Harishchandragad

Located on the top of Malshej Ghat in Ahmadnagar, Harishchandragad offers you Konkan’s beauty at its best. The Harishchandragad fort and caves belonging to the ancient period together with the medieval temples of Nageshwar and Harishchandreshwar at 4671 feet is a challenge for any trekker. Ideally it is a 2-day trek and staying in the caves is quite an experience. The most breathtaking sight from the cliff which is rightly called the ‘Konkan Kada’, is worth the climb. The cliff is not vertical but hangs over the mesmerising Konkan strip. It is a must for all nature lovers! The highest peaks of the fort are Taramati and Rohidas named after King Harishchandra’s wife and son respectively. Taramati is the second highest peak in Maharashtra after Kalsubai from where you can get a glimpse of a range of forts from north to south of the Konkan.

A must visit spot is the Nageshwar temple near the base village Khireshwar. Here lies the intriguing ‘Sheshayi Sishnu’, a 1.5m long sculpture of the sleeping Vishnu! The Harishchandreshwar Ganapati temple is a beautiful example of stone carving from ancient India. The entire temple is said to have carved out from a single huge rock. Also, drinking water can be found here but don’t forget to carry your own water until you reach the top. En rounte to the Harishchandreshwar temple, the huge cave of Kedareshwar can be seen-a huge Shivalinga atop of a rock surrounded by water gives it an eternal feel. Legend holds that the four pillars surrounding the shivlinga represent the ‘yugas’. Three of these pillars have broken down and the last one will break with the end of this kalyug!

This is the best destination for a hard-core trekking trip where you can also do rappelling, rock-cllimbing and valley crossing.