Monsoon Trek to Rajmachi on 18th July 2010

      For one to reach Rajmachi is very easy, be it from Mumbai or Pune...u just need to reach Karjat...;-) Once at Kondivade Village, a simple trek of 2-3 hours helps you reach Rajmachi. A good scenic trek with great natural small waterfalls enroute to the top during the monsoons helps one enjoy the trek more than make one feel tired.

Rajmachi can be reached by 2 ways, the tough route from Kondivade village near Karjat and the other easy but long way route from Lonavala.

While ascending to Rajmachi from Kondivade, Karjat, one comes across the beautifully carved  Kondane caves. It includes 3-4 Buddhist caves with great intricate wooden work and is being maintained by the Archeological survey of India now. It is a very popular site for Waterfall Rappelling, during the monsoons.  

Rajmachi (Udhewadi) is a small village in the Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats. It includes two forts - Shrivardhan and Manoranjan and is a popular trekking route. Chatrapati Shivaji built it during 17th century. Rajmachi is a historic site – a strategic fort and a historical trade route.

During the monsoons, beautiful waterfalls – small and big, are seen along the route.
A temple – Kalbhairavnath Temple – gives the space for a quiet rest for a while and space around can be used as a campsite. Shrivardhan can be seen from the temple. It shows a lot of secret tunnels leading to battlements. It is about 3000 ft and was mainly built to keep a watch over the Konkan Area. The view of the plains can be seen from Manoranjan. Manoranjan is about 2700 ft in height.