Gorakhgad

Gorakhgad is a fort located near the town of Murbad in Maharashtra’s Thane District. Though not much is known about the history of this fort, over the years it has become a popular trekking destination. Gorakhgad fort is comparatively smaller than other forts in Maharashtra. It lies adjacent to the peak of Machindragad. Another fort in its vicinity is the popular Siddhagad Fort, which is the highest of the three forts.

Built during the era of the Satavahana dynasty, Gorakhgad is named after Saint Gorakhnath. During Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s rule, the fort served as a stopover point between Junnar and Naneghat. No major battle took place at this fort. According to historians, the stone steps carved into the fort are proof that the fort is more than a 1000 years old.

The Gorakhgad trek is enjoyable, but considerably difficult. The climb is easy at the beginning, but becomes challenging gradually. Towards the end of the trek, one has to maneuver across an almost vertical patch to reach the peak.

The fort’s base village is Dehri. The trail to the top begins behind the village’s Vitthal-Rukmini Temple. This route is immensely beautiful and passes through a lush green and dense forest. It is even more amazing during monsoon, when cascading waterfalls and a variety of flora are visible everywhere you look. The view of the Sahyadris, while ascending towards Gorakhgad is simply breathtaking.

It takes about 2-3 hours to reach the fort top. The fort’s rock-cut steps can get a little slippery due to rain. The last patch of the trek is quite steep, so one needs to proceed slowly and carefully. On the top of the fort, one is greeted by the spectacular panoramic view of the Sahyadris Mountains with Ahupe Ghat to the south, Siddhagad Fort to the south-west and Naneghat-Dhakoba to the east.

Atop the fort, there are a few spacious caves where one can rest and relax. The view of the adjoining Machindragad pinnacle from these caves is picture-perfect. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a temple dedicated to Saint Gorakhnath are also situated at the top of the fort. There are 3 water cisterns on the fort, containing potable water. After exploring the fort, one needs to descend down the same route to reach the base village.