Rajgad – Torna

Rajgad – Torna

It was the Diwali weekend , with all my sisters in the US of A , my bhaubeej day was free .Couple that with a Saturday & Sunday & you have the perfect recipe for a "real" trek .The only hitch with this plan is that ,most if not all, T2B members do follow societal norms & are not as irresponsible as me when it comes to remaining absent from the home & the associated festivities. In spite of this ,I did find one who was equally willing to forego urban celebrations in favour of communing with the great outdoors , and it was none other than Rohit , the Dongardev !

In fact it was Rohit who initiated proceedings , with me being lukewarm to the idea , at best .Once decided that the 13th & the 14th were going to be spent out , the next logical step would beto decide on a venue . 2 names came to the fore; Rajgad & Hadsar .Rajgad for the sheer beauty & Hadsar for its off beat location & rock climbing opportunities.Once these names were tossed around  ,Rohit had Google working overtime & in a few hours was a live encyclopedia on all things Rajgad & Hadsar .The seemingly dangerous video on Hadsar tilted the scales in favour of Rajgad.

Rajgad by itself can be completed in one day , since we had two days in hand we decided to couple it with Torna & thus was born Mission Rajgad - Torna , famous among trekkers as a "real" trek,meaning, if you have done this you qualify for the ranks of serious trekkers or being seriously deranged ,depending on how you look at it .How else would you describe someone who willingly climbs up one large mountain & almost immediately sets off towards another equally large one 10 kms.away separated by roughly 20 smaller hills ?

BUT Rohit was scared of heights ,that's what he claimed, & hence was willing to brave this torture instead of the beautiful rock patch which Hadsar afforded .We left the decision making till the last moment & it was Friday evening when he landed at my home in Pune. After an agonisingly long decision making process we finally settled on Rajgad - Torna , keeping Hadsar- Shivneri for another day.Once the venue was decided we had to stock ourselves with food to last us 3 meals - lunch & dinner at Rajgad and breakfast at Torna. This was achieved with various packs of MTR & even soya milk to boot .Water was a potential problem , so hypochlorite drops & a state of the art membrane filter was packed .To allay Rohit's fears we even had a rope length .To this we added blankets & even a tent .This being a long weekend,what if all the temples were occupied ? All this luggage meant a very heavy sack to say the least, mine in the range of 15 kgs.& Rohit's around 12 .

Swargate bus stand confirmed the Gunjavane ST at 9 am & we slept, anticipating a big day tomorrow . We reached Swargate ST stand at 8 am , better early than sorry , as there was only 1 ST to Gunjavane in the entire day .

Once there , it was a familiar chaos with the holiday crowds either rushing towards or away from home .We beat several contenders to the last 2 remaining coveted seats in the overflowing waiting area and parked ourselvesfor an hour long wait .We utilised this time fruitfully by rushing to check each ST as it came , even though ours was expected only after an hour . In between this running about , we also played guess the other persons occupation , destination or whatever took our fancy . This game threw up , according to us , a group who were probably trekkers ,points for, were that they wore track pants and shoes but points against were - they had a proper school bag among their luggage !It was a group comprised of a youngish man with probably his wife , lots of kids & two teenage girls .

By & by with such interesting  efforts we reached the much anticipated time of 9 am .Our only concern was that we should get place to sit & we were primed & pumped up to rush into the bus , using our Virar local experience to unfair advantage .9 am ticked to 9.15 & there was no sign of the much anticipated red contraption , we consoled each other by saying that it was just 15 minutes & ST wasn't particularly known for its punctuality . 9.15 crawled to 9.30 & we were positively jittery ! Since buses can be cancelled without any notice or regard , we decided to ask  the friendly neighbourhood enquiry counter .

The actually helpful uncle there informed us about the Gunjavane ST not coming back from the village itself .Seeing our faces turn from disbelief to horror to almost crying , he advised us to take the Bhor ST standing there , get down at the highway & take a jeep from there .Said Bhor ST had been standing for a long time and seemed for all practical purposes, full . I ran into it & to our great luck, found 2 seats right at the back, thus assuring us a merry, bumpy ride .I didn't want to & in fact couldn't leave the seat to get our sacks on board.So i called Rohit to do the honours , poor fellow in his haste dropped his iphone , ouch ! Luckily the cover broke, leaving the precious piece of glass & metal intact.

Once inside , Rohit informed that the group which we were trying to analyse was actually a trekkers group,going to Rajgad.Hearing that the ST was cancelled they decided to take their own car .We couldn't do that since we were climbing in 1 village & descending in another somewhere far off . After an unexpectedly quick drive to the highway we took a jeep to Gunjavane paying a royal sum of 300 rupees , but then were going to Rajgad, the royal fort, weren't we .

Just before entering Gunjavane we saw the ST stand group right before us , that means we had made good time .After refreshing ourselves with twin helpings of wada pav & tea , we set off to climb Rajgad known as " Gadancha Raja , Rajancha Gad "

Anyone with an interest or knowledge of Maratha history would know the pivotal role Rajgad has played in shaping this state and indeed country of ours .It is a piece of living history , steeped in valour , oozing statecraft & a rock solid reminder of the genius of a man , a man who dared to awaken his people from hundreds of years of inertia , of broken spirits & living in humiliation . His was a mission where people were ready, nay jostling, to make the supreme sacrifice for Swarajya, for dignity, for a cause higher than themselves !

And Rajgad was a crystallisation of his military genius .Just imagine, who in his right mind , would take on the might of an empire with just a handful of soldiers , that too when that empire was where your father served , knowing full well that one wrong move could mean instant death for all involved .And to do that when you are just 16 requires a special brand of audacity & courage! Maharaj tumhala maanacha mujra !

With all these thoughts running in our minds we checked our watches & true to tradition we had started our climb at 12 pm .The winter sun & light breeze aided our efforts & we were surprisingly quick on the climb .We were joined by our ST stand group ,a cute 6 year old with a whistle, leading the lot .She was aptly named Leader .Rajgad has four entrances, the easy Pali darwaza ,the obscure Aalu darwaza , the forested Gunjavane darwaza & the tricky Chor darwaza.We were entering through the Chor darwaza .

 With an uneventful but quick climb we reached the final stretch where a very steep rock face led to the hole in the wall darwaza .The reason the entrance was so small & nondescript was because it was meant to be hidden & to provide a quick escape if the fort was compromised .The rock patch had railings attached & Rohit redeemed himself like a pro, with his large strides making it seem effortless.The Chor darwaza entered onto the Padmavati machi , a machi being a plateau like region extending from the main mountain.

Rajgad has a central elevated bale killa or citadel with 3 machis extending from it viz.Padmavati , Suvela & Sanjivani .Just as you enter onto Padmavati machi you are greeted by a large tank called as the Padmavati talav.We splashed some cold water on ourselves and were immediately refreshed .Continuing upwards from the left bank of the tank we reached a stone structure used as an ammunition store .

Currently it had a group from Mulund who were camping there for 3 days , 3 days being the minimum you require to appreciate the fort fully ,was their argument .They were gracious enough to share half the living space with us , but we had other plans , we had our very own tent , remember ?We literally tore into our MTR packets of pulao & chana masala , topped it up with energising soya milk & were all set to explore the fort .

Climbing up from the ammunition store we reached the Padmavati temple, a temple which we gave a miss, as it seemed too full of people.From here we took a left again & climbed to a flat area which had remnants of the offices & residences of statesmen & warriors gone by. One of them looked suitable to pitch our tent as it afforded some protection from the wind .Keeping that in mind we proceeded to the Bale Killa .The bale killa can be described as a fort within a fort , where, even if the main fort was overrun, you could still keep the enemy at bay due to the sheer strength of the extreme defences.Rajgad's balekilla is one of the most attractive .It is built atop steep rock rising hundreds of feet high from the machi level, with a substantial spread .The entrance is well guarded and cannot be easily seen from the main fort .The route to the Bale Killa Maha Darwaza is a vertical climb on rock ,made a bit easier & safer by contemporary railings .En route to this entrance one can see the Suvela machi stretching for a long distance to the left .The Suvela machi is a classic example of Maratha fort architecture with reinforcing walls , bastions & look outs .For once, the man made structure blends in beautifully with nature & creates a memorable scene .The Suvela machi has a huge rock formation with a large natural hole in the middle , this is called as ' nedha' or needle eye or tiger's eye .

While climbing the rock patch to the bale killa , we see a dangerously exposed rocky outcrop & Rohit cheekily mentions that had Savitha been there she would have definitely clicked a snap over there .Letting my juvenile instincts overpower the rational ones , i jump onto the rock & Rohit does the honours of clicking .

The Maha Darwaza of the bale killa is imposing , grand & humbling .One wonders at the ingenuity , skill & foresight of the men who built it .The Maha darwaza was decorated with rangoli & lanterns by a group who does that every Diwali , their logic being that these forts were vital for the survival of our earlier generations , this was just a small gesture of gratitude.A steep climb up from the gate get us to the very top of Rajgad . The panorama from the top has to be seen to be believed , you have rolling hills one behind the other , a green carpet till the eye can see , shimmering rivers wending through the valleys & the forts , so many forts , all around .You have the mighty Raigad,the steep Lingana , the vast Torna and the strategic Sinhagad, all within visual range of Rajgad , truly making it the centre of the empire.A few years ago there were pipes oriented towards these forts & you just had to place your eye to it to look at the fort of your choice .In fact a few more years ago , there was a thriving capital at this very site , Time- a truly great leveller .

After snapping out of our reverie , we decided to head towards Sanjivani machi to chalk out the route for tomorrow .The last time i had done this trek was around 12 years ago & that was at 1 am .That time we had a frustrating experience trying to find the exit & to prevent a repeat  we decided to have the locations pinpointed prior.Sanjivani machi has its own charm with a double wall fortifying it against all sorts of attacks , strategically located bastions & smaller armour or chilkhat buruj completing the defence.The only problem with our plan was that the sun was rapidly going down & Sanjivani machi was a mere 2 kms.long .We also had a tent to pitch .We went along till the light held out but couldn't reach the exit point which was named Aalu darwaza.Returning back we settled on a place for the tent & headed back to the Padmavati temple for a hot cup of tea .In the course of conversation , Rohit mentioned that we were going to Torna the next morning & would be glad to join anyone else going the same way .The tea vendor said that currently there was no one , but if someone came along he would definitely let us know.The other thing he promised was that he would give us tea at 5 am the next morning , we were practically beaming when we heard this .Having finished the tea we were just about to make our way to the tent pitching spot we had identified ,when the lady making tea asked us where we were staying , whether in the Padmavati temple or the Rameshwar temple .

We assumed for some reason that we couldn't stay in the Rameshwar temple .On observation it was a smaller ,cosier version of the Padmavati temple which could house around 4 to 6 people .There was a man inside who was praying & chanting ,he had lit several small lamps all around and the scent of incense completed the surreal atmosphere. Not wishing to disturb him , we waited till he finished and then entered .He said that he was retired now & came to the forts during festivals to provide sweets to the local people & to clean & pray in the now neglected temples. Both Rohit & I were amazed at how much i could talk with him, given my tendency towards silence.

At least, as Rohit mentioned, it ensured our very own sleeping space without the biting cold or milling crowds. By this time we had given up on the idea of pitching the tent as the temple was much more comfortable and also because we wouldn't have the additional effort of winding it up early in the morning , thus saving us valuable time .

The super-heavy unbalanced sack had taken its toll on me & all i wanted to do was sleep. Torna & the morrow was another place, another time . Rohit in the meantime dutifully finished his cold packet of pulao & ordered steaming hot kanda bhaji as an offset. Dreamland had never felt this good .I did try to imagine flitting images of strapping warriors with their swords & spears chalking out strategy but unfortunately / fortunately wasn't rewarded by an actual sighting. While i was sleeping, Rohit had made friends with a group of 6 Punekars who were trekking to Torna in the morning.Thus ended day 1 of Rajgad-Torna.

I won't say that day 2 dawned bright & clear, as, when Rohit's alarm started blaring, it was 4.45 am & consequently pitch black outside. The star spangled sky was a sight to behold though! Packing up in record time, we made our way to the tea vendor & were amazed to see a sizeable crowd already providing him brisk business .The crowd turned out to be the Sahyadri Scalers ( no relation to the one Rohit uses ) a group of cousins who in true Puneri fashion trekked , cycled & ran marathons .Their war cry rent the pre dawn sky & sent a shiver of energy running through our spines .With the warmth of the tea & the excitement of the trek coursing through us, we set off at a brisk pace.The fact that we had explored the same area & the excellent lighting provided by our head torches helped us cover a lot of ground in a short period of time .Until . . . we ran into a fork where due to the dark we couldn't find the route .We were fumbling about & the Scalers caught up with us , one of them had done this trek before & was pretty sure that right was the way to go .Getting out of indecision , even if the ultimate outcome wasn't guaranteed , was a load off the mind , and we gladly followed .The route did lead us forward but where was the exit ? There was only 1 exit but it was going back towards Rajgad . Deciding against going in a reverse way .1 of the Scalers & 1 of the T2Bers decided to explore the machi in it's entirety.At the risk of repetition , the fortification & defence were something to be marvelled at .And this same fortification became the reason for our consternation .You could see the route very clearly just beyond the wall , but where was the exit to it ?? Short of jumping of the wall, which entailed broken limbs at the very least, there was no visible connection between the interior of the fort & the tantalising,mocking route .Where was the famed Aalu darwaza ? All the other points had boards disclosing their identity but Aalu darwaza was mysteriously missing .The exploring Scaler shouted in victory , there was a hidden exit on the right side of the machi .It was decided that he would explore it & if found to be correct , we would follow .The T2Ber was a bit sceptical as the route was on the left side of the fort & the right side exit would involve creating a tunnel through a lot of solid rock to join there .There have been instances of such tunnels & secret passages hence the scepticism was wasn't voiced out aloud.False alarm , the right exit led to a labyrinth between the numerous fortification walls .

After thoroughly checking the entire left wall for any sign of a breach or doorway we concluded that the only exit on the left side was the one which led in the reverse direction .And instead of Maharaj suddenly Holmes sprung forth with his cocky attitude saying : How often have I said that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? So reverse it was .The path went reverse for sometime , descended vertically over rock ,disappeared into the forest & emerged victoriously to join the one which was visible from the walls. Was it my imagination or did I hear a faint Elementary ? Aalu darwaza 2 - trekkers 0.

All this searching meant that we were witness to a glorious sunrise on the machi itself , that was the optimistic way of saying that we had lost a lot of time & our trekking would be in the overhead sun instead of the pleasant chill of dawn. The Scalers were now fully visible & they, who, initially appeared to be a group of collegians , turned out to be around 40 ish .They offered us oranges & Rohit some encouragement over the rock patches & the ice was broken . One of them even turned out to be a dentist ! We were standing hundreds of feet above ground level & it was with profound dejection that we followed the path vertically downwards ,the grief was for losing all the height gained only to gain it again on the next hillock . After ascending & descending around 3 times we descended to a valley with a tar road running through, someone joked that this was the final chance to back out , once ahead it was the point of no return . Our first landmark & halt was a shepherd's house , he was kind enough to make us piping hot black tea and we decided to have breakfast there .The Scalers were amazed at the sheer variety of MTR we had .After polishing off one of the packets we started the journey again .

It was a constant up & down, sometimes through forest ,sometimes through plain and at others on top of the mountain.After following the trail for quite some time we came to a clearing and realised that Torna was way to the right & if we continued straight there was no way we would reach our destination .But the trail was going straight , as we pondered, there was the sound of a dog barking furiously & luckily for us the owner came out to see what the commotion was .She was kind enough to direct us to the actual trail which was indistinct & through the forest .In gratitude we purchased buttermilk from her & set off again .

By now our sacks were really weighing us down , the Scalers who had the lightest bags possible were really racing ahead .They were kind enough to wait for us at places where we could have erred .Seeing their pace Rohit named them the Dhaavpal gang .After crossing numerous hills we finally reached the base of Budhala maachi .Budhala was fortified by a massive bastion & thick walls ,not to mention a vertical rock face .The route into Torna was from the right of the bastion where we had to negotiate a tricky rock patch .The absence of railings or any other support made it a really thrilling experience .Once this patch was negotiated there was a straight wall of sheer rock which would have been impossible to climb had the ladder not been there .The swaying ladder too made for an adventurous climb .Once the ladder was crossed the path took a right turn & was just a foot wide , on its left was the rock & scree of Torna and on its right was a sheer drop to the valley floor . After traversing this for 5 minutes, the path turned to safer regions & took us to the mountain top .This was a path straight out of the movies , golden grass on either side & beautiful panoramas all around .In true movie style ,suddenly there was a twist in the tale .We were merrily chomping on our coffee bites when suddenly there was a loud buzzing noise, as if a thousand bees had been set loose. And it was in fact that , there were thousands of bees climbing up from the valley & going over to the other side. It would have been a very interesting sight had it not been for the fact that we were directly in their path ! We hit the ground post haste & covered ourselves with whatever was available, grass, rucksack, anything at all. After a heart stopping minute they were gone as suddenly as they had come .We were completely shaken if not stirred .Literally gathering ourselves up , we set off our merry way again.

The path turned rocky again & veered off towards the edge  .Our confidence had increased tremendously after living dangerously for so long , so it was just a cakewalk for us .Just to prove a point , a rocky wall suddenly manifested itself blocking our way totally . We started clambering up the rocks , a slip guaranteeing an intimate encounter with the valley floor .Our sacks being governed by gravity & the shifting contents inside, only served to heighten the thrill .In all this our concentration was suddenly disturbed by the lead climbers shrill call , WAIT ! There was no way ahead it seemed , on his left was a sheer drop , the right was where we were hanging precariously , which was a confirmed drop & ahead were very narrow rocks impossible to balance upon .If there were no mortal danger , the entire scene would have looked comical , with 1 person sitting on top of the rock & 6 hanging on various stages, the last one was sitting peacefully at the base .The top person managed to attract the attention of some people who in turn alerted a local lady selling buttermilk & lime juice .She literally ran to us & very expertly guided us off the rock first & then took us to the actual route which was only slightly less dangerous at almost a 70 degree gradient .Once we reached the top of the patch we were again confronted with drops on either side but luckily this time there was a way forward .Once we reached level ground we finished off the entire buttermilk & lime juice stock of the gallant lady, partly out of relief & partly to help her out. We thanked her profusely & considered her nothing less than a Divine intervention. With enough adventure and excitement to last for quite some while, the next part of the journey to the Mengai temple atop Torna was uneventful .The lady escorted us till there & also served delicious kande pohe with tea, priming us for the descent ahead.

The descent from Torna is usually quite irritating due its sheer unending nature. We finished this in a state of some exhaustion, taking the better part of 3 hours to complete it.

The Scalers had a tradition , that the Torna trek wasn't complete without misal pav & tea at a particular hotel at the base , respecting that, not only did we polish off misal pav & tea , we also added the T2B tradition of  Thums up to it & wound up a truly remarkable trek .A trek which had everything ; history , adventure , danger ,thrills , spills ,pushing oneself to extreme limits, watching out for your fellow, trusting strangers with your life & the uplifting realisation that selfless humanity was still alive .Rohit graduated from being jittery on rocks to confidently striding over them & I fulfilled a long pending desire of doing Rajgad Torna again.Signing off with the quintessential T2B question , what next ?