I believe the last time I went out camping during the monsoons, was to Ishraghad where the cold monsoon winds, rains, dirt and everything else that does with it made me feel like home. And I believe months later, it was time again to hit the road during the rains, and this time it was Sagargad. It’s a fort situated near Khandale Village, which is 4km’s away from Alibag. Bhramar is group with whom in the last few months, I have gone quite found of. Anup and his troops surely know how to organise an outing and make everyone feel like family.
It was a Sunday, and I really wanted to head out camping during the monsoons. I reached a bit late to the bus (Thanks Anup, for holding up and being patient!). But a little later we took off to our base point. It was a good base journey away from the city, as we made stops at various points to pick up other travellers. The bus soon arrived at the base point. And my word, cottages and the greenery really did make me feel like I was home. The rain had just began to make its way through the clouds as we rushed out of the bus into the shed area. We then had some delicious breakfast and hot tea to go with it. Then we had the introductory round where we got to know each other and a little bit of history about the fort. We then started our journey towards the top.
We did experience some marshy land and some slips and falls. We help on to the rocks and the sides so that we could push on.We saw crabs, birds, worms and a lot of other insects on our way. On every base point on our climb to recall the great history and heritage of the fort and its importance. Its a tall climb with a quite decent patch, but the rains sure do make it more thrilling as you climb along. On your way you can smell the fresh green grass and look at the water falls all around the mountains. I believe the monsoons has to be the best time to visit the fort. So a little bit about the history then of the fort. It is speculated that the fort has been standing here since ancient times i.e. Satavahan period around 100 A.D. The fort is also called as Kheddurg in some records. The known history of the fort starts from 1665 when Shivaji Maharaj lost this fort to Mughals as part of the treaty of Purandar. It was given to Angre, naval chief of Maratha forces, along with 16 other forts, so that he won't separate from them and remain loyal to Shahu Chhatrapati of Satara. Later it was lost to British. Some British officers during 1800's built their retreat homes on this fort.
Slowly and steadily we made our way to the top. And my word, it was a beautiful sight. We could see clouds stretched out far and wide. And the breeze hit us like there was no tomorrow. Not a lot of the fort still stands its ground. There is a temple on the top thats still quite holy and has a pleasant feeling about it. There are a few walls and an entrance which resemble the fort and its pride, However not a lot of it still remains. We explored the fort and the greenery spread around. We took pictures, shared snacks and smoke about the mighty sea that could be seen if the clouds would clear up. The Khanderi & Underi fort along with the Kolaba fort are forts that can be seen from the top. However, due to the beautiful clouds we were not able to see much apart from fog.
It was beautiful, the whole experience of trekking during the rains. You don’t feel as tired and you feel washed from all the muck and dirt that you walk through as you walk ahead. You don’t feel as thirsty as the cold rain keeps the body cool. And of course with Anup and the other pleasant company this trip was surely special. We head down after exploring and found our way bag. Yes it did include some slips and falls.but I guess playing football has gotten me use to it. We head down, and enjoyed some delicious lunch. Nothing tastes better than freshly baked home food after a long trek. I also picked up some naturally and herbally grown mangoes for home, which my parents are still raving about. We took the standard group picture, spent a last few moments at the base and then head to the bus and were heading back home. We were quite tired on our way back, most people got some sleep a few others were enjoying music by singing and listening to them. Overall it was a quality experience and Bhramar as expected did not let me down. I think they and their team surely do a great job in terms of overall experience. I can’t wait to head out for a trek again. And surely can’t wait to do it with this lot too in the future.
Pictures of the Fort (Sagargad Fort 2015):
Show some love to Bhramar too and Anup:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bhramar/398535046927678?fref=ts
This is Mr. Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.
Have a great day, and an adventurous weekend! :)
The Happy Getaway:
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Twitter: @thehappygetaway
Thank You
Alvin Anthony
