Kothaligad

TrekkersofSahyadri Trekkers of Sahyadri present Elevation 3,100 ft Location Karjat

Vangani Neral Route1 ViaNeral Ambivali Kashele Dhamani Route2: Peth ViaKarjat Kothali gad Route 1:Powai Airoli Bridge Shil Phata MIDC Vangani Neral Kashele Ambivali Dhamani Peth Route1: PowaiAiroli BridgeShil Phata MIDC VanganiNeralKasheleAmbivaliDhamaniPeth Village Route2:PowaiAiroliExpressWayDiversionbeforeKhopoliKarjatKasheleAmbivaliDhamaniPeth Village

Ambivali From Kashele Dhamani Neral Peth Kothali gad

Kothaligad orPeth Peth,alsoknownasKothaligad,issituatedinShahapur Taluka,approximately21KmNorthEastofKarjat.Thisfortstands tallinthecompanyofvariousotherfortslikeRajmachi,Dhak,Siddhagad andBhimashankar,awitnesstoourillustrious history. Kothaligad ismorecommonlyknownasthefortofPeth becausethevillageofPeth issituatedatitsbase.Thisfortthough smallinstaturehasavasthistoricalbackground.Thisfortwasmoreofadefensestationthanastrongfort.Peth was mainlyusedforammunitionstorage.Peth gainedimportanceduringSambhajis era. History: History : Mughal EmperorAurangzeborderedhiswarriorsAbdulKadarandAliBiradarkaniinNovember1684tocapturetheforts belongingtoSambhajis empire.ControloverfortmeanscontroloverKokan region.Assoonastheycametoknowthat armsandweaponsweretradedhere,agroupof300gunmenreachedthebaseinNovember1684.TheMarathasforced mostofthemback,butsomestillmanagedtoreachtheMagarkot Dwarandstartedshoutingopenthedoor. TheMarathasinsidethefortopenedthedoorontheassumptionthattheseshoutingMughalswereownmenwhocame forpickinguptheweaponsforwar.TheMughalsimmediatelyrushedinandthebattlestarted.Theycouldwinthebattle withhelpofMankoji Pandhere. Thenextday,theMarathassurroundedthefort.AbdulKadarspositionbecamecritical.Theammunitioninthefortwas destroyedandusedinthebattle.AlthoughtheMughalswereoccupyingthefort,theywerehelplessastheMarathaslooted destroyed and used in the battle. Although the Mughals were occupying the fort, they were helpless as the Marathas looted ammunitionandfoodsenttothemattheirbasecamp,onitsway.About1012dayslater,AbdulAzizKhansenthisson AbdulKhantohelpAbdulKadar.ButMarathaSardar Naroji Tryambakwashidinginthevalleytopreventhimtoapproach thefort.Whenanotherwarbroke,theMarathaslostandNaroji waskilled.Ehmat KhancapitulatedNaroji andhunghis headrightinthemiddleoftheroad. Now,theMughalshadtotalcontroloverthefort.TheGoldenkeysofmaindoorofthefortweresenttoAurangzebasa N th M h l h d t t l t l th f t Th G ld k f i d f th f t tt A b symbolofvictory.Afterconfirmingthevictory,herewardedAbdulKhan.TheMughalsrenamedthefortasMiftahulfateh, meaningvictorykey. TheMarathascontinuedtheireffortstoconquerthefort.InDecember1684,theMarathastriedtostopMughalsmoving towardsthefort.SeventhousandMarathasconstitutedastrongbattalionandfoughtwithMahamatkhan.Butsuccesswas g g faraway.InApril1685,700Marathasattackedagain.About200ofthemclimbedthefortwiththehelpofropeladders. Battlestartedbetweentwopartiesandalotofbloodshaded.ThegoddessofvictoryagainfavoredtheMughalsandthe Marathaslostthebattleandthefort. After130yearsinNovember1817,Bapurao,aMarathaSardar withBajirao IIfoughtwithBritishandwonthefort.

Kothaligad orPeth FascinatingSpots: ThepinnacleofthePeth canbeseenfromthevillage.Itlookslikeafiledsurface.Onreaching thetopofthefort,weseecavescarvedinhugerocks.ThefirstoneisthecaveofGoddess, besideswhichisawatercisternandthelastoneisthespeciousBhairoba cave.Aflatfloorand well sculptedpillarsarespecialtyofthecave.AlongtheBhairoba cave,stepsarecarvedleading wellsculpted pillars are specialty of the cave. Along the Bhairoba cave, steps are carved leading thepinnacle. FourFivepotholesandsomecanonballsarescatteredinthefort.Kalwawantinicha Mahal, Nagfani,Siddhagad,Malanggad,Chanderi,Prabalgad,Manikgad,andMatheranallthese surroundinghistoricalplacesarevisiblefromtopofthefortPeth. di hi t i l l i ibl f t f th f t P th WaysToReach: OnehastoboardSTbusforAmbivaliviaKashele orfromKarjat railwaystationonMumbaiPune route.ThedistancefromKarjat toAmbivaliisabout30Kms.AroadleadstovillagePeth from j g Ambivali.AtiringpathwayleadstothefortdoorfromvillagePeth.Thepathwaypiercesthrough lushgreentreesandwecanrefreshourselveswiththelovinglysmelledflowersandtastyfruits. OncangetdownatNeral,anotherrailwaystationonMumbaiPunerouteandreachKashele bylocalconveyanceandcatchbusforAmbivalifromthere. by local conveyance and catch bus for Ambivali from there AmbivalitoPeth 2hours,Peth villagetotopofthefort 1hour AccommodationFacility: Thecaveonthefortisthebestplacetospendanight. DrinkingWaterFacility: Therearemanyacisternsandtanksonthefort,buttheonenearthecaveisreliable.

AdarshandChetan

Chetan

AdarshandSandesh

Dinner

Adarsh gazingstars

Thecrowd,halfasleep at2AM

Adarsh,Sandeshand Adarsh

Chetan

Chetan andRajeev

Goodplaceat Ambivalifornight y stayandfood 09226093034 02148683313

Adarsh,RajeevandSoumyahavingmorningtea

Sandeshdoingvanvihar

Sandeshenjoyingvanvihar

Bharadwaj

Rajeev,Chetan andAdarshbasking

Goodphotograph

Sandesh,Chetan andAdarsh

AdarshandSandesh

Kothaligad

Kothaligad asviewedfromvillageDhamani

Goodphoto bySandesh

Dhamani villagewoman

Sandeshwith(ex)polic patil ofPeth Mr.Sawant TheCarwasparkedhere.

ContactatPeth VillageatthebaseofKothaligad Canarrangefoodduringthetrek

StartingfromDhamani village.Travelbycarnotpossible.

Mr.Sawants houseatPeth stopforwaterandfood

Soumya Adarshs i ht Ad h righteye

Goodphoto

ShrikebySoumya

IndianRobinbySoumya

Kothaligad pinnacle

Peth village neatandclean

HanumanMandirinPeth village

Avillageboy

Hibiscus(Jaswandi)

Goodplacefornightstay.Drinkingwateralsoavailable.

Roadtotopofpinnacleincarvedwithin

Unspoilt Unhurried Untouched Unconfined Unexpected Unconquered Unparalleled Un paralleled Unmatched Unstressed Un stressed Unlimited Standingassilentsentinelstohistoryarethe350oddfortsofMaharashtra.Beatenby g y y theseawaves,lashed