Trek to Harishchandragad

Trekker’s paradise: 'Harishchandragad'

A trek to Harishchandragad is said to be one of the most famous and picturesque treks near Pune.

If you are in Pune and a trek enthusiast, this place must be in your bucket list.

Here's the glimpse of most awaited trek to Harishchandragad.

This trek has three routes:

1) Pachnai (easy)

2) Khireshwar route (medium)

3) Naalichi wat (tough)

We followed the Pachnai route.

Hiking to one of the best treks in Western Ghats in Malshej region of Maharashtra will definitely give you goosebumps to get up early and head towards Pachnai which is the base village of Harishchandragad.

Route to Pachnai: Pune-Alephata-Sangamner-Akole-Rajur-Pachnai.

We were lucky enough to witness tons of fireflies on the way to Pachnai.

Peak season to watch fireflies is in the month of June and July.

From the Pachnai village, it takes around 2 hours at normal pace to reach Harishchandragad.

The trekking path has some metallic ladders & railings which makes the hike easier and safe.

On the way you will find almost vertical rock face where you traverse through an exposed patch, which will surely enthrall you.

                                    

After 3 kms of scenic hike, we reached at the top and visited Temple of Harishchandreshwar.

This ancient temple is carved out of monolithic rock. It consists of a shrine with a very tall spire built by well-finished arranging stones one on top of the other.

Harishchandreshwar temple

There is the huge cave of Kedareshwar towards the right of Harishchandreshwar temple, in which there is a big Shiva Linga(5 feet tall) completely surrounded by ice-cold water and 4 pillars (only one of them is intact now). The folks from the villages believe that the 4 pillars represent the 4 Yugas of the world.

Shiva Linga, Kedareshwar cave

They believe that the end of Kalyuga will be marked by the disintegration of the 4th and last pillar.

Food facility is available on top by local people, also you can camp here.

Very near to Harishchandreshwar Temple we can see Ganesh Caves.

These caves seem to have been carved in the 11th century. These caves are an abode to trekkers and have idols of lord Ganesh.

Ganesh Caves

We spent some quality time near the temple premises and headed towards another major attraction: Mighty Konkankada!

Konkankada is a huge cliff at Harishchandragad which offers spectacular view of Konkan, and is one of the biggest cliffs of the sahyadris.

Konkankada

With a breath-taking view of the surrounding region it depicts almost a cobra’s hood.

Konkankada

A totally surreal and picturesque place.

If you are planning to stay there, awe-inspiring sunset is a must watch from Konkankada.

Refreshing vertical cloud burst made me feel like staying there forever.

The most amazing surprise I got there from nature was Indravajra (a circular rainbow) and its beauty is beyond words.

Indravajra 

Indravajra can be seen only when there is a bit of mist in the valley, and the sun is right behind the person facing the valley.

And I was lucky enough to experience this miracle.

Last but not the least, we hiked to Taramati Peak. Also known as Taramanchi.

This is the highest point on the Harishchandragad fort and 2nd highest peak in Maharashtra.

Taramati Peak

From the top, we have a glimpse of surrounding mountains, the temple and Konkankada.

Taramati Peak

This turned out to be a real great experience and a must visit place.

A big Thank You for your time and I hope you have enjoyed this post.

Please drop a comment, give your feedback and share.

Bike Ride from Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

As you all know, morning rides are the best rides. Hands down!

Having a bullet(Royal Enfield) definitely gives you a reason to throttle it out on buttery smooth roads which will take you to the heavenly locations.

It’s time to explore the spell bounding beauty of the well known grandiose ‘Nagarjuna Sagar Dam’.

Distance from Gachibowli, Hyderabad: 176 kms

As it is located in the close proximity of Hyderabad, it will be ideal for beginners to start bike riding as it is easily accessible by road.

If you are looking a weekend getaway near Hyderabad to make it memorable then Nagarjuna Sagar dam will truly mesmerise you.

Best time to visit: Monsoon and Winter(August to November).

To witness the lush greenery and beautiful waterfalls, it is recommended to visit in monsoon.

Coming back to my trip, I started at 6 AM with a cool breeze and a ginger tea to get a kick start. With all the riding gears in place, I was ready to hit the road en-route second largest water reservoir in India. Biggest benefit of starting early morning is less traffic and cool weather.

It took around 3 hours 15 minutes to reach. Since roads were smooth it was one break journey. I prefer light breakfast while travelling and had a plateful of idli.

The ride was fun as I was riding towards nature’s beauty with eye catching greenery and scenic landscapes.

After spending 2 peaceful hours seating in the nature’s lap to rejuvenate inner self in serenity, a refreshing Orange juice was a much needed drink.

I continued my ride to explore another beautiful place 'Ethipothala Waterfalls'. Beauty of this glorious waterfall will surely enchant you.

I started my return journey after spending a quality time capturing some captivating pictures.

Took a chill-pill dose of my favourite dessert Rajbhog Ice-Cream and continued back to Hyderabad.  Return journey was less enjoyable as there was traffic and I don’t wanted to extend it by taking more breaks hence completed it in one break where I had satisfying masala dosa.

I returned back to my flat after long 4 hours of riding. Exhausted with a tiring ride, but ride was awesome and place is worth visiting and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the region.

Finally, my riding experience to breathtaking Nagarjuna Sagar dam comes to an end.

Please comment down below your reviews/queries and any kind of suggestions are most welcome.