This week buddies and me decided to give Palasdari a shot. This place seems to be fairly popular with the Mumbai guys though not people from Pune. I had known about Palasdari for some time while traveling on the Khopoli Karjat road so getting there was no issue.
We caught up at Chevrolet showroom on NH-4 near Soos road, had some omlet and chai at Tapri and headed towards our destination Palasdari. Essentially to get here from Pune you got to :
- Travel till Khopoli from Pune by NH4. Take the right from Khopoli to Karjat. Palasdari is about 7Km from Khopoli. Take a right here and park your vehicles at the grocery shop or a hamlet. You got to take a walk from here.
We got across the guarded railway crossing for the locals, after which there is the Karjat-Khopoli train link. One needs to cross these and start a climb from the electricity tower to the left at the base of the hill. You can spot the fort which is the highest point around this area.
Our journey way up was full with insect bites and loosing our way. If you have to go here, prob. going there with someone who has been here before or hiring the services of a local expert is a good idea. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't recruit the expert on this day. Essentially you got to get up, go to the right end of the fort, go round it and climb from a narrow ridge between two pinnacles.
There's hardly anything there atop, two water tanks decorate the little area on the top. There is just a little sign of some fortification at the entrance. From the top one can spot Khopoli and Palasdari dam below. You can also spot Morbe dam near Chowk and a river which is prob. Ulhas river.
We lost our way on the way back twice when it was almost dark. Ultimately with just loosing altitude in the right direction [ Palasdari Lake ] as the prime focus we did magically manage to get down to the point from where we had started. Overall, I dont know who ever goes to the fort ? Most of the ppl who turn up are retards carrying loads of booze, go to the waterfall, act like pigs by the Palasdari Lake. Ironic !!
Find the complete imagestation album
here.
Foggy NH-4 in Khandala
Enroute Palasdari - Khopoli-Karjat Road
Karajat Khopoli train route - Background Palasdari Fort
Lush Vegetation and Waterfalls enroute the Fort
At the base of the Fort
Looking at the Valley below from the base of the Fort
The only construction than the water tanks on the Fort.
One of the two water tanks on the top of the Fort.
