Harishchandragad trek Indravajra, clouds and fireflies

Harishchandragad trek Indravajra Special | Harishchandragad night trek Indravajra and premonsoon cloud | Harishchandragad Fireflies

In this pre-monsoon period, get ready to witness fireflies, indravajra, and floating clouds at Kokankada. Three different phenomena will just put you in awe of nature. We are talking about the circular rainbow called indravajra, floating clouds, and tiny little twinkling fireflies, who come out in millions at night in a breathtaking phenomenon.

Fireflies or lightning bugs make light within their bodies. This process is called bioluminescence and is shared by many other organisms, mostly sea-living or marine organisms. Fireflies light up to attract a mate. To do this, the fireflies contain specialized cells in their abdomen that help to create light. Ever imagined what it would be like to watch a million twinkling stars in the open sky above your head? Add a dash of a spectacular light show orchestrated by the humble fireflies.

Nature awe called indravajra the full circle rainbow with broken with your own shadow. This extraordinary phenomenon is observed every year from the mid-end of May till June first week. Fireflies, Indravajra & cloud special Harishchandragad trek & camping is the best way to witness nature’s extraordinary phenomenon. Harischandragad, situated in the Malshej region of the Western Ghats is one of the most famous hill forts in the region. Located in Ahmednagar, the fort is decorated with lush greenery and a sheet of clouds. Embark on a fun-filled trek to Harishchandragad fort and come across Saptatirtha Pushkarni Temple and the Kedareshwar Cave where resides a big Shiva Linga, which is surrounded by water. Also, witness the Temple of Harishchandreshwar and Konkan Kada which provides a scenic view of the surrounding region.

Short Schedule:

• Friday: CSMT-Kasara train ( CSMT 08:44pm | Kasara: 11:04pm), meetup at station. Enroute short halt for washroom/tea and fireflies sightseeing. 
• Saturday: Reach base village, after quick freshenup trek commenced. Reach Atop direct visit Kokankada for cloud formation and indravajra. Post breakfast, headback explore caves, kedareshwar temple, pushkarani, harishchandreshwar temple and if time permit visit Taramati peak 6th highest place in maharashtra. Afternoon descend down to base village have a lunch and head to fireflies lakefront camping spot. Evening/Overnight camping, dinner and fireflies sightseeing.
• Sunday: After morning breakfast headback to station, reach kasara around 12pm. 

Harishchandragad trek Cost:

• Cost: 2100/- Kasara to Kasara Jeep Travel

• 1400/- Self travel by Car/Bike (Follow Fri-Sat-Sun schedule)  

The itinerary for the trek will be as follows:

Day:0 – Fri 24 May 2024 (Batch:1) | 07 June 2024 (Batch:2)

Mumbai Participant

• 08:30 pm – Catch CSMT Kasara Fast Local as per the below schedule. 
• CSMT: 08:44pm | Dadar: 08:58pm | Kurla: 09:07pm | Ghatkopar: 09:11pm | Thane: 09:26pm | Kalyan: 09:52pm | Kasara: 11:04pm
• (Do not miss the train as after no alternative transport is available till the campsite and you may miss the event in such case no refund entertained.) 
• 11:30 pm –  Regroup at Kasara railway station middle ticket counter and transfer into local jeep (10 Pax Per jeep).
• En-route halt for tea/Quick snacks (Own Expenses.) & washroom at Baba-ka-Dhaba. (15 min)
• Leader/Coordinator numbers will be shared post-confirmation and one day of the event. For any help or details, you may Call-WhatsApp at +919075431016

Day:1 – Saturday 25 May (Batch:1) 2024 | Saturday 08 June 2024 (Batch:2)

• 00:30 am – En route will take a multiple halt for fireflies sightseeing 
• 03:30 am – Reach base village, grab your bags and headlamps. (Keep extras in the Vehicle. Except for valuable items.) We will commence the trek immediately. 
• 05:30 am – After 2 hrs of hiking, we will reach the upper plateau near the temple of Harishchandragad via the Khireshwar route. We visit the Kedareshwar cave section and head to Kokankada for an Indravajra sighting. 
• Fireflies, Pre-monsoon clouds, and indravajra are climatic-based sightseeing we cannot control/alter natural phenomena. 
• 08:30 am – Have breakfast and tea at Kokankada.  
• 09:30 am – Start hiking Taramati Peak from Kedareshwar caves ( 6th highest point of Maharashtra.) Witness 360 surrounding Sahyadri range. Descend to the Kedareshwar temple side. Explore caves and rest for some time.  
• 11:30 am – Finale descends to base village. 
• 02:00 pm- Reach base. Change clothes and have lunch. The post will start to travel to Ambit, (Purushwadi Region)
• 05:00 pm – Reach Ambit village, pitch your tent in front of lake. Tea and Snacks, Fireflies orientation and briefing 
• 19:30 pm – Short walk for fireflies sightseeing, witness non crowded location with full of fireflies in both sides of road and in the valley. 
• 09:30 pm – Back to village have a dinner Veg / N-Veg 
• 10:30 pm – Retire of the day.

Day:2 – Sunday 26 May (Batch:1) 2024 | Sunday 09 June 2024 (Batch:2)

• 06:30 am – Wakeup call, have breakfast, tea and freshenup (3 indian washrooms are available) 
• 08:30 am – Starts travel back, reach kasara by 12-noon and event concluded with memories. 

Include:

• Jeep Traveling from to Kasara
• 2 bf/Tea, 1 Lunch (Veg), 1 Dinner (Veg/N-veg)
• Tent camping
• Guide and Expertise Charges
• Village and Forest entry fees
• Guide and expertise. 

Exclude:

• Personal Expenses of any kind.
• Sleeping Bag / Bedding
• Anything that is not mentioned in inclusion.
• Medical / Insurance.

Things to Carry:

• Rucksack or bag to carry all things (Compulsory)
• ID Card
• Extra pair of clothes if required by you.
• Some ready-eat food like plum cake, biscuits, fruits Paratha/Thepala/Boiled Eggs/Dates Etc. (Compulsory)
• Glucon-D or Electrolytes (Compulsory)
• Drinking water min 2/3ltr
• Personal medicine if any
• Headlamp or Torch (Compulsory)
• Good grip shoes (Compulsory)
• Full Sleeves Shirt & Full Pants.

Harishchandragad Trek recommended visiting Point.

Saptatirtha :
To the east of the temple is a well-built lake called “Saptatirtha”. On its bank are temple-like constructions in which there are idols of Lord Vishnu. Recently these idols have been shifted in the caves near the temple of Harishchandreshwar. These days many trekkers have been responsible for the sad plight of this beautiful place, as they throw plastic wastes and other things in the pond.
Kedareshwar :
The most scared point in Harishchadragad trek Going rightwards of Harishchandreshwar temple, we come across a huge cave. This is the cave of Kedareshwar, in which there is a big Shivlinga, which is totally surrounded by water. The total height from its base is five feet, and the water is waist-deep. It is quite difficult to reach the Shivlinga, as the water is ice-cold. There are sculptures carved out here. In monsoon, it is not possible to reach this cave, as a huge stream flows across the way.
Konkan Kada (Konkan cliff) :
The most interesting point on Harishchadragad trek is this cliff, which has always fascinated many people from many years. From here, one can have a breathtaking view of the surrounding region & the setting sun. This cliff is not straight, but concave in its topmost approach. This feature renders it distinct. It has been accessed by rock-climbers only twice till now. Members of Pinnacle group recently ascended this cliff, after 12 years it was ascended for first time. A youth from Pune fell in love with this cliff & jumped from here. A monument is built here in his memory. It is said that a rainbow as a circle is seen from here.
Taramati peak :
This is the topmost point on the fort and sixth highest peak of maharashtra. Leopards are seen in the forests beyond this peak in the surrounding jungle of aadrai trek.. From here we can have a glimpse of the whole 360 degree range of sahyadri.
Caves on Harishchandragad :
These caves are situated all over the fort. Many of these are situated at the foot of Taramati peak & are the place of accommodation. A few are near the temple, whereas some are near the citadel and some far away in the forests. A natural cave is on the northwestern side of the fort, to the right of Kokan Kada. It is about 30 feet deep. The folks must know many such caves. Many of these may be remaining undiscovered.
Nageshwar temple near Khireshwar :
This is a great antique construction, and diverse artistic works are seen on this. On the ceiling of the temple are beautiful carvings. There are caves near the temple.
Temple of Harishchandreshwar :
This temple is marvelous example of the fine art of carving sculptures out of stones that prevailed in ancient India. It is about 16m high from its base. Around this temple there a few caves & ancient water tanks. Near the temple, the river Mangal Ganga originates. The top of the temple resembles construction with the north-Indian temples. A similar temple is situated in Buddha-Gaya. Here we can see many tombs, in which a typical construction is seen. These are built by arranging stones one over the other. The stones are well finished. There are three caves near the temple. The cisterns near the temple provide drinking water. Here another temple called Kashitirtha is located.
The fascinating thing about this temple is that it has been carved out from a single huge rock. There are entrances from all four sides. On the main entrance there are sculptures of faces. These are faces of guards of the temple. On the left side of the entrance is a Devnagri inscription, which is about saint Changdev.

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Find more details about harishchandragad trek at http://trekshitiz.com/Ei/Harishchandragad-Trek-H-Alpha.html

Frequently asked questions:

Q. Harishchandragad trek available from Mumbai or Pune.
Ans: Yes. We have a pickup-drop facility at multiple locations from Mumbai as well as Pune. You may visit the itinerary field for details or call WhatsApp at at +919075431016

Q. Harishchandragad trek distance.
Ans: Driving distance from Mumbai 205km and Pune 161km with around 5/6 hrs driving. Trekking distance around 12-13 km round trip with paachnai route.

Q. harishchandragad trek difficulty level.
Ans: This trek can be done through multipal route which graded Moderate to Difficult and easy catagory such as Naalichi vaat, Makad naal, Sadhade ghat and Medium graded Tolar khind mostly known as khireshwar route, Junner Darwaja or Rajmarg, Bail dara, Vetaldhar, Ganesh dhar and easy grade paachnai route through with kids and elders can also reach on top in 2hr of easy trek.

Q. Harishchandragad trek height.
Ans: Harishchandragad height is around 1422 mtr 4665 ft. Taramati Peak/Shikhar will be 6th highest point of Maharashtra. But via paachnai route we have to height gain only 1200/1500ft.

Q. Harishchandragad trek time.
Ans: Due to multipal route and grade diffrent time span required to reach top. Paachnai route 2hrs, Naalichi vaat 8/9hrs depend upon group size, Makad naal 12-14hrs, khireshwar or junner darwaja 5/6hrs. Harishchadragad Easist route will be paachnai only.

Q. Washroom are available at harishchadragad.
Ans: Basic indian type washroom available at base village but at top of fort no washroom.

Q. harishchandragad trek camping available.
Ans: Yes after trek if wanted to spend night atop of fort then shared tent camping available at kokankada or near temple area.

Q. Best time to visit harishchandragad.
Ans: Pre-monsoon which is may to june first week and post monsoon oct mid will be best time to visit but remember in such time rain unpredictable. Prepare for the same.

Q. Harishchandragad trek in winter.
Ans: Yes entire year it can be possible to visit but be note in winter night camping will be very cold. Temperature down at around 8/9 degrees in top camping area.

Q. harishchandragad trek in monsoon.
Ans: Yes. Most over in year trek is open but in monsoon over a day trek recommended. Night stay not possible in tent due to harsh weather. You have to spend night in caves section which will be very cozy and smelly but if your okay then go for and experience the raw stay.