Facts About the Ancient and Historical Fort of Korigadh Near Mumbai in India

There are many unknown but beautiful spots of tourist's interest near Mumbai that can be visited during weekends to get away from all the hassles of the city life of Mumbai. Korigadh, located near Lonavala is one such place that is beautiful and historical both. Korigadh is a place full of peace and beauty. Many visitors visit Korigadh from Mumbai on their way to Lonavala and Khandala, which are very famous hill stations near Mumbai. The time has now come to pay visit to such unconventional and not very popular places in view of the rush and crowd of the people at all popular and well known hill stations.

You can visit Korigadh from Mumbai or from Lonavala. As many tourists visit Lonavala, it would be better to visit Korigadh from Lonavala as it is only 7 miles away from Lonavala. There is an ancient and historical fort here. This fort is the main attraction here at Korigadh. The view of the entire region from top of this fort is really most panoramic. Korigadh is not a regular tourist spot but if you are interested in seeing new and unknown places and are fond of adventure sports and tracking, Korigadh is the ideal place for you. You can take long trails here in the thick, green forests and the mountains. The best thing to experience here is the sunrise with the sweet voices of the birds and the fresh air of the mountains. There is a small forest near Korigadh, which is not having any dangerous animals. So, you can safely walk around in this forest, enjoying its virgin beauty. The entire region is covered in the fog during the mornings during the winter months from November to February, offering you the most divine experience of your life of walking through thick layer of fog.

There is a temple of Korai Mata in the fort of Korigadh. This fort was protected by various kings during last 500 years. The famous king Chatrapati Shivaji had expanded this fort of Korigadh up to Lohgadh, Vijapur, and the fort of Tung. Shivaji himself had taken shelter inside the fort many times during his life time. The British colonel Prenther had attacked this fort in the year 1818. The attack lasted for 6 days and the Britishers had to move back and accept defeat due to the bravery of King Shivaji and his soldiers. You can also plan one night's stay here to stay very close to the nature in the middle of the forest. There are facilities for the night halt in the Shiva temple on the fort. Though, the facilities available are very basic and limited. If you are used to having all the facilities of the modern era, you will have difficulty staying here. However, if you are interested in adventures and want to have altogether different experience in your life, Korigadh will not disappoint you. You can also visit Korigadh for around 4 to 5 hours during your stay at Lonavala.

However, make sure to carry the bottled mineral water for drinking and some packed food items, and your camera with ample spare films with you as such facilities are not available here. You can order your food from the priest of Shiva temple, who can serve you the native, local, villager's food, consisting of Rotlas and vegetable at a very nominal rate of around Rs.10 (25 cents) per head. This food is very tasty but it may be slightly difficult to digest such local, spicy food. So, be careful while trying such food. Also, make sure to carry powerful torch, a blanket, wooden stick, and good tracking shoes with you while visiting Korigadh. You will also need to carry your sleeping bag, a small tent, and some few selected medicines that can be used in case of any emergency. The guide services are available here and make sure to travel with the guide, particularly during the tracking and hiking in the forest. It is not advisable to visit Korigadh with small children and very elderly persons as there are no medical facilities here in case of any emergency. You may have to rush to Lonavala in such case.

I have myself enjoyed visit to Korigadh with my couple of friends during my recent trip to India and I have immensely enjoyed it. We had stayed one night at Korigadh and had an opportunity to really enjoy the natural environment, close to the nature without any modern amenities. I would certainly recommend all my AC friends to visit this lovely place at least once during their life time.