Vasantgad fort — Local services in Maharashtra

Vasantgad or Talbid killa lies in Satara district near Talbid village which was the home of Shri Hambirrao Baji Mohite who was the "Sarsenapati" of Maratha army and brother of Chhatrapati Shivaji maharaj's wife , Soyrabai saheb. A fairly easy fort to climb, the path starting from near the school with modernly installed steps,further take you through some forest cover right to the Gomukhi Mahadarwaza on the East side, greeted by a beautiful idol of Shri Ganapati. The archstones of the Darwaza have collapsed and you soon walk into a vast Plateau atop the fort,there is a well and Hanuman idol. The condition of the fortification wall and the bastions is fairly good. There are two big lakes ,Koyna and Krishna lakes. The Krishna Lake water is used for consumption. On the South side is a huge bastion,built aloof from the fortification wall and has steps to take you on it. There is a unique platform about 7 feet high, made of stones on both sides of the bastion,which are built extended out of the fortification wall. Further to the west is a beautiful Kokan Darwaza in the typical Gomukhi patern. There is a very old but renovated huge temple of Chandrasen Maharaj, son of Shoorpanakha, who was the sister of Ravana. Villagers around the fort have deep faith and gather for the annual festival and puja. In front of the mandir are two deepstambha and few idols and "Veerghals". There is also an old neglected temple of Shri Shiva and...

Vasantgad is located in Satara district and . One has to drive along the pune - bangalore highway route till Talbid, the base village of Vasantgad which is 12km from Karad. At Talbid, one can see the memorial of Hambirrao Mohite, which has been well preserved by the villagers and then head towards the base of the hill at the outskirts of Talbid village. One has to undertake an adventurous trek of around fifty minutes to reach the hill top fort, which offers amazing landscape views on all sides.

..................................................................... Talbid or Vasantgad fort was the home of Hambirrao Mohite, the fourth Commander-in-chief of King Shivaji. The first three were Mankoji Dahatonde, Netaji Palkar and Prataprao Gujar. This is also the home of Queen Tarabai, the founder of Karveer. Amol Salve, a trekker and localite of Talbid village said, “This hillock fort is well fortified by strong bastions. There are temples of Lord Ganesh and also Chandrasen, known to be the...

I had the pleasure of trekking to 'Vasantgad Fort' during my recent visit to Talbid, and it was truly an unforgettable experience.

🚩 The fort is home to the holy Suryasen Mandir, Water wells, Rajwada remains, and Big entry doors with historical significance. 🚩 The roof of Vasantgad Fort consists of a total of 28 possible points to visit, explore and spend your whole day at the top.

📌 FOOTNOTES: The trek took us around 20 minutes to reach the top (THE SURYASEN MANDIR) from bottom (Talbid High School), and the climb was well worth it. There are also facilities available for water and breakfast at the top. However, I would advise avoiding trekking during afternoon times due to the heat. If you're looking for a more easy and time-efficient way, you can also start your trek from the @Sakurdi side instead from @Talbid side.

Overall, Vasantgad Fort is a must-visit for anyone interested in history and trekking. The views from the top are breathtaking, and the experience is truly...