Lonavla is everyone’s favorite destination for a one day trip from Mumbai to Pune. Therefore continuation of tourists here throughout the year. But the fort of Dhak, situated in the hills of Lonavla and the dense forest of Rajmachi, is not very familiar to anyone. This fort was introduced to fort lovers like us by G. N. Dandekar. On the way from Pune to Mumbai after Khandala station On the right-hand side, you can recognize this fort immediately after Rajmachi. The height of the fort is about 2936 feet above sea level. A large pinnacle called Kalkarai and another small pinnacle on the fort could be identified easily. Many climbers come here to climb the Kalkarai peak. The fort of Dhaka has two parts. 1) Bahiri Cave 2) Dhak fort. ... 1) Bahiri Cave- The place of Bhairav in this cave is known in this area as Dhak Bahiri or Gadadcha Bahiri. There are 3 caves carved in the rock of Dhak fort. There is a rough path to get to this cave. You have to go down through the narrow gorge between the hill of the fort and the pinnacle of Kalkaraya. You have to go down 8-10 meters through this loose soil of four to five feet width. On the way down, there is a terrible view of the valley in front. Descending from this gorge, you have to cover a distance of 40 meters. If your foot slips here, it's sure for you to fall 200 meters below in the gorge. Here the trunk of a tree is planted in a ditch. Its upper side is loose so that it bends easily with your weight. Depending on its pruned branches, another 8-10 meters distance cover. After overcoming so many obstacles, we reach the Bahiri cave. In this cave, there is a dome of Bahiroba and shendur has been applied to the idol in this cave. There are 2 big water cisterns in this cave. The villagers have kept some utensils for eating food in these cisterns. After eating, wash the utensils and put them back in the cisterns. Above the cave is a cliff of about a thousand feet high. The view of the surrounding nature from here is very captivating. In front of the cave, there are two forts, Shrivardhan and Manaranjan of Rajmachi. From here you can see a wide area like Nagfani Tok, Prabalgad, Karnala, Matheran. The second cave has no remains, while the 3rd cave is in a partially excavated condition. 2) Fort of Dhak: - There are no significant incidents on this fort. However, the geographical location of this fort is very strategic. This is a great place to watch the trade from Bhor Ghat. The importance of Dhak is less as a big and strong fort like Rajmachi is neighboring to this fort. If you want to reach the fort of Dhak, you have to reach the village of 'Vadap'. There are only a few remains left on the fort today. A little part of the fort is still standing although the ramparts have collapsed. At the top of the fort, there are two or three water cisterns and a temple. Other things have been demolished over time or are hidden in the thick bushes. Considering the size of the fort and its ruins, it must have been used for observation. Palasadari lake to the west, Ulhas river valley to the east, and Rajmachi, Korigad, Manikgad, Karnala, Prabalgad, Siddhagad forts can be seen from the top of the fort. It is dangerous to climb this fort without having mountaineering equipment and without knowing climbing techniques. Many people have fallen and died in this place before therefore, utmost care should be taken while climbing this fort.
© Suresh Nimbalkar