Ratangad : The Nature’s Treasure

After missing my trek to ‘Torna’ last month I was very  keen on some unexplored fort. Finally after long deliberations we finalized on ‘Ratangad’.  After cancellations and reconfirmations we are a team of 11 ready to conquer ‘Ratangad’. 

It  is  8.00 am in the morning. Mr. Bramhe ‘s message pops up. We have started. I and Chandan take the final  look at our back pack and join Hemant and Reges  to board the bus on Law College Road. Anirudh and Vishal also joins us immediately.  After the cheerful greetings, Chandan declares that we will halt at Chakan for breakfast.  After a round of Misal and Solkadhi we head to Narayan Gaon.   As we turn towards Bhandardara from the national highway, bus suddenly starts making some weird noise.  The driver inspects vehicle and calls his mechanic. It appears that we have to visit some garage for trouble shooting. As we turn back towards Narayan Gaon,  we notice a Garaj of Force Motors. After a thorough examination and scrutiny by our expert mechanical engineers from the team 11  it is concluded that the part controlling steering wheel is out of order and needs to be replaced. This  part is so very rare that it needs to be called for from  Pune which is going to take minimum three hours. We are grounded and we have nothing to do. It is already 11.45 am. After a long wait of about 3 hours, in the company of heat and a Garage Movie, we finally are told that the bus is now in pink of its heath. 

Without wasting any time we head to Bhandardara. The route is beautiful however we are too impatient to notice anything now. We alter our plan and decide to head to the MTDC Resort at Bhandardara where we have booked a dormitory. After a very  tiny tea break we reach Village Shendi at Bhandardara. As usual MTDC is at the exotic location filled with the most non-cooperative people. As I complete the formalities, our cricket fans are finding out if there is a television in the dormitory.  And to my astonishment there is a television set indeed. Now I know what is in store for us. All these cricket maniacs are going to watch the T-20 Match between Indian and Pakistan.  It is the question of exhibiting patriotism hence we cannot object.

After settling down we look for a decent place to eat. We find a simple place where they serve Maharashtrian food. After a sumptuous meal we get back to our dormitory. The match is in full swing and all the cricket patriots are watching with amusement. I sink into my bed and fall asleep. I am woken up in the middle of the  night. Chandan tells me we have won and offers me sweets. I am able to visualize the  upcoming drama since am married to him for 19 years now. I silently eat the pedha and without a word fall back to sleep. After a sound sleep in the middle of celebrations, we all wake up at 4.00 am. We quickly get ready and board the bus to begin our journey to Ratanwadi. This is the village at the base of Ratangad. This village has a long and very interesting history. A beautiful  Shiv Temple in Hemadpanthi Style   stands tall with the untold history of over 1400 years.  This tiny village is very welcoming and as we drink our tea at 6.00 am we are able to see the gigantic Ratangad stairing at us. We also are able to find the guide for our trek to Ratangad. 

When we had made our initial enquiry we were told that this trek can take anything between 3 hours to 6 hours. We are very skeptical now since we have no clue how long it will take. Our guide assures us that we will take not more than 3 hours. With a sigh of relief,  we  pack our bags to head to Ratangad.

Our first segment is just a walk along the fields. River Pravara is flowing besides our route. As we walk for about 10 Minutes we reach a newly built canal. This reservoir supplies water to Ratanwadi. We cross this canal and enter the forest now. The climb has begun through the thick jungle.  We now cannot resist clicking photographs. All of us are very curious about the trees around. Our guide tries to show some of the green treasures of the Jungle. As we walk in the midst of greenery and fresh air we are able to see the needle   hole (nedhe) of Ratangad which will be our final destination. This needle   hole is amazing yet challenging. 

On the ladder

After a climb of about one hour we are ensured by our guide that we are half way through. Pravaraa has disappeared. We are now able to see the open sky and are also able to see the peak of Ratangad. As we move forward we now reach a ladder which is very similar to Kalsubai. Everybody crosses three such ladders. I along with Sharvari Rege prefer to skip one ladder and march through the old stone carved steps. They are much easier. Shardul who is only 10 is slightly hesitant however with his father’s encouragement, manages to climb at the top. After the ladders we see a majestic entrance where Ganesh Idol is carved. Though it is rudimentary it is quite welcoming. As we enter inside, we hear some voices of a group of trekkers. We now know that we have finished out upward journey in record time of just 2.5 hours. We march toward the direction of the sound. There is a cave in which a group from Nasik has stayed over-night. They tell us that it is an amazing experience to stay here on the top of the world. We  are tempted to plan another trek already.

Team 11 at Needle Hole

Our guide tells us that we will be taking a round of the entire fort now. He starts giving us information of this fort. Ratangad is surrounded by many peaks such as Kalsubai, Ajoba, Katrabai, Bhairavgad, Ghanchakkar etc. After taking a view of all the locations, we are trying to figure out how many of us will be able to visit how many of them. But I believe it does not matter how many are we able to climb. What matters is what we take away as a learning from each of these. I am contended in just taking a sight at all of them.

As we tour around this gigantic fort, we have lots of surprises in store. Built during  Yadav dynesty, this fort is excellently protected by natural as well as artificial creations. There is Chor-darwaja and a small under-ground water reserve which serves cool water at any time in a year. This water reservoir is accompanied by a small compartment where a person can take rest. 

After drinking refreshing water we proceed to the needle hole ( nedhe). This place has a cool air and a natural shade. We settle down at this place and open our breakfast packets. After our well deserved breakfast, it is time again for an elaborate photo session. We cheerfully take the photographs and Vishal guides us to the top of the needle hole. The climb is slippery.  As we head to the top, we are spellbound by the breath taking view. We feel as if we are on the top of the world. All the peaks are inviting us to visit them.. I want o capture this moment in my heart.  Our guide tells us that we could either go back on the same route or we could take another route to descend. We unanimously choose the new route. 

The Descend

We come out of the needle hole and turn to our left which takes us to the main entrance of the fort. There are very wide yet difficult stairs on which we descend. As we go along, we are met by a group of youngsters; one of them throws a plastic bottle. Chandan and Ashok request them politely to refrain from throwing plastic. The leader joins them in agreement and tells his friend genuinely that Mr. Modi is trying to clean our nation hence it is our duty not to litter it. I now know the power of Swatch Bharat. Hats off to you Mr. Modi.

We now have to traverse a small rock patch which reminds us of Dhak Chaa Bahiri. After a rock patch we now are walking on a cliff which exhibits excellent view from both the sides. We can see rocky mountain peaks, and deep valley by our side. In our amusement we take small and careful steps forward. Some parts of the descend are slippery and challenging. We look for a shade to rest for a while. We sip  water and move forward. It being a different route is full of many surprises. Our guide takes us through the deep forests and introduces us to the delicacies of forest. The descend now feels unending, however since I am engrossed in continuous chatter with Sharvari Bramhe it does not feel so.  

After a while we are able to see the  reservoir of water. The sight of it is so tempting that all of us remove our shoes and dip our feet in the water. It is so relaxing and incomparable to the best foot spa in the world. 

Refreshed with energy we now head to Ratanwadi. It is 12 noon and hence we order lunch at the same place where we had our morning tea. We now head to the temple which still stands proudly with the history of Yadav Dynasty. 

After a curious look at the temple we come back towards our bus. This time Mr. Bramhe does the honors of giving away solar lamps. We finish our lunch and say good bye to this fort. A last sight of needle hole is amazing. We feel fortunate to have been able to climb it.

Now I understand why Shivaji Maharaj loved this fort. His greatness as a leader and a strategist is enhanced in my mind. 

This fort has a lot to offer to the trekkers. One can experience the nostalgia of all the previous treks en-route Ratangad. You feel as if you have traveled on this route earlier though  this is your first time here. The enormous beautiful mountains stand in front of you. It is an open invitation to climb them, sit on their lap and forget about the life outside them.   

Journey from Pune to Bhandardara   in a vehicle	5  Hours	Best Season	September to April
Journey from Bhandardara   to Ratanwadi in a vehicle	1 hour	Water  Available on the Top	Yes
Ratanwadi to Top	2.5 to 3 hours	Contact person for Guide and Food	Mr. Nathu Jhade : 8308037394 / : 9325325463
Overnight stay in the cave	15-20  people	Important Tip	Local Guide is a must for first timers