Lingana Fort

Lingana is a massive pinnacle located in the Sahyadris between the forts of Raigad and Torna. It is situated 30 km away from the town of Mahad, in Maharashtra’s Raigad District.

Lingana derived its name from its shape, which resembles a ‘Shivlinga’. The highest point in the Sahyadris, the pinnacle attains a gigantic height of 2969 feet. Located inside this pinnacle is the Lingana Fort, built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1648. The historic fort was used as prison, before being conquered by the British in 1818. Today, nothing remains of the fort and its buildings, besides a few traces of a storehouse and a few water cisterns.

Lingana Fort was considered inaccessible as all paths leading to it has been destroyed. However, in 1981 a group of hikers successfully climbed the pinnacle After that, the fort became a trekking hot-spot, enticing experienced trekkers from all over India.

The Lingana trek is very difficult and not suitable for beginners or novice trekkers. The trek involves a lot of rock climbing, rappelling and extremely steep climbs, and is doable only if you are a hardcore and experienced trekker. The entire trek takes upto 5 to 6 hours.

The base of the trek is at the Railing plateau, also known as Lingana Machi. This is the campsite of the trek. The first sight of the Lingana Fort from the Railing plateau is absolutely spellbinding. It looks even more magnificent during sunset.

In the morning, leave the campsite at Railing plateau to reach the starting point of the trek – a col known as ‘Boratyachi Naal’. Descend down the col to reach the base of the fort. From here, begin climbing the mountain with the help of harnesses and rope. You will encounter at least 4 rocky patches during this climb. The first half of the 4-mile ascent is easy at the beginning but becomes extremely difficult the higher you go.

After the last big rocky patch, a narrow path leads you to the summit. Once you reach the top of the pinnacle, you are rewarded by breathtakingly impressive views of Raigad Fort and the Railing Plateau and Torna Fort. The feeling of reaching the Lingana summit is totally exhilarating.

To descend, you need to slowly and carefully rappel down the rocky surface of the pinnacle. This is considered to be one of the most difficult parts of the Lingana trek and must be done under the expert supervision of trek leaders. After rappelling down the initial patch of 180 feet, you reach the Lingana cave. Stop at the cave for a breather, hydrate yourself and grab a bite. Later, resume the descend and rappel down the remaining 450 feet to reach the Boratyachi Naal.