Naneghat Trek, Malshej Ghat - Timings, Accessibility, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 30 km from Malshej Ghat, Naneghat is a mountain pass in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Situated on Kalyan - Ahmednagar Highway near Vaishakhare village, it is one of the wonderful places of trekking in Maharashtra, and among the mus visit places as part of Malshej Ghat tour for adventure lovers.

Situated at an altitude of 2,600 feet, Naneghat, also referred to as Nanaghat or Nana Ghat was a part of an ancient trading route during the reign of the Satavahana (c. 200 BCE - 190 CE). It connected the Konkan coast communities with Deccan high plateau through Junnar. This path was used as a tollbooth to collect toll from traders crossing the hills hence the name Nane Ghat where the word nane means 'coin' and ghat means 'pass'. It is one of the most famous Malshej Ghat tourst places.

The ghat is famous for a huge cave with Middle Indic inscriptions in Brahmi script. These inscriptions have been dated between the 2nd and the 1st century BCE and attributed to the Satavahana dynasty era. There is a temple of Ganesha on the other side of the pass. One can also see a huge rock-cut pot which was used presumably to collect coins from the traders passing by. There are many rock-cut water cisterns along the pass. The entire path of the Nane Ghat has stone pavement from the top of the hill to the bottom. The pinnacle of the fort is shaped like a thumb and is known popularly as 'Nancha Angtha.'

With Vaishakhare as the base village, the trekking point to the Naneghat just starts from the Ahmednagar-Kalyan road. The total hiking trail from the starting point to the top is 4.5 km long which takes around 2.5 hours on one side. The trek up Naneghat is moderately easy - and definitely do-able even for novice trekkers. The entire length of the path consists of geographically diverse terrains. The plateau is good to explore and offers stunning panoramic views of Jivdhan Fort and Bhairavnath Temple. There are multiple resting spots at locations where one can conveniently capture the surrounding scenic beauty. Apart from this trekking, one can also reach Naneghat through a motorable road that reaches until the top from the Ghatghar region.

Night-trekking and camping are also permitted at Naneghat, but we strongly recommend you partake in these activities with a guided group tour only. The cave floor is wet, and it gets very cold at night. There are home-stays and resorts as close as Malshej. If you plan to camp here, remember to bring your own tent and sleeping bags. Better to carry your dry snacks and sufficient water as there aren't too many eateries at Naneghat.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free