Rajmachi - Way To Reach

Way To Reach

There are two ways to reach the Rajmachi fort. One is from Lonavala, roughly 15 km flat walk and the other is from Karjat, which is a gradual climb of around 4 km. For beginners, it would be better to trek from Lonavala as this is an easier path. After completing the trek they can descend to Karjat if they are from Mumbai. For those trekkers who are from Pune, it would be better to trek back to Lonavala. Lonavala is a local train ride away from Pune. Mumbai trekkers will need to use an inter-city train preferably with booked seats to reach Lonavala. else can get to karjat by a local train and take a 6 seater rickshaw to the base village Kondivade.

Those trekkers who would like to begin their journey to Rajmachi from Lonavala can hire autorickshaw from Lonavala station up to the Tungarli Dam or walk around 30–40 minutes to the Dam. As you face the dam, you will notice an incline going towards the right side of the dam. Start walking on the dam from the right side to the left and you will see a dirt trail going ahead. You will pass Captan's Resort on the way. You then come to a point where you take a right turn. Further ahead in the route you will reach a fork. The trail on the left takes you to Rajmachi. The trail on the right goes towards Dhak Bahiri. Through this route it takes around four hours to reach the base of Rajmachi fort. It is a picturesque region during monsoon with many beautiful cascading waterfalls. After trekking for about 4–5 hours one reaches Udhewadi, the base village of Rajmachi. This time estimate is considering a beginner trekker. Experienced trekkers can complete the ascent in a shorter duration.

On the Lonavala - Rajmachi route, please take necessary precaution in the monsoon as around 30-40 mins before you reach Udhewadi the route goes through a jungle stream. As is the case in jungle streams, the magnitude of water levels and flow can be unpredictable and can vary wildly with intensity of rains in the preceding hours. Crossing over in the monsoon can be risky so be forewarned. During the rest of the year, the stream is dry and crossing is uneventful.

The route from the Karjat end starts from a village called Kondivade and to reach Kondivade village need to get a 6 seater auto-rickshaw from Karjat, After reaching Kondivade you may use the help of locals from the village who can guide you in exchange of a reasonable fee. Trekkers may visit the Kondana caves. These require a slight detour off the Rajmachi trail. The ascend from Kondivade to Rajmachi takes approximately 4 hours for a beginner trekker.

A 2 day trek with ascent on first day and descent on second day is preferable. It enables trekkers to see the Shrivardhan fort and Manaranjan fort without being in a hurry. A 1 day trek is usually quite rushed in comparison.