Harishchandragad trek ❤️ Beautiful Konkankada sunset & the best sunrise

Niraj what makes Harishchandragad trek one of the most perfect treks in Maharashtra ? Its got a thrilling climb of Tolar Khind, many caves like Kedareshwar & Ganesh gufa and the architectural beauty of the 6th century stone temple of Harishchandreshwar. You want more ? Winter provides beautiful sunsets at the mighty Konkankada & one of the best sunrise from Taramati peak – the 6th highest peak in Maharashtra. More ? Harishchandragad in monsoon is covered by clouds & waterfalls. While post monsoon you can see the clouds floating below Konkankada with chances of seeing Indravajra – the circular rainbow or the broken spectre. While in summer you will get clear view of hundreds of mountains nearby . So you can plan in any season but Harishchandragad trek has something to offer every time. This Harishchandragad blog will be your travel guide to plan this trek yourself. More such beautiful places & other things do near by in Malshej & Nashik at the end of this post.

Different routes for Harishchandragad trek

The 3 most prominent trek routes to Harishchandragad are :

• EASY – From Paachnai village , Nashik side
• MEDIUM – From Khireshwar village via Tolar Khind , Malshej ghat side
• HARD – Naalichi vaat from Walhivare , Malshej ghat side

There are atleast 25 trekking routes to Harishchandragad which is out of scope for this blog but have enlisted few for fun

From Khireshwar

• via Tolar Khind
• via Junnar Darwaja ( Rajmarg)

From Paachnai

• Simple main route
• Bail ghat near Paachnai ( Konkan darwaja)

From Walhiware

• Naalichi vaat
• Sadhale Ghat
• Makadnaal- Rohidas-Junnar darwaja

From Waghachi wadi

• Rohidas ghal-Junnar darwaja
• Tavli ghal – Junnar darwaja
• Taramati ghal

From Kothale/ Lavhali

• via Tolar Khind
• via Rajdarwaja

I would only discuss the most used routes from Khireshwar, Paachnai & Naalichi vaat as other routes are less used and will be covered in a different blog.

Is Harishchandragad Trek difficult for beginners ? How long is the Harishchandragad trek ?

Niraj, how difficult is Harishchandragad trek for beginners? The trek route from Paachnai is the easiest route to reach Harishchandragad and can be easily done by beginners in about 2 hours ( about 3-4kms) , while the route from Khireshwar is slightly lengthy and adventurous and will take about 4-5 hours ( about 6-7kms). Naalichi vaat from Valhiware is a route through a water stream i.e. a scramble through lots of stones and rock climbing patches at places hence is a tough one which takes about 8-10 hours to complete with about 6-7kms walk.

Conclusion: Beginners can do Harishchandragad trek from Paachnai easily & can also do it from Khireshwar as well with slight guidance from a good trekker. Naalichi vaat is reserved for professional trekkers.

What is the best time for Harishchandragad Trek ?

Harishchandragad trek is a good all season trek with different pros & cons for each season. In monsoon all the waterfalls are alive as the entire fort is covered under a lush green carpet sparkled with flowers of various colours. However in monsoon the spectacular views are mostly hidden by clouds which is a huge turn off for me, instead head to one of the famous waterfalls in Maharashtra. In summer the views are clear and you can see & identify many forts in nearby region however for summers I prefer a early morning / night trek to top to avoid the hot sun.

Conclusion: My favourite season for Harishchandragad trek is post monsoon or pre monsoon & winters . Pre-monsoon & post -monsoon clouds arrive from Konkan and can be seen below from Konkankada which is a very unique experience. If you get such clouds on a slightly sunny day at Konkankada you can see a circular rainbow / broken spectre / indravajra. In winter you get to enjoy spectacular sunrises & sunsets but don’t forget a thick sweater, it gets cold. So be here from Aug to Feb start .

Harishchandragad History

Harishchandragad dates back to 6th century during the Kalchuri dynasty rule. The fort was build during that era while many of the caves were added in the 11th century AD. The fort eventually went under the control of the Mughals which was later recaptured by Marathas in 1747 AD. During older days the goods from the port cities of Kalyan, Sopara & Thane were transported to the economic hubs of Junnar via Naneghat & Malshej Ghat , Harishchandragad played a vital role in controlling this trade route via Malshej ghat along with Bhairavgad Moroshi & few more forts.

Where can we stay at Harishchandragad trek ? Camping ? Food ?

Harishchandragad trek has become very famous. As such many makeshift shacks have cropped up near the temple complex and near Konkankada. They provide tents fort stays for about Rs 500 for 2 people. Food is also available on weekends as well as weekdays. For people who want to save some money can bring their own blankets and stay safely in Ganesh caves which are big enough to house 50 people & warm enough during winters. There are many water streams till December which are source of water. The Harishchandreshwar temple has many water tanks which stores the water percolating from the rocks and is the best tasting cold water you will ever have right till summer. I used this water to cook food we bought from home.

Should I plan Harishchandragad trek for 1 or 2 days ?

Harishchandragad trek is huge one and though it can be done in a single day it can be tiring. For those who want to do it in a single day do it from Paachnai side starting early & do it either in summer or monsoon. In winters doing it in a day seems like a sin , you need to take 2 days and enjoy the sunset & sunrise. If there are no leaves and you have to do it in one day do it as a night trek or a sunrise trek.

How to reach Harishchandragad from Mumbai & Pune?

Where is Harishchandragad located? Harishchandragad is located in Ahmednagar district in Malshej ghat, Maharashtra. Based on the base village

• Khireshwar village is 140 kms from Mumbai & 120 kms from Pune, 150kms from Nashik
• Paachnai village is 190 kms from Mumbai, 160 kms from Pune & 100kms from Nashik
• Walhiware village is 120kms from Mumbai & 150kms from Pune & 180kms from Nashik

From Mumbai & Pune, the trade off between Khireshwar & Paachnai is you reach Paachnai taking two hours more than Khireshwar but you trek from Paachnai taking 2 hours less than Khireshwar , so overall its a zero sum game.

How to reach Harischandragad from Mumbai?

• For Khireshwar:  Reach Kalyan railway station & move to the bus station near by & take any bus going towards Alephata/ Narayangaon via Malshej ghat & get down at Khubi phata. From Khubi walk another 6-7 kms to reach the trek starting point near Khireshwar.
• For Walhivale: Reach Kalyan railway station & move to the bus station near by & take any bus going towards Alephata/ Narayangaon via Malshej ghat & get down at Moroshi phata. Walhivare is 11kms from here, try to get a lift/shared jeep/ walk to reach the base village
• For Paachnai: Reach Kasara railway station by train & take any bus, sharing to Rajur. If direct transport is not available reach Ghoti for which plenty of vehicles are available & then take another bus to Rajur. From Rajur there are buses & other private options to reach paachnai village. This route takes to much time in changing buses and hence I prefer Paachnai only if you have your private vehicle.

How to reach Harischandragad from Pune?

• For Khireshwar:  Take any bus from Pune to Alephata / Narayangaon & then take another bus going to Kalyan via Malshej ghat and get down at Khubi Phata.From Khubi walk another 6-7 kms to reach the trek starting point near Khireshwar.
• For Walhivare:  Take any bus from Pune to Alephata / Narayangaon & then take another bus going to Kalyan via Malshej ghat and get down at Moroshi Phata. Walhivare is 11kms from here, try to get a lift/shared jeep/ walk to reach the base villageFrom Khubi walk another 6-7 kms to reach the trek starting point near Khireshwar.
• For Paachnai: Take a bus to Ghoti & get down at Rajur, take another bus/private vehicle to reach Paachnai village. I prefer Paachnai only if you have your own private vehicle

How to reach Harischandragad from Nashik?

• For Paachnai: Reach Ghoti & then take bus to Paachnai. If direct buses are not available to Paachnai take a bus to Rajur & from Rajur take another bus or other private options to reach Paachnai village.

Things to see & Harishchandragad Trek Route Map

Harishchandragad Trek blog: TheFreeBird’s story

Harishchandragad trek has been on mind for ages but kept getting cancelled for unforeseen reasons. After decades of wait everything fell in place & found myself on my bike to Khireshwar. I carried the tent & food to be prepared at top making it a self sufficient trek. On this winter trek I had expected clear skies to spot the neighboring forts, but an unexpected cyclone in an ocean 1000’s of kms away bought in the clouds that day which made the trek even more memorable. Paachnai trek route is very straightforward taking 2hours to reach the top near the Temple complex, while the Khireshwar route till the Temple complex is very adventurous and will be discussed in this Harishchandragad blog.

After driving on the winding roads of Malshej ghat I reached Khubi phata & drove another 7kms by the Pimpaljoga dam to reach Khireshwar village. Just before the Khireshwar village is the Nageshwar temple where you will get to see the rare sculpture of shesh shayi Vishnu or Vishnu reclining on the serpent Adishesha. I decided to visit here after the trek & eventually had to skip it due to lack of time. From near the temple are trails which lead to Aadrai jungle trek , Kalu waterfall & rajmarg trail. I went ahead to reach the parking area for the Harishchandragad trek via Tolar khind

TREK STARTS FROM KHIRESHWAR

Parking my bike we started towards the jungle climb to reach Tolar Khind. The route had dense forest and you will spot monkeys & vanars. I even spotted a Shekhru aka Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel. Shekhru is the state animal of Maharashtra and spotting this red colored squirrel was a good start for the trek. The trail winds to the top and a dense forest canopy means a cool climb even in the afternoon. Within half an hour we reached a point from where the Nedhe or the Needle hole rock becomes visible.

With the amount of weight we were carrying the plan was to reach Tolar Khind within an hour. We reach a dry waterfall section which is slippery during monsoon and being so exposed also has to face strong winds during monsoon making up for difficult climb on rainy days. That day it was a normal route with stairs carved at places.

TOLAR KHIND

Within an hour we had reached Tolar Khind . There is another trail from Kothale village which reaches Tolar Khind from opposite side. There are few shops and a forest chowki here on weekends. This khind or mountain pass is a pit stop before the steep climb to reach the top of Harishchandragad. Railings have now been installed on the vertical climb making it much safer than earlier

There had been many accidents on the climb before the railing got installed. Now it is much safer to climb this section. Extra care has to be taken during monsoon when its slippery and the winds are strong. During a hot day the poles might get too hot to be handled with bare hands. Nonetheless after an hour of climbing through the forest the clear views from here are welcoming. On a clear day one can spot the Pimpalgaon dam on one side and the hills of Bhairavgad Kothale, Shirpunje, Ghanchakkar , gavaldev on the other side. Views were not clear that day.

At some places railings have broken off and can be troublesome for some to climb such patches. With little help such treks can really thrill beginners making them fall in love with trekking. Within an hour we finish this adventurous climb to the top

BALLEKILLA & 7-HILLS-ROUTE

Once at top there are 2 routes to reach the main area of the fort which is the temple & cave complex. One route on the left continues to climb to reach the Ballekilla and then there is a trail on the right to reach the temple complex. The trail on the right has small climbs and descends through small 7 hills to reach the temple complex. The forest near Ballekilla is dense and can have some wildlife like leopards ,hence Ballekilla route is preferred for a bigger group which acts as a deterrent to wild animals , The 7 Hill route is preferred if you are less in number. I took this right trail through 7 Hills to reach the temple complex.

The 7 hills trail first passes through the Ganesh sond which is the most obscure part of Harishchandragad with a small Vetal mandir at its end, tanks , fortifications & remains of a Rajdarwaja which has a trail to Lavhali. The more famous part of Harishchandragad is towards Konkankada and the huge expanse of the fort means that Ganesh sond is hugely overlooked by normal trekkers. In December the entire Ganesh sond is covered with yellow Sonki flowers which made taking this trail worthwhile.

With my heavy backpack the 7 hills took about 2 hours to reach the temple complex . The unending nature of this 7 hill trail with almost similar views does feel irritating as we go ahead but there are plenty of snack shacks on weekends for some breaks. The wish to see the sunset was the only drive to get me walk quicker through this trail. Finally we reached the temple complex. The temple complex has all the major remains like Harishchandreshwar temple , Kedareshwar caves, Saptateertha Pushkarni lake , Ganesh gufa & remains of many smaller stone temples.

HARISHCHANDRESHWAR TEMPLE

Recently another caves were discovered underneath this temple which can be accessed from the water stream flowing in front of the temple. Thought it does contain lots of mud, it can become quite famous if restored properly. Even on a hot summer day the temple caves & water is very cold & pleasant.

SAAPTA TEERTHA PUSHKARNI LAKE

This lake is just outside of the temple. This lake was the primary source of water on the fort for years but the recent tourist limelight has caused the water to loose its potability. The squarish shape has many temple like structures which had many idols . These idols have now been shifted inside the main temple to prevent wear and tear.

KEDARESHWAR CAVES

Just below the main temple is the Kedareshwar caves which houses the 5ft tall Shiv linga. The cave is filled with water throughout the year as the water keeps on percolating through the rock walls. This is supposed to be the origin of river Mangalganga. The access to this cave is cut off when the stream in front of it comes to life in monsoon.

According to legend the four pillars of the cave represent Satya yuga, Treta yuga, Dvapara yuga, and Kali yuga. The three broken pillars represent the endings of the respective yugas. It is believed that when the last pillar breaks the world will come to an end. By the way people are behaving & things are going on in the world I think we could see that break soon enough.

GANESH GUFA

The entire temple complex lies in the laps of Taramati peak. Ganesh gufa is further away from all the above remains in the walls of the Taramati peak. There are two sets of caves , the lower ones are not in good condition, while the higher ones called Ganesh gufa are in proper condition and are used by trekkers to stay protected from the harsh elements of the nature. 50 people can easily stay here but just make sure to bring your sleeping bags.

After going through all the remains we hurried to Konkankada to enjoy the sunset. The architecture of the structures had me spend more time there and I was really late for the sunset. Konkankada is another hill climb-descend away from the temple complex 20min walk.

KONKANKADA

The most famous part of Harishchandragad the mighty Konkankada had started to glow in the evening light as we hurried for the sunset. Many people had already reached here early and booked the tents & dinner from the shacks & were set to enjoy the dying colours of the evening. We still had to set up tent & cook food. No worries lets enjoy the sunset first.

With such a beautiful sunset I almost forgot to take photos and could only manage few after the sunset. Was about to set up a timelapse, maybe next time. The entire range from Naneghat, Jivdhan fort, Bhairavagad Moroshi is visible on a clearer day but it was too cloudy then. The fast winds and the sunset made it very cold by the edge as sweaters were immediately out.

CAMPING & FOOD

It would be very easy to rent a tent and order some food. But its no fun when you can actually carry 20 kilos backpack to pitch your own tent and cook your own food. We spend way too much time at sunset and then hurriedly found a place near Konkankada to pitch the tent. Spend lots of time to get some dry fuel and prepare our rice. Was it pulao, was it biryani.. cant say what it had become but it was tasty.

TARAMATI SUNRISE

I couldnt sleep through the night as the wind kept me awake with the flapping tent. Having not slept a bit I paused my 4am alarm before it rang to get ready for Taramati sunsrise. Packing everything we started towards Taramati by 0530hrs. The route from Konkankada to Taramati is simple and takes about an hour in pitch darkness. The trick is walk straight parallel to the Konkankada and then take a perpendicular left when you reach a rocky floor. There you reach this overhang from where the route continues to top through a waterfallish route.

Usually winter sunsets are very clear and lots of forts & hills are visible & can be identified right from the Sindola fort- Naneghat, Jivdhan fort, Bhairavagad Moroshi range on one side to the Ajoba- Ratangad, Ghanchakkar range on the other side. That day it was very cloudy because of some storm some 1000kms away. Nonetheless it added more character to the morning.

With a beautiful morning & taking loads of photos & videos we headed back to experience Konkankada one last time before heading home.

We had a breakfast at Konkankada and returned home with the plan of returning here by one of the other 25 trails. The plan was to head down and take a dip in the dam before starting the return journey.

Bye !!

That’s it for the Harishchandragad trek blog.