Harishchandragad Fort, Malshej Ghat - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 8 km from Khireshwar, 15 km from Malshej Ghat, 50 km from Bhandardara, 166 km from Pune & 218 km from Mumbai, Harishchandragad is a historical hill fort situated in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Maharashtra, and among the famous places to visit as part of Malshej Ghat packages.

Situated at an altitude of 1,424 m, the fort once played a major role in guarding and controlling the surrounding region. Among the most prominent tourist places in Malshej Ghat, the fort originally dates back to the 6th century during the rule of the Kalchuri dynasty. The citadel was built during this era and various caves probably have been carved out in the 11th century AD. Sage Changdev used to meditate here in the 14th century AD. Later the fort was under the control of Mughals and Marathas captured it in 1747 AD. Remnants of Microlithic human inhabitants have been discovered here. The fort of Harishchandragad has been mentioned in various Puranas like Matsya Purana, Agni Purana, and Skanda Purana.

Rohidas, Taramati, and Harishchandra are the three peaks in Harishchandragad. Taramati peak is the highest peak in the fort and provides a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby surroundings and the forest area. Many peaks and attractions like Malshej Ghat, Jivdhan, Nane Ghat, Ratangad & Kalsubai can also be seen from here. One can find a brilliant Saptatirtha Pushkarni temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, here. This temple is believed to have been constructed by the Kalchuri dynasty. Konkan Kada or the Konkan cliff is a semi-circular rock wall and resembles a Cobra's hood.

The fort has a lot of temples and caves within the premises. Kedareshwar cave is a unique cave dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is considered the patron deity of the fort. The cave houses a five feet-tall Shiva linga, surrounded by a pool of water. There are a few other temples including the Nageshwar temple and Harishchandreshwar temple in this area. Harishchandreshwar temple is a marvelous example of the fine art of carving sculptures out of stones that prevailed in ancient India. It is about 16 m high from its base. Around this temple there a few caves & ancient water tanks. The river Mangal Ganga is said to originate from one of the tanks located close to the temple. The top of the temple resembles construction with the north-Indian temples. A short distance away, another temple called Kashitirtha is located. The fascinating thing about this temple is that it has been carved out from a single huge rock.

Other attractions in the vicinity are the Buddhist caves which are spread out all over the fort. Many of these are situated at the foot of the Taramati peak and are suitable for camping. A few are near the temple, whereas some are near the citadel and some far away in the forests. A 30 feet deep natural cave is situated on the northwestern side of the fort, to the right of Kokan Kada. Many other caves are still said to remain undiscovered.

There are 3 popular trekking trails to reach the fort - via Khireshwar Village, via Nalichi Vaat, and the easiest one via Paachnai village. The trek route from Khireshwar village is a straight trail that goes towards Tolar Khind and it takes 2 to 2.5 hours one way. Khireshwar village is about 7 km from Malshej Ghat Bus stop near Khubi Phata Village and can be reached by foot or hiring a private vehicle. From the base village, one can proceed towards Junnar Darwaza from where the caves are spotted. This route goes straight to Tolar Khind. After Tolar Khind, there is a 100 feet rock patch, which has iron railings for the safety of trekkers. After crossing rock patch a straight way leads to Harishchandreshwar Temple with small hills & streams in between.

There is another way to reach Harischandragad from Paachnai village, which is 48 km away from Bhandardara. One needs to do a 5 km trek from Paachnai to reach Harishchandragad. The trekking path is easy and beautiful as one can enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. It takes approximately 3 hours to reach the top of Harischandragad. There are many rocky patches and steep climbs en route.

The third path is specially meant for hikers, which starts from Belpada village via Sadhleghat. From here, the route goes through Sadhleghat and is extremely difficult. Here one has to climb a straight rock patch on which grips are provided. The trail from here is uphill and continues to remain rocky. It takes 9 hours to reach the fort (on way) and the total distance is about 19 km from Belpada village. Camping is allowed at the peak.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free