Vichitragad (Pune Region)

5th Dec 2009

Ashok and I went to Vichitragad aka Rohida fort near Bhor, about 70 kms from Pune. My third visit here, and lots of small but significant changes including solar powered lamps posted along the path upto the fort. Some signs of tree plantation on top – saw mango, silver oak and some unidentified saplings. Now there’s an entrance door – a heavy antique style wooden door, painted a shiny black. We had to go in through a small “door within the door” opening, as the main door was locked up. The temple on top was spruced up (on the outside) but also locked. Too much focus on security on this sleepy little fort is worrisome… On the way down a man took Rs. 51 from us (with receipt) — he was apparently part of the organization that takes care of the forts in the Bhor area. And there are white arrows painted on rocks along the path, as if you could get lost on that exposed, unforested ridge with the fort in view all the way!

Other visits

The first time was a bike ride here for an evening / night hike with V, somewhere in the 90s. My second visit to Vichitragad was with my Datavision team, Oct 2007.

The peculiar name

A quick google lookup says these things about the origin of this fort’s name:

The fort is known for its strange, irregular structure, often characterized by strong, whistling winds that can make it difficult for visitors to stand tall on the ridges.

Peculiar History: One account suggests that when Shivaji Maharaj first visited the fort, he found it unusual that there was no central temple on the fort, leading to it being called a “strange” or _Vichitra_ fort.

The “Strange” Path: The approach involves a “bizarre” rocky ridgeline connecting to a temple (Waghjai temple), making for an unconventional trek.

Though a “potato trek”, it’s one of my favorites, not least because of its name, “vichitra” meaning “strange” or “bizarre”.