopes with only railings for your support and no staircases; the trek is definitely very tough. It was my first time to visit Rajgad, the first trek this much high in the last 12 years!

Many amongst us explored the fort. Some guys even reached Suvela Machi, the peak of Fort. This view in the picture above has been captured at Suvela Machi by Sagun. The fort takes more than a day to visit fully. We were just roaming nearby the Padma Lake. Prachi, the one who said “Mujhe chakkar aane laga hai” while climbing, went ahead in full speed after we reached the gates. Prachi and Dhananjay saw much of the fort. I was happy noticing the lush green nature and enjoying the elevation from the Chor Darwaja only.

Amidst all of this, this thought hit me many times that how could Shivaji Maharaj even managed to rule over these mountains when they are so tough to climb. How was it possible for his soldiers to raid and attack these forts at night? Reading in books about Maharaj and his Mavale is a different thing. You can only get the knowledge of history through that. Climb these forts up and you’ll feel the history yourself. The echoing chant I recited loudly during our climb was indeed out of this realization.

Descending, Sugar Factory Visit and Return Journey

After around an hour and a half, we started descending the mountain. Now, this was the real challenge because the same 700 feet steep cliff was the first step of the return journey. Slowly and firmly putting every step, Me, Sairaj, Sanidhya, Gajanan and Prachi were going back. Dhananjay also joined us after a while.

Climbing up was exhausting yet enjoyable. Returning was a little painful as I started having a mild headache. All my group members except Gajanan and Muskan changed bus. Now the buses were heading for the Sugar Factory visit. Every one of us was too hungry. The arrangements for lunch were in the town where the factory was located. The lunch happened to be the dinner. Then we visited the sugar factory and returned to Pune at 12:30 in the midnight.

Team WICASA

Well, many criticised Team WICASA for mismanagement of this trip. Though they couldn’t predict the possible delay and further inconvenience, they did manage well. Some of the big issues in the trip were inevitable. Team WICASA deserves appreciation to get the grant from Police officers. Team WICASA was responsible enough to get their food only after all the trip members have it. All these WICASA Committee members are students undergoing articleship, just like us. Place us in their stead and imagine the pressure of responsibility. You truly did a fantastic job Pune WICASA. We had a memorable experience.

Moments to Remember!

Be there the actual chemistry between some guys and girls or a cooked-up chemistry just to tease some of them, this cute, gentle leg-pulling was what I enjoyed the most. The medley (or song ruining ceremony as I like to call it) during the journey, the shayaris that I recited was a legit fun. There was an adventure as well. Someone from my group had stolen the Bakarwadi packet from Rinky’s bag and kept it inside mine. She got to know about it while climbing and shouted at Dhananjay. I hope she had taken it in a sporting way! Avinash, Dashrath, Dhananjay, Sairaj, Pruthviraj, Sanidhya are already my friends for many years. The new ones I made in the are Gajanan, Rinky, Prachi, Abhiraj, Monika, Pravin and Muskan. In the return journey, the deep conversation about life I had with Gajanan was very relaxing.

The last time I had this much fun, I was in 10^th standard, on a school trip. I am so grateful that I had this trip. Thank you Pune WICASA for this memorable experience!

Warm Regards,

Dnyanesh Make “The DPM”

The post The Rajgad Trek appeared first on Words Of DPM.