The Jewel of the Maratha forts
Difficulty: moderate & slightly technical (depends on path taken)
Duration: generally an overnighter but can be coupled with a visit to Sula vineyards over 2 nights.
This fort located in the Ahmadhnagar district of Maharashtra is of strategic importance & is a key fort in the defence line of Shivaji in the Igatpuri-Nashik region. Ratangad is a captive fort meaning it was conquered by Shivaji Maharaj from its previous Mogal rulers. To climb this 4000+ foot fort one can drive to Igatpuri, then carry on to Bari-Bhandardara to reach Ratanwadi the base village or take the boat across the Wilson Dam lake. This lake was formed by daming the Pravara river to provide irrigation and power to the region. The fort has various approach routes and some require a bit of climbing equipment and a fair knowledge of rockclimbing, but don’t let that scare you into going up this fort as the route for beginners is quite simple with a few iron ladders and a rock chimney thrown in for fun. Its best to hire a local to show you the way as in that way they also earn a bit of livelihood and the stories that u hear from them on the way up can be quite amusing and informative. The Amruteshwar temple built in the 8th century located near this village is an interesting piece of architecture.
Climbing to the top by evening and spending the night there lets you see the starry sky in all its glory and be greeted by an equally stunning sunrise the following morning. With the large number of cisterns of ice cold water at the top it’s almost like having water on tap. Before descending again its worth taking a walk around the top of the fort. On one side u have the huge natural rock wall of Ajoba descending to the Konkan and the other side u have the Kutta Pinnicle and the range continues all the way to Kalsubai in a great semicircle. Don’t forget to visit the eye of the fort also called a Nedhe in the local language. It is a natural wind carved hollow at the top of the fort an can seat at least 10 people besides the cave which can house about 25.
