Trek to the third highest in Maharashtra

The third highest in Maharashtra

Dhodap Fort

Dhodap,is one of the hill forts in Maharashtra state in India. Situated in Chandwad taluka in the Nashik district. the fort is 4829 ft (1472 mt) above sea level. It is the site of the second highest fort in the Sahyadri mountains after Salher. Dhodap hill is the third highest hill peak in Maharashtra after Kalsubai and Salher and the 29th highest peak in Western Ghats.

Dressed stone and brickwork combination was used to built Dhodap Fort. Both sides of the forts have strong bastion. Dhodap has a pointed cliff called Shembi cliff. 

From Base

Dhodap Fort Information

Fort Type -  Hill Fort

Dhodap Fort Height Height -   4829 feet above Mean sea level

Dhodap Trek Grade -  Medium 

Dhodap Fort Base Village -  Hattigaon

Region -  Kalwan range

Range -  Satmala Nashik  

History

During 850 A. D. to 1060 A. D. the Chandwad region and the Dhodap fort was ruled by the Yadav King Dhrudprahar. Chandwad was the capital (then known as handradityapur). The Khiljis conquered Dhodap and ruled here from 1312 A. D. to 1347 A. D. Then till 1487 A.D, this region was under the Brahmin rule. The Nizams conquered Dhodap and ruled it till 1637 A. D. The Nizam army could not fight against the huge army of the Mughals and so they lost the battle. History mentions the rule of the Peshwas over this region. The great ruler Raghobadada decided to revolt against Peshwas on the basis of this fort. But the Peshwas won and imprisoned Raghobadada in this very fort in 1778 A.D.
The fort played an important role during the Peshwa period. It was here that Raghobadada Peshwa hatched a plot against Madhavrao Peshwa. During return travel from the second invasion from Surat, Ch. Shivaji had visited here, presumably for keeping the treasure. A few days later, the battle of Dindori took place.

Parts of the fort

The top of the fort was built using a combination of dressed stone and brickwork. There is a tank with an idol of Lord Hanuman and a tunnel 5m wide. The fort has a pointed cliff named Shembi. One can find caves at the base. One end of the fort shows a domical structure. One temple situated in one of the caves is in good condition. A few other caves are also seen around and are quite big in size. Also the trunk of Dhodap fort is in good condition.One of the most interesting things is that there is a "cow of stone" moving inside this hill. It's heard by the peoples in the nearby villages that on every Vasubaras, this cow moves inside by the distance of four grains.

What to watch out for?

1.Unique Shape with the Magmatic Dike

Geographically blessed with a very exclusive shape, it looks like a piece of rock has been cut out. The cut is a natural formation and prominent to the eye from a far off distance. It is also called a dike. A dike is a sheet of rock formed in a fracture of a pre-existing rock body. This steep magmatic dike would have formed when magma flowed in this crack and then solidified later. 

The Dike

                                                                 

Dike Closer look 

2.Views from the Dhodap Fort

The views from Dhodap are spectacular. Being the second highest fort, you can get a bird’s eye view of the entire region.One can view the Saptashrungi, Markandya Fort, Rawlya, Jawlya Forts on one side. On the other hand, you have the views of the twin forts of Kanchana-Manchana, Kanhergad. To the east is another prominent view of the Ikhara Pinnacle. This pinnacle stays with you throughout the trek. 

View from trek 

Sunrise from fort 

3.Ancient Caves, Arch Gateways, Temples, and Settlements on the three leveled Plateau

Dhodap Fort Trek is filled with history and gems hidden on the three levels of the plateau. Each level offers a different surprise. The trek is filled with idols, temples, arches with Farsi inscription, and even a two-storied step well. As you climb higher into the different levels of the plateaus, the fort reveals more and takes you through the different sections of the Dhodap Fort.

Arch Gateway

               

Gateway                         

4.Things to see 

Beautiful entrance door, Ikhara cliff on the eastern side of Dhodap is ideal for rock climbers. Dhodap Fort has many caves and temple of Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha. Reaching top of Dhodap involves climbing rock cut stone steps. You can see Rawla - Jawla Fort on west face and Ikhara Peak on east face.                                                                                                                                          

 v

Shankar temple 

      

My experience at dhodap

The monsoon comes with lots of fun and joy. Especially for trekkers, it comes with lots of treks and trails. Just like that, it was monsoon of 2019(August). I was in my hometown Nashik. And me and my friends decide to conquer the 3rd highest peak in Maharashtra(The Dhodap fort). Just like always we started early in the morning at around 5:00 AM. The fort is approximately 60 km aways from Nashik. We reached the base village Hattigaon at 6:00 AM and started the trail after having some snacks. 

The trek can be divided into three parts:-

Part I: Hatti Village to Sonar Machi, First Plateau.

We started our trek early in the morning from the Hatti Village. The trail for the trek from the road ahead leads us towards the North through a small mud trail by the side of the village.The magnificent Dhodap Fort with its unique shape will be visible right in front of your eyes. Carry on the trail which is well laid. The ascent from the farmlands of Hatti to the Sonar Machi, the first plateau takes us about half an hour. The initial trek is through a very easy walk along the farmlands. Then we reach the end of the farmlands, the initial trek takes us through sparse vegetation. The next climb to the Sonar Machi now is about 700 feet of climb. Once you enter the Sonar Machi, the vastness of this plateau will blow you away. Spread wide and far, you will be eager to just go out and explore. Exploring this plateau one can easily take an hour or more, to look at each hidden gem on the Sonarmachi. Both sides of the plateau have rich history and surprises to uncover. From the beautiful Arch doorways to many stone idols of Hanuman, Shiva, and Shankar temple. Another highlight of this Sonar Machi is the construction of the unique two-storied stepwell. There are steps leading down to the well. This is usually seen in Rajasthan or Gujarat. To see this here on the plateau is uncommon. The water here is however not potable. Also, we find some interesting facts about Sonar Machi. Like a few settlements of people on this plateau. These are mostly Goldsmiths who have lived over many generations here. This is one of the reasons for this plateau getting the name of Sonar Machi.  

Stone inscription 

Part II: Sonarmachi to Second level Plateau.

The trail from the Sonarmachi now takes a slightly more ascent when we move further to the second leveled plateau. The trail is very well laid out. The climb takes us around 500 feet which can be covered in 20 minutes. About a few more minutes on the trek, there is railings with rock steps cut out and also have a big ladder set up for support and to navigate a steep section. Climb this section. The steps continue to climb up with the lovely arches and a carpet of wildflowers adding to the charm of these arches of the fort. Then we entered through an arched doorway and we observed the "Stone inscriptions" laid out by the Peshwas when the fort was ruled during the 16th century. Not many forts have these inscriptions written on them. Then we entered the real fort! We started unraveling a box of more surprises. There are more doorways that takes us to different sections of the fort. And enter the remnants of the fort and we were going back in time when this marvel was built. And also get views from bastions and points where guards in the early times might have used to keep an eye out. A bit of a detour to our right and we get a chance to explore some really amazing caves! Not many go here since the trail is not well laid out. However, these caves are a wonder to visit. Few of these caves are cut in the shape of a square while others are natural with rocks. It resembles the shape of a rectangle and cut naturally.   

Caves 

Part III: Second Plateau to the final Dhodap Plateau.

The traverse from the second plateau takes us to the third plateau of Dhodap. It goes towards the cleft where the massive drop or the slice of the dike can be seen from close up. The pathway is covered by the railings. Then we see the huge dyke formation for some time and the other side of the plateau which cannot be traversed. Then we walked back to the pinnacle of the fort. There is a trail or an approach that leads us to the base of the pinnacle where a naturally formed cave is something one shouldn’t miss out on. Reaching the pinnacle was not easy. We need ropes from the base of the pinnacle and a technical climb to reach the top. One can stop the trek here. There is a natural cave on the fort. Enter the cave, sit for some time to enjoy the experience, and reflect on the views from the cave.

And then we returned to the base with some unforgettable memories of Dhodap fort.... !!!  

When to visit?

The fort is open whole year. But in the months of August to November the entire landscape becomes verdant. 

Attire and things to carry

Loose clothes especially trekking cloths and sports/trekking shoes.

Carry basic first aid kit, Cap, Scarf, Sunglasses, Water bottle (minimum 2-4 liters), Tiffin and some snacks, Electrolyte powder/glucose/sugar/chocolate. 

How to reach Dhodap fort

The fort is accessible from both the side from Mumbai as well as Pune. But in both cases one must have to go from Nashik. Head on AH43 the fort is situated in small village known as Hattigaon situated in Chandwad taluka of Nashik district. 

Reaching Dhodap fort by public transport 

Its little challenging to reach the fort with the help of public transport as the fort is situated 60km away from the main city (Nashik). One can take bus that goes on the Mumbai-Agra highway. At a distance of 55 km from Nashik, is the Vadalibhoi junction. From here, head towards the Dhodambe village which is at distance of 9km from the junction. To get Dhodambe, you can get a jeep/6 seater rickshaw from Vadalibhoi junction. After Dhodambe it is difficult to get a vehicle to go all the way to Hattigaon.

Therefore, public transport is not much prefered for the trek.

Reaching Dhodap fort on own vehicle

Head on the AH 43, Mumbai-Agra highway, and reach Nashik first. From Nashik, head towards the Pimpalgaon Baswant city. Then next head on the highway and take a left at Vadalibhoi. Your route now goes through Dhodambe. Hattigaon is about 15 km from Vadalibhoi now. 

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