BHAIRAVGAD FORT

OVERVIEW

District : Satara
Hill Range: Mahabaleshwar-Koyna
Height above sea level : 3004 feet
Difficulty rating : Medium Grade
Base village : Patherpunj, Durgvadi, Gavhare
Nearest Railway Station: Chiplun
Approx. time to reach the top : 2 hours from Patherpunj, 3 hours from Durgvadi and Gavhare
Google Map Co-ordinate :16°13'55"N 73°53'32"E\ \

How To Reach

One can take any bus to Chiplun . Get down at Koyana Nagar. From there one has to take some private vehicle. Go towards Chiplun. Just before Kumbharli pass, there is a village called Helwak. From there take a turn and leave the highway. If we travel for nearly 20-25 kilometers on a narrow road, we reach a village called Patherpunj. From Patherpunj, entire path has a track for a four wheeler to travel. The track is mostly plain. Soon one will enter thick forest. This cover is right upto the fort. The distance from the patherpunj to the fort is about 6-7 kilometers. It will take nearly two hours to cover the distance. At the end of the road, there is a Bhairoba temple.

Via Ramghal of Helwalk
Alight at Chiplun or Karad. On Chiplun-Karad road after crossing Kumbharli Ghat, one comes near Helwak Phata. From here we come at Ramghal within 2 hours. Take the way going upward from Ramghal. Helwak is the base village of Ramghal, a cave in which Sant Ramdas is supposed to have stayed and meditated. Ramghal is a large cave excavated on the rock face, facing a deep thickly forested valley. The only approach is a trekker’s path winding up one of the sides' upto the cave.

Via Durgvadi
For this way, one have to come at Chiplun. From Chiplun, one should reach Durgvadi, which is situated at the base of the fort. Bus from Chiplun to Durgvadi starts at 8 a.m. It takes approximately 1 hour. From Durgvadi, the way to the fort goes through the forest. It takes about 3 hours. Though this way is straight, it is little hectic. The way from the village Gavhare also connects here. No water Sis available on the way.

Via Gavhare
The way towards Gavhare is before the village Durgvadi. One can come at Gavhare by this road. From here 3 hours are enough to reach the top.

Place To Stay / Eat

Accomodation
20 people can be accommodated in the Bhairoba Temple.

Food and Water
Food neess to be arranged by trekkers themself on the fort. It is said that water is available in resorvior throughout the year.

Places Of Interest

There is a very big temple on the fort. This temple is well built and very beautiful. In the temple 2-3 ft long idols of Goddess Bheri, Goddess Tula and Shree Vaghjai are seen. We find many carvings on this temple. Tulsi Vrindavan and Shivling are seen in front of the temple. 2-3 pillars are also seen. Opposite to it there is another temple of Lord Shiva. From the temple the descending way takes us at the bastions of the fort. Further we see the remnants of the entrance. From here take left and come at backside of the fort. Here there are two water reservoirs. This water is potable. From the fort we can see the dense forests of Koyana. Top of the fort is not very big. So 2 hours are enough to see the fort. If we stand before the temple and descend down the right side way for 5 minutes, we come near a water reservoir. However, here water is available only till the month of March.