Forts
Ahivantgad
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Rajmachi
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Ratangad
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Maps
Karjat Region
Nasik Region
Igatpuri Region
Malshej Ghat Region
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Pune Region
Satara Region
Trekking
Material
Ratangad
 At a Glance
Trek Ratangad
Alias -
Type Hill Fort
District Ahmadnagar
Height above mean sea level 4255 feet
Base Village Ratanwadi
Minimum Duration 2 Days
Region Igatpuri
Transport By train/vehicle reach Igatpuri. Village Shendi/Bhandardara is about 35 km from Igatpuri (1st bus at about 5.15 am). From Shendi, walk to village Murshet, cross the lake by launch (enquire to local people for the timings), land on the other side of the lake and reach village Ratanwadi. If you have your own vehicle, you can go on other side by the road and reach Ratanwadi directly
Time to reach the top About 3 hours from the base
Water Availability Water cisterns are available at the top
Best season to visit October to February
Sights to visit Darwajas (Gates), caves, nedhe (natural hole to the hill), Amruteshwar temple, Bhandardara lake.
Difficulty Rating Simple
Shelter Caves at the top (1 small for 8-10 people and one big cave for 40-50 people)
 Location

Ratangad as seen from RatanwadiAncient, well preserved templeof Lord Shiva at the base, some mammoth sized hills in the juxtapose, including "Kalasubai"- the highest point in Maharashtra, one of the oldest artificial dams in the vicinity - Bhandardara, great, panoramic view all around........ all this describes nothing but the Ratangad fort

Igatpuri is the most convenient station and can be approached either by train or vehicle. From Igatpuri the first bus for Bhandardara leaves at about 5:15 am and it reaches village Shendi/ Bhandardara within 1 1/2 hr (~ 35 km.). The Bhandardara lake has to be crossed by launch. Launch timings are not fixed, enquiry about the same can be made at Shendi.

 
 Precaution
Ratangad and Khutta pinnacle as seen from the launch in the Bhandardara lakeTrek as such is quite simple. In order not to waste time, one should try to catch the 1st bus for Bhandardara and then the launch which normally comes for a ferry from Murshet to Ratanwadi. Have enough water from Ratanwadi itself as there is no water on the way.
 
 Sight Seeing
Amruteshwar temple at Ratanwadi

Top of Ratangad has two caves in which stay can be made. One can go around the fort to have a look at the nearby mountains in the Kalsubai range. Ratangad also has a natural orifice (nedhe). It is also possible to go an sit in this nedhe .

About 1000 years old temple of Lord Shiva, the Amruteshwar Temple at Ratanwadi, is an absolute paragon of high class architecture of our ancestors.

 
 More photographs
View from Ratangad's darwaja

To have a journey through a lake with an  absolutely clear water, blue firmament overhead, highest summit of Maharashtra on the back, mammoth hills of Alanggad, Madangad and Kulanggad on the right side,  is a real treat. No matter whether you have your own vehicle to reach Ratanwadi......you shouldn't  miss this little journey through allayed lake

For more photographs follow this link

 
 Note
   All references regarding duration of trek and transport are given with respect to Kalyan
 Contact
   cdeepan@gmail.com                        Deepan Ashok Choudhary
   abhijit.avalaskar@gmail.com            Abhijit Ulhas Avalaskar
   Last updated on : 1st Dec 2005