In December 2018, I first tried to climb Lohgad fort with Swanandi, and coincidentally it was successful. This first trip gave me courage. After this, we visit Rayareshwar, in January and now I have got the goal of 2019. We used to visit at least one fort or a sanctuary in Maharashtra, a beach of the sea, or a beautiful resort hidden in the hills every month. Of course, Swanandi will be with me wherever possible.
It was the last week of February. As the heat was growing, I chose Tikona fort near Pune. The reason is that the fort is at a height and there are a lot of dams around it, so the cold winds blowing from the ground will help reduce the heat. This Tikonagad, which is considered to be easy for trekkers, was a bit difficult for me to climb with Swanandi.
As Tikona fort is close to Pune, we left home a little late.(Relaxed means at 9 am) We reached Tikonapeth from the old Mumbai-Pune highway. The sun was shining on my head very badly. We park the car at the foot of the fort and start climbing till 1 o'clock. The fort is small and simple so I was thinking of coming in 2-3 hours in comfort. But Alas!! I realized later that this was just my misunderstanding.
Tikona Fort, which is divided into Giridurg type, was important for Swarajya. You can understand why it was important only by going to the far end of the fort. The height of the fort from the ground is around 3500 feet. The fort is high to climb, but the overall perimeter is small. Estimating the overall structure and height of the fort, we decided to climb this fort in 3 stages.
From the base of the fort, there was a good climb, so initially, Adinath helped to take Swanandi and halfway through Chetan Kaka. In the meantime, we were taking all possible care to protect Swanandi and ourselves from the heat of the sun, such as full cotton clothes, a hat on our head, and a bottle of water.
As we climbed Tikona, we started to feel tired from the beginning due to the sun, but we did not want to go back until we reached the fort, so we kept on walking. If we want to visit the fort in summer, we have to start climbing the fort in the morning between 7-8 or earlier. The first ascent was pretty big and exhausting.
The second phase of the fort was rocky. The way, a rock formation on this fort seemed to me, as we lay out the stones to build a fort on Diwali . This phage was also quite large so we took 5-5 minutes rest from time to time and moved slowly. The heat was growing, as we went up but the cold wind blowing from the ground, was helping to relieve fatigue.
When completing the second phase
Reaching the top, when I looked back, I could see the entire area of Pavana-Maval. Then I understood what a prosperous land is !! Plenty of water, favorable climate, and black soil are the reasons for this prosperity of Maval area.
Due to the heat of summer, the fort was not crowded at all. In fact, if you want to study forts properly, then summer is the best time. This is because in the summer, the fort and its surroundings can be seen through the clean air, the overall structure of the fort can be estimated and the water reserves on the forts, land, etc. can also be studied. This is my experience and expert advice.
We drank cold water in the Devadi and rested for some time. This Devadi is the A C on the fort. Being in a cave-like rock, the heat does not reach here and we feel cool. Those, who come to the fort are registered and admission is given only after that.
The journey to the main fort starts from Devdi, which means the real fort starts from here. Our journey from here onwards was a bit pleasant as the road ahead was through the green trees. Green bushes and many small and large water tanks were seen till the end. At the same time, we enjoy cucumber, lemon syrup, and chilled buttermilk, under the name of relaxation.
One thing I would like to point out here is that there is a proper supply of drinking water for tourists. So don't worry, about drinking water on the way. There is plenty of potable water easily available on the fort.
After Devdi, we reached a small flat area. We took darshan of Maruti at this place and started walking onwards. It was here, that we saw the ruins of the old castle, the limestone mound, the temple of Goddess Taljai (caves), and the tank adjacent to the temple.
The last stage was the most difficult for me. I have to climb about 30-35 steep steps with Swanandi. I accepted it as a challenge. As soon as I climbed 10-15 steps, my legs got round and I suddenly sat down. I got an idea of my own physical ability here.
There was so much cool in this area so that Swanandi felt dizzy. If I had sat for a while longer, I would have been in the same situation as her. I sat quietly for a while, got ready for my own mind, got up again, and took my daughter to the most difficult stage.
Fortunately, a few days ago, the Archaeological Department built new steps in the same place under the renovation of the fort, which has made this stage more convenient than before.
Crossing this difficult path, we finally came to a clear pool of water. The clean, smooth, sweet, and cold water here, was no less than nectar for us.
The tank was so clean that we could see the bottom of it. Because this water tank is on the inside of the rock, sunlight does not reach here. Due to the lack of sunlight, fish or other organisms do not live, in this water and therefore the water remains potable for twelve months.
Adjacent to this pool is a cave where 10-12 people can stay comfortably. So, if you are going as a group, you can use this cave to stay at the fort.
By the time we reached here, Swanandi was asleep. We were also very tired. The cool wind was blowing in the temple of Lord Shiva, so we slept there for a while and went for a walk around.
There is a large moat at the back of the temple. We took a detour uphill from this moat and reached the place of the flagpole. Seeing this flag fluttering in the wind, one cannot help but shout "Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai".
The real fun is in this area. From this place, you can easily see many distant places like Sinhagad, Tung, Lohgad, Visapur, Jambulicha Dongar, Phagne Dam. That is why this fort was of unique importance in the Swarajya for surveillance and sending messages so that the enemy could be watched from all sides. It is from this place that we realize how meaningful the name Tikona is.
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