TIKONA FORT

OVERVIEW

District : Pune
Height above sea level : 3580 feet(~)
Difficulty rating : Simple to Medium
Base village : Tikona Peth
Approx. time to reach : 1 - 1.5 hr from base village
Best Season to visit : Monsoon can be too wet and Summers too tiring. August - January is best time to visit but like other forts of maharshtra each season shows a different mood.
Duration : 1 day should be kept for the trip to Tikona

How To Reach

From the village of Tikona Peth : The main route to the fort is from the village of Tikona Peth. To reach this village, alight at Kamshet, which is two stops ahead of Lonavala on the Mumbai- Pune rail route. From Kamshet railway station, take a bus / shared private vehicle (jeep) to Kale colony. One can also get a vehicle to reach Tikona Peth from Kale colony. A bus at 08:30 a.m. at Kamshet bound for Paund or Morsay is convenient for reaching Tikona Peth. From Tikona Peth the fort can be reached in about 45 minutes. This straight route is quite simple and not at all tiring. After passing through the entrance door, a path leads towards left and takes us to the citadel in about 20 minutes. From the Bedse caves :A combined trek of Lohgad, Visapur, Bedse caves and Tikona can be done. On such a trek, Tikona can be reached from the Bedse caves. From Kevre-Bramhnoli-Tikona Peth : A combined trek of Tung and Tikona can also be done. For that, climb down to Tungawadi after visiting fort Tung. From here reach the village of Bramhnoli with a launch available from the village of Kevre. It takes about 30 minutes' to walk from Bramhnoli to Tikona Peth.

Place to Stay / Eat

Except during monsoon, about 10 to 15 persons can be accommodated in the cave. Trekkers have to make their own arrangement for food. Drinking water is available throughout year but it is always advisable to carry water along.

Places of Interest

The whole fort can be seen in an hour's time, as the area is not so wide. Turn left after passing the entrance. In a short while a cistern and cave can be seen. About 10 to 15 persons can be accommodated in this cave. However, it is not suitable for a stay during monsoon. The path going uphill adjacent to the cave takes us to the entrance to the bastion. The steps in this stretch are a bit tiring. One can see cisterns on the right and fortification on the left after passing through the entrance. After taking a few steps straight ahead, a trail climbs down on our right. Here too are a few cisterns. Return back and join the main path, which takes us to a stretch of broken steps. A climb uphill brings us to a Mahadev temple, behind which is a big moat. Circumventing this moat takes us to the flag-post. From the bastion one can have a view of adjacent fort Tung, Lohgad, Visapur, Bhatrashi hill, Morse hill, Jambhuli hill, Pauna region and Fagne dam. Thus, the whole of Mawal region is visible from fort Tikona.