Written by: Bhushan
Sinhagad
Sinhagad or the ‘Fort of the Lion’ is located around 25 km from Pune city on the road to Kothrud. Over the years it has gained fame as an amateur trekking haven in the Sahyadris and is 4430 ft above sea level. It has the reputation of being one of Shivaji’s famed fortresses, which he won in an epic battle thanks to the lion-hearted valour of his general Tanaji Malusare in whose honour the fort was named.
Weather
Excellent weather all year round, except for a rather harsh summer. The best time to visit this place is the rains. Dense clouds settle on this fort and play hide and seek with you. The best months are June through to February.
Nightlife
You won’t get much here, except for a rare group of trekkers from Pune who descend on the fort on night treks. It’s quite an experience.
GETTING THERE / ROUTE INFORMATION
A bus from Swargate bus terminus or the Pune Cantonment railway station takes you to the base of the fort. It takes about an hour and a half over a slightly rusty road. From the base you could either trek it to the top or hire a cab to drive all the way.
Pune – Sinhgad (30 km)
Mumbai – Sinhgad (180 km)
SHOPPING INFORMATION
You could buy a lot of trinkets on the fort, which are sold by the villagers who reside near by.
PICTURES OF SINHGAD
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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
The remnants of this fort which are made of solid dark stone are fascinating. It includes the Pune Darwaza (Pune Door), Daru Kothar (an ancient grain storage facility), Kondaneshwar temple, Zunzar burz, awe inspiring ramparts of the fort which provides an excellent view of other forts in the vicinity.
Cuisine
There is a cluster of homes around Sinhagad fort who sell excellent and robust food of the region. Ask for kanda bhaji (onion pakoras), locally made spicy mutton and buttermilk along with coarse roti.
VITAL TOURIST INFORMATION
Things to carry
Mineral water bottle, first aid kit, trekking boots, mosquito repellent etc. The winding roads may get you a bit woozy in the stomach so anti-vomiting tabs may come in handy.
Hotel/Resort availability
A government guest-house on the fort along with a few rooms let out by the villagers. The guest house has to be booked in advance in Pune.
Local transport
Pune municipality and state run buses connect Sinhagad to Pune.
Contacts in case of contingency
| Hospital | Sahyadri hospital, KothrudS. No. 148 (4a+4b) Neena co-op housing society, Paud road, Kothrud – 411029Ph: 020-25393333,020-25393334 |
| Police | Kothrud police station. Ph: 25447427 (direct) 26208585-459 (EPABX) |
don’t miss “mataka curd” and famous “jhunka bhakar” ( form of roti) and offcourse pakodaasssssssss
yummy
sinhgad rocks kudos
Ofcourse, Sonal, it is the ‘fort of the Lion’ .. Tell me did you like the “Kandaa Bhaji” ? or you missed it?
Very nice & complete information. I went for first time and I felt I have seen this place before. Thanks to the vast collection of pictures and slideshows in this website. Awesome. To my wonder I could find the same coffee cup , I saw same wrecked jeep guys ..
keep up the good work
To view beautiful pics of Sahyadri forts, old temples & caves which I have clicked in Maharashtra, Goa & Karnataka, please visit the link http://picasaweb.google.com/sudarshan.multimedia
To view pics of Sinhagad, click on the following link.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sudarshan.multimedia/Sinhagad#