Purandar-Vajragad

Date: 14th March’09
Base Village: Narayanpur

Members:
· Jayaram
· Chaitanya
· Vikram
· Sharayu
· Purvesh



Chaitanya and I planned to do Purandar and Vajragad on 14th March’09. We asked Jayaram, Sharayu and Vikram. They also immediately joined in. on 14th morning me and Chaitu started towards Pune on our bikes at 5.30 A.M. We took a new route to reach Panvel via Badlapur Highway and Taloja MIDC. The road is good but lot of speed breakers and air pollution on MIDC road. Then we crossed Irshal, Prabal and Kalavanteen. I always look at Irshal and feel that I have to get there. With all these in mind we continued towards Lonavla. We had breakfast at Lonavla and By this time Jayaram reached Chaiut’s flat in Kothrud. We sped towards Kothrud after breakfast and met Sai. Then Sharayu and Vikram joined in and We started towards Purandar. We took Banglore highway crossed Katraj and reached Narayanpur Phata. Then we reached base of Narayanpur and after this tar road ended. We started on stony road towards Purandar. In 45 min we were on top.


We saluted the brave ‘Murar Baji’ and reached the ‘Bini Darwaja’. After some photography we moved to Purandeshwar temple. We parked our bikes and started scaling the fort. Fort is occupied by army who come here for rigorous training. British have left quite a few houses and colony behind. After some photography near temple and some shortcuts and easy rock patches we were atop Purandar at Delhi Darwaja. We first went left on machi towards Vajragad and took some photos. Me and Sai were fast and remaining were doing tp. We moved towards bale killa. On the way was a small pond, where water was cool and fresh. Then we climbed the first hill where there was some structure and a room built in. but there was no road ahead for bale killa and hence we had to climb down the hillock again and cross a water tank and then a straight path towards Kedareshwar temple. We had lunch at Kedareshwar thanks to Vikram and Chaitanya. Sai got some dry fruits. After lunch we climbed down fast and reached Purandeshwar temple. We had Buttermilk and nimbu pani at stall there and continued to Vajragad.

Route to Vajragad is quite simple. We have to take left from Sambhaji statue and take left traverse to reach the main Darwaja of Vajragad. Atop is a hanuman temple and few water tanks. I suppose there was a bale killa but it seems some has fully blown up that rock mountain. Though quite a few remains are visible and Darwaja is most part which is intact. From here we can have a view of ‘Mastani talav’ – a place where Bajirao Peshwa and Mastani used to have walk. Then after some photography we climbed down and proceeded towards Purandeshwar temple for our bikes and Nimbu Pani. Then we went down the dangerous stony road and touch based the highway and sped too Chaitu’s room back. Then we all hot fresh and Sau joined in to watch ‘Gulaal’ movie late night show.