pune.hillstation: 2011

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At A Glance

District : Pune
Hill Range: Bhimashankar
Height above sea level : Durg - 3855 feet and Dhakoba - 4148 feet
Difficulty rating : Medium Grade
Base village : Amboli, Khutedhar
Nearest Railway Station: Pune
Approx. time to reach the top : 2.5 hrs to Dhakoba, 2.5 hrs to reach Durg. Durg and dhakoba are about 40 min distance from each other
Google Map Co-ordinate : 19°13'54"N 73°40'14"E

About And History

In the mountain ranges of Naneghat and Jivdhan, lies the fort of Durg and Dhakoba. To the south of Naneghat and Jivdhan is Dhakoba, while Durg stands behind it. Both these forts are situated in quite a deserted area. There are few villages, but here the socio-economic condition is so bad that people strive hard to meet just the basic needs there primary subsistence occupation is farming.

How To Reach

Junnar - Amboli direct bus will take you to the base village.
If you want to visit Kukdeshwar Temple, alight at Aptale and start walking along the bus road towards Chavand and reach village called Pur. On crossing the village you will see the famed temple of Kukdeshwar. There is an electric pole in front of temple; take the path that begins near this pole and one will reach Amboli after crossing the pass.
On west you will see thickly forested Dhakoba mountain. One can see cave like depression at mid height of the mountain. One needs to climb to the central depression.
Follow the cart track that starts from Amboli and reach the base of Dhakoba. The path that turns left from base goes to Dhakoba and the one that go right reaches Palu village in Kokan. This route is called Amboli Ghat. Take left from here and climb along spur till you reach middle cave that was seen from Amboli. From here a Winding route will take to the plateau above. It takes about 2 hrs to reach this plateau from Amboli.
A Little head path splits - Left path take you to the Dhakoba Temple from where you can also proceed for Durg Fort.It will take about 20 min to reach temple from here. And the right path will take to the top of Dhakoba. Going straight on this path one more bifurcation is encountered in 10 min. Left path will take to Fort Durg escaping the Dhakoba Temple. Going straight one will reach Dhakoba in another 15 min.
Durg Fort - Take left from second bifurcation and you will reach a vast clearing(Either you take the first bifurcation or the second bifurcation they will meet at a single point), From here half an hour descent will take you to the stream. Crossing the stream, walking up and down towards village Hatvij one will reach a plateau. From here you will find a good path with Squarish, thickly forested Durg Fort on your right. On this Plateau itself, at southern base is durgadevi temple.
Turn right towards this temple (From stream it takes half an hour to reach the temple ). Follow the thin trail along the temple and one will reach the top of Durg Fort in another 15 mins.
One can descend down the fort and pinnacle through Khutedhar ghat. Return to the Durgadevi temple and set off to Hatvij. From Hatvij one can descend down towards Kokan through Khutedar ghat. It is quite a steep descent and an exposed one at some places. A bit difficult one must say.
However there are handholds all the way down to render it easy, with some wooden pegs where holds are inadequate.
After good descent one will come across a stream and from here it will take around 1 hr to reach khuthedhar village. Total descent from Hatvij will take around 3 hrs.
From Khutedhar one can reach Murbad through Jeeps. from Murbad one can get bus to Kalyan and other places.f

Place To Stay / Eat

There is no accommodation facility on both the forts. But 15 people can easily accommodate themselves in the Dhakoba temple at the foothills of Dhakoba. Similarly around 5 people can stay in DurgaDevi temple.
Water
Water ponds are situated right besides both the temples near Dhakoba and Durg which can be used for drinking.
Food
Trekkers need to arrange for food on their own.

Places Of Interest

Dhakoba - Dhakoba is a pinnacle near to Fort Durg. From Dhakoba you will get panoramic view of the entire Kokan region. scenery from top is real feast to the eyes.
Durg Fort - From Durg fort one can see entire Kokan. In north one can clearly see the main sahyadri crest line utill Naneghat which is natural dividing line between Desh plateau and Coastal Kokan. There are no prominent structures on the fort. We can just imagine that it was used as a military base.
Dhakoba and Durgadevi temple - These temples can be located enroute to trek for Durg - Dhakoba. Information and location about these temples are already explained in "How to reach".

Weather

Winters during December to February offer a pleasant climate in Junnar region with a temperature range of 22°C to 29°C. Summers (March to May) are hot and maximum temperature crosses 40°C. Monsoons during June to September offer medium to heavy rainfalls.
Junnar region can be visited comfortably during October to March.
Weather forecast of Nearby city of Junnar

On The Way And Beyond

Kukdeshwar Temple - Kukdeshwar Temple is located in Pune District of Maharashtra, India. It is about 15 km west of Junnar and lies on the banks of Kukdi River. It is a Shiv temple noted for its beautiful sculptures and carvings. The roof of this temple is in a dilapidated state. Chavand fort, also known as Prasannagad, is approximately 3 km from Kukdeshwar temple.
Ozar - Ozar is famous for the Vigneshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh. This magnificient temple is situated on the banks of the enthralling Kukadi Riverand it is one among the Ashta Vinayaka temples in Maharashtra.
Annual Wine Festival - Narayangaon Wine Festival is following traditional routes of the French Wine festival. Celebrations are conducted in a more formal way, but with pomp, splash and splendor. A wide range of ceremonies, starting from a walk through the vineyards to planting of individual vines is in offer. A tour of the winery is an integral part of the festivities.
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shivneri and lenyadari , ozor, most popular place.!!!!!!!!!!!

*Shivneri*