Rajeev, Sandesh, Soumya, Adarsh and Chetan (Motha) visited Vangani Khagol Madal for sky gazing and in the morning trekked to Kothaligad located 30 km from Karjat - on Mar 13-14 2010.
Text of Kothaligad
TrekkersofSahyadri Trekkers of Sahyadri present Elevation 3,100 ft Location Karjat
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
AdarshandChetan
Chetan
AdarshandSandesh
Dinner
Adarsh gazingstars
Thecrowd,halfasleep at2AM
Adarsh,Sandeshand Adarsh
Chetan
Chetan andRajeev
Goodplaceat Ambivalifornight y stayandfood 09226093034 02148683313
Unspoilt Unhurried Untouched Unconfined Unexpected Unconquered Unparalleled Un paralleled Unmatched Unstressed Un stressed Unlimited Standingassilentsentinelstohistoryarethe350oddfortsofMaharashtra.Beatenby g y y theseawaves,lashed
