Rajmachi is another fort near the Lonavala Khandala hill stations in Maharashtra. It consists of two twin fortresses named Shrivardhan and Manaranjan with a wide machi (plateau). The fort is accessible from the Udhewadi village. It falls in the beginners' category for trekking.

Districts/ Region

Pune District, Maharashtra, India.

History

Rajmachi has a history of two thousand years. This defense architecture initially emerged to have a lookout on the Bor Ghats. The fort premise complex comprises grand ramparts, strong and solid walls, huge gateways, residential compartments, water supplies, administrative buildings and secret gates for the exit etc. A dry masonry temple of Kal Bhairav is located in the crevasse among Shrivardhan and Manaranjan forts.

This fort acquired its fame as one of the prominent forts of the Maratha Empire during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who did the expansion of this fort by building new structures in 1657. This fort is known as one of the fascinating constructions in the western ghats. Rajmachi Fort has seen many reigns.

The fort was under the control of the Mughal Empire too around 1704 - 1705. After that, Marathas took charge of it. In the due course of time, Rajmachi Fort saw the fall of the Maratha Empire and the rise of the British Empire. The fort fell into the control of the British Empire in 1818. The western side of Rajmachi Plateau has a panoramic view of the Ulhas river Valley. The Kondane Buddhist caves are located on the slopes of the same hill on the path leading to the western Coast. These caves are believed to be carved during the 2nd century BC.

This region gives a different feel of beauty during the rainy season where ample waterfalls, streams and lush green forests and meadows enrich the beauty of the nearby vicinity. The time before monsoon rains explores the beautiful sight of fireflies.

Geography

Rajmachi is in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges in Maval Taluka of Pune District. It is very close to the famous hill stations Lonavala and Khandala.

Weather/Climate

It has a hot-semi arid climate year-round with an average temperature ranging from 19-33 degrees Celsius.

April and May are the hottest months when the temperature reaches up to 42 degrees Celsius

Winters are extreme, and the temperature can go as low as 10 degrees Celsius at night, the average daytime temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius.

The annual rainfall in the region is around 763 mm.

Things to do

The trek to Rajmachi Fort during monsoons is an eye-pleasing experience with many waterfalls, deep gorges and valleys, villages, and waterways. The trek can be enjoyed with photography, nature trail and a group picnic

Nearest tourist place

There are several tourist spots near this fort. The nearest tourist spots include:

Bhushi Dam (21.8 KM)
Lohagad Fort (32 KM)
Ekvira Temple (27.4 KM)
Karla Caves (27.4 KM)
Bhaje Caves (28.9 KM)
Lonavala Lake Waterfall (18.5 KM)
Kune Falls (16.1 KM)
Kondane Caves (2.5 KM)

How to travel to tourist place by Rail, Air, Road (train ,flight,  bus ) with distance and required time

There are two road routes from Mumbai up to Rajmachi fort. From Mumbai, one can drive up to the Kondhane side and trek for around 3-4 hours to reach the Rajmachi fort. The other route is from Pune/ Lonavala. Udhewadi is the base village and can be reached by car/bike. The trek is a shorter distance of around 30-40 minutes.

Nearest Airport: Pune International Airport (87 KM)

Nearest Railway Station: Khandala Railway Station (15.9 KM)

Special food speciality and hotel

Home food joints like Janai hotel, Hotel Sahyadri Garden, Hotel Mayur Palace, Sai snacks, Azad Hind Restaurant, Shiwar Park offers you various types of snacks and food available in that region.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

There are various facilities of accommodations like homestay, bed and breakfast, etc.

The hospitals are available at Lonavala and Khandala (18.4 KM).

Khandala Police Station (16 KM) is near to this fort.

MTDC Resort nearby  details

The nearest MTDC resort to the fort is Karla (24.5 KM) (Nature Resort).

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

The climate during the Summer is hot and humid. Monsoon is the best season for visiting Rajmachi.

Apart from a pleasant climate, Monsoon also gives a mesmerizing view with greenery and many waterfalls around. Winters it is comparatively less humid till December. It is suggested to visit during the day.

Language spoken in area

English, Hindi and Marathi.