Tikona (Vitandgad)

Dated : 14th Aug 2010

Tikona was on my mind for a very long time because it’s an easy trek and you have a lot of backup plans (Lohagad, Visapur, Pawana Dam, Tung) if you can’t make it due to heavy rain.
So, when Jacob asked me about the plan for the weekend we stuck to Tikona. Igatpuri was another option, but since it’s more of just an outing in the valley, we decided to trek a fort instead.
Jacob and Joseph were going to start from Powai and pick me up from Mulund @ 6:30 am.

It was Saturday early morning and I somehow managed to wake myself up @ 5:30 as we had planned for a 6:30 departure from Mulund, but due to a last minute delay, we somehow got late by half an hour.
The drive to Lonavala was as creamy as usual once we hit the expressway and even there we took the Lonavala exit instead of the Khandala one. Thereafter it was a short drive on NH4 till we reached Kamshet.
A short tea-n-pee break was all it took to get back on the road which is an immediate right from the NH4 (when coming from Mumbai) to go to Pavananagar (landmark is an arch on the road specifying Pavana dam project in Marathi)
The road for a couple of km here was very bad and potholed, but conditions improved once we crossed Kamshet town.

On the way we saw a fork in the road, one end of which goes to Lonavala via Dudhiware Khind (Lohagad is also accessible from another fork there) and the left carries on to Pavana dam.
I have to mention that the drive down this road is very scenic and once you reach Pavana Dam it gets very beautiful. We could easily spot Pavana Dam with Tung fort on the right, Tikona on the left and Lohagad, Visapur behind us.
After a short photo stop and promising ourselves for another on the way back, we moved on.

First glimpse of Tikona

Panoramic view of the Dam

Lohagad on the left and Visapur to the right

In another half an hour we reach the left for Tikona Peth village where the road conditions worsen a bit. However, clearly marked boards here state the parking for vehicles to be restricted to the are around the temple in the village.
There is just one hotel here which just serves Zunka Bhakar, Onion Bhajiya and tea. Maybe there’s another option, as I found out from a villager to pre-order for lunch once you reach here so that it can be ready on your way back.
Other and safer option is to carry something to eat or rely on the hotels on the way to Lonavala on return.

Trek begins

We parked our vehicle near the temple and took the simple kachcha road towards the pyramidal fort we could see in the distance. This road passes through a narrow pathway (Khind) between Tikona and another mountain and is used mostly bby trucks / tractors etc.
There are two ways to climb to Tikona. One is the more steep one directly visible from the village and you can climb this with a constant view of Pavana lake on your right. The other one is this kachcha road going towards the khind and a short detour to the less sloped edge of the mountain.

We took our time to reach the top, halting mid-way to catch our breath when the climb was steep and at other times stopping to admire the greenery. Halfway up the mountain is a very beautiful viewpoint from where we could see Pavana lake and another green mountain with a sharp (possibly trekkable 🙂 ) ridge to the top. A lot of pics later we realised that it was getting hot since the sun was out and it was time to move on else the climb would tire us.

Views from two thirds of the way to the summit

More to go 🙂

A group on their way own assured us that the climb was pretty easy to the top. That was some relief since it didn’t look very easy from where we were. Another 15 minutes of climbing and we reached a small pond beyond which were two caves.
A sadhu resides here alongwith a Dalmation lookalike. Further on, we saw a huge rock with a statue of Hanuman carved on it and a grinding stone for lime (probably used as a filler between the stones used for fortification)
An association named “Shivdurg Sanvardhan” (which means Preservation of Shivaji’s forts) is taking a lot of efforts in preservation, repair and cleanliness here and they have a representative who stays in the village and climbs to the top everyday monitoring activities of trekkers and ensuring the pathway to the top is clear of any obstructions.

Sadhu with his Dalmation at his home

Another 10 minutes of climb and we reached the steep row of steps going to the Balekilla (inner fort). The steps here are made of huge stone blocks and are almost a feet and half high with a slope of 60-70 degrees. This allows one to hold on to the upper step as you climb. The panoramic view from the top is awesome. You can see Pavana lake, Tung fort, Lohangad, Visapur and all of the surrounding green region.
There is a Shiva temple on the top and a water tank as well. A flag post has the customary orange flag swaying in the wind.

Steep row of steps

Main Darwaza

View from cave on top

Panoramic view of Pavana lake and Tung from the top

We spent around an hour here and started our descent @ 1:30. After considering the steeper route for a nanosecond we decided against it 🙂 as Joseph was not too keen on it (neither were we) since he had to drive back.
The climb down wsa quicker and much easier than the ascent and we were back at the village by 2:15. We pondered for a while on the lunch factor and decided to have it on the way to Lonavala or in Lonavala wherever convenient.
On our way back we had a short halt at the Pavana dam from where we could have a great view of Tung. The lush green surroundings added to the satisfaction of being away from the hustle of the cemented hell named – Mumbai.

Panoramic view of Pavana Lake from the dam

Drive-back was via Lonavala where we spotted a hotel on the Pavana shore. We could see a lot of picnickers here … all couples and families. The lake had some ducks and swans as well. Looked to be a very good spot for a family picnic. We had lunch here and left for Mumbai at 5. Reached back home by 8.

Family picnic spot at Pavana lake

Dudhiware Khind

A good day spent in the warm and lush green embrace of nature.

Tikona facts (courtesy Wikipedia)
Tikona (also known as Vitandgad) is the dominant hill fort in Maval in western India. It is located near Kamshet around 60 km from Pune The village nearest the fort is called Tikona-Peth or Tokono-Peth. The 3500 ft high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means “triangle”.

The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of ‘Trimbakeshwar Mahadev’, a water tank and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pawna dam and the nearby forts of Tung, Lohagad and Visapur. There is a lake at the summit.

Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 and aanexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657 Shivaji Maharaj (The Great Maratha Emperor) brought the whole of Konkan, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of Karnala, Lohgad, Mahuli, Songad, Tala, and Visapur. This fort was a strategic nexus: the centre of control for the entire Pawana Mawal region. In 1660, Netaji Palkar was charged with ensuring the security of fort Tikona. Jaysingh invaded the regionn in 1665 and the local villages were by Dilerkhan but the forts held out. Tikona fort was surrendered to the Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halalkhan and others, according to the Treaty of Purandar signed on 12 June 1665. Kubadkhan took over the fort on 18 June but it was later recaptured by the Marathas

View of Tikona from Google Earth

Route to and around Tikona from Lonavala

 

Map Location

[googlemaps https://maps.google.co.in/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=TIKONA,+Pune,+Maharashtra&aq=3&oq=tikona&sll=19.709896,73.477682&sspn=0.012302,0.01929&t=h&g=Vihigaon,+Maharashtra&ie=UTF8&hq=TIKONA,&hnear=Pune,+Maharashtra&ll=18.631657,73.512965&spn=0.003558,0.00456&z=17&output=embed&w=425&h=350]