Mahuli Fort In Mist

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This was a nice rainy day. We started a day ago in evening on friday night with a plan to gather at Thane and then make till titwala by night. Because of being behind schedule we had to stay at thane for night and started the day early morning next day. We started at 5 am in morning to catch train towards Asangaon railway station. The train had good space as it was early morning. The whole landscape had turned green as it was begining of Octomber. Reaching Asangaon we asked someone which side to get out to Mahuli fort. It seemed towards east. We got a rick which took us to shahpur village. This was a wrong move. We again had to hire another rick which took us till the base of Mahuli fort. This is when it started to rain hevily. Though the way it rained, in corner of our mind it was creating a cause of concern. We came to know from Rick driver that there are some casualties reported at Mahuli fort. We were anyways going to take some local villager with us as guide. As we approached the base of treck, we saw a fade outline of some huge temples. We came to know that they are some gujrati temples. I wanted to visit them, but in return journey we were not able to make it. We reached the base and took the mobile number of Rick driver so that we can call him for return journey. Later we came to know that State Transport has bus service till the base. We gave the order for lunch at a villagers shop nere the Shiva temple and started the treck.

It must be morning 9 am. There were 7 levels in the treck. Each level would take around 15-20 minutes to climb. The view was getting more and more beautiful. The guide told me that Mahuli fort was an important village earlier. Modern villages, towns and cities are settlements which are established near the Highway route or Railway line. The places where people used to stay 1000 years ago have become jungles now and places which were jungles 1000 years ago are cities now. We were climbing the steps created at those times and which were mostly in the wrecked conditions. We could see some Locals taking their cattles to top for grazing which made us wonder.. Dont these cows and buffellows get tired climbing such height..??

In later stage we reched the place where the path was really in a bad shape. As i climbed higher i was in entering in the clouds. I was midist green valley and mist covered, with sudden droplets of fresh rain waters.. I mean that is what we mean when we say about natures beauty. This also makes me think that even a simplest of man in those olden days was getting a basic right from life to enjoy such beauty of nature and be with it for months and days. Months and days because the place is not the same all around the year. If you visit the same place during summers then you may find it a treck in valley of golden-yellow dry grass. Thats why i prefer trecks during rainy season.

While climbing down we wanted visit the water fall nearby. The guide dint understand what we ment. He took us to place from where we could see water falling deep down. He said that its not advisable to get beneth due to some earlier casualties. Let me clear it here that i personally found it a quite safe place. And with the number of trecks being organised at such location its really really safe to visit such place. Even girls and womens make it to top. For the guide its no difficult anyways to climb as he can do the same trek for whole day without getting tiered. But for villagers of shahpur which is a near by village this must be a dangerous place. So please ignore what the villagers have to say about the place. Its a really safe and nice place.

While climbing down I saw a stream flowing downwards which crossed our path. I asked guide if there is any place where we can enjoy swiming. To my surprise he replied yes. Now this is what i wanted after such a treck. I prefer a good swin after a treck. This is one more reason why i prefer trecking in rainy season. We reached down and lunch was waiting for us. As usual i was on my diet of fruits and biscuits. Before the lunch started i went with the guide through the farms to the small dam where i had a nice floating for around half an hour.

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