Hike to Naneghat : A Mountain Pass
HIKE TO NANEGHAT
Naneghat is a mountain pass in the Western Ghat range between the Konkan coast and the ancient town of Junnar in the Deccan plateau. It is considered as one of the popular hiking spots in Monsoon near Mumbai & Thane city. It is one of my favorite hiking spots too. The hike to the Naneghat route takes you into a beautiful lush green forest trail. Crossing through the several small water streams and ascending the slippery muddy route and witnessing many waterfalls on the way and climbing up the stone steps towards the top which demands some endurance and you will surely be rewarded with awesome views from the top and exploring the ancient caves,. So I consider it as a perfect hiking trail because It has all the elements of a good hiking trail. It is really amazing to see the pass that has been curved and cut to make the path by the emperor at that time. When I heard the story of Dashrath Manjhi the mountain man of Bihar who carved a path through a hill in 22 years using a hammer and a chisel. I could not believe it and the story looks to me as a myth. But when I saw the mountain pass which is curved and cut to make the pass, I was really fascinated by such a story of determination and willpower.
Type: Trade route pass & Caves
Difficulty level: Easy to regular hikers and moderate to beginners
Starting Point: Naneghat trekking Path. Nisarg Paryatan Kendra. Pendhari, Kalyan to
Malshej Gha Highway.
Altitude: 750 m (2,461 ft.)
Best Time: Monsoon & September to February.
Duration: One day
Nearest railway station: Kalyan.
Naneghat Mountain Pass from Junnar Side View
The historical significance of Naneghat.
The history of Naneghat goes back to the reign of the Satavahana (c. 200 BCE – 190 CE), The Literary meaning of Nane means “COIN” and the Ghat means “PASS”. So the Naneghat pass was one of the important trade routes. The mountain pass has made it possible to connect the Konkan coast communities with the Deccan plateau through Junnar. The Naneghat pass was used as a tollbooth to collect a toll from traders crossing the pass. Therefore, the stone pot is there beside the road to collect the coin.
Naneghat is known for its historical importance and it is mentioned in many books and scholarly articles by various scholars. We can easily believe it by looking at the inscriptions on the walls of the caves. These inscriptions are still visible on the wall of the caves. Naneghat has many caves, mostly used by travelers as resting places and for water storage tanks. Among all, there is one big rectangular cave that has an inscription on the cave wall clearly visible. The cave was very spacious.
Naneghat Main Caves
View of Nanacha-Angatha with Caves
According to the google book title “Coromandel: A Personal History of South India'' by Charles Allen, He mentioned that the Naneghat caves were first brought to notice to the scholarly world in the form of letter for further research by Colonial William Sykes in August 1828. He has written in his letter that he first thought that it was a Buddhist cave and Inscriptions were Buddhist script. He found the caves while hiking during the summer in 1828. Later on, further research by many other scholars translated to understanding the script carved on the wall. It is confirmed that It is Ancient Hindu Brahmi script and later, it was read clearly by Mumbai based German epigraphist George Buller and said that this was a work of Satavahana’s widow queen Naganika., who had married a king called Satakarni, son of an illustrious king Simuka. She carved a series of her family photos and detailed accounts of her late husband, her own religious sacrifices, and her son being the new king.
Inscription on the cave wall
Hikers coming from Mumbai, the nearest railway
station is Kalyan. Take an ST bus from Kalyan which goes to Ahmednagar or
Junnar. Please remember, you have to request the bus conductor that you are
getting down at Nisarg Paryatan Kendra. Hence there is no official bus stop at
the Naneghat trek starting point however it is easily visible beside the
highway between Kaylan to Malshej Ghat. You will see the big iron
gate at the left sideboard written Nirsarg Paryatan Kendra and a few tea stalls
on the left side. Many buses do not prefer to stop until and unless you have a
big group with you. If the conductor turns down your request, then you have to
get down at Tokewadi village, The bus charges from Kaylan to Tokewadi are
around Rs.60 which is 6 km before the Nangehat trek starting point, and then to
walk towards the starting point. You can have breakfast at Tokewadi. Then you
either walk 1.5 hours or try to get a lift or take an auto up to the starting
point. The distance between Kalyan to Tokewadi village is about 55 Km and
it is two hours bus ride. The best and fastest way to reach the Naneghat
starting point is by private vehicle in a group.
Naneghat is also accessed by a motorable road until
the hilltop. You can drive directly to the Junnar side via Ghatghar village to
direct Naneghat pass. Ghatghar village is a big village in Naneghat at the base
of Jivdhan Fort. The accommodation and food facility is available here.
However, adventure lovers or hikers may not wish to directly drive up to
Naneghat via motorable road. This will dilute the purpose of
Hiking.
How to Reach Naneghat from Pune
For Pune Hikers, there are two routes to Naneghat
from Pune depending on the purpose of your visit. The first one is for an actual
trek route whereas the second one is for picnickers or just a plain visit to
see the site.
Route 1 is for Hikers/adventure lovers who have plans to hike up to the Naneghat via forest trail. Catch an ST bus from Pune towards Alephata. and take another ST from Alephata to Kalyan or catch another ST bus for Kalyan via Malshej Ghat. You can also get a direct ST bus from Pune to Kaylan via Malshej Ghat. You will come across a big board on the right-hand-side with ‘Naneghat Gumfa Marg’ written in Marathi. This is a point where you have to get down. Remember, the board appears 15-20 minutes after the Malshej Ghat ends and you have to request the conductor while boarding the bus.
Route 2: Is mostly for people who wish to come for a group picnic or just to pay a visit. You have to catch an ST bus from Pune to Junnar and take another ST bus for Ghatghar village and then take a walk for an hour to reach the main entrance of Naneghat.
First view of Naneghat Mountain Pass
My Journey to Naneghat
As I mentioned above, Naneghat trek is one of my favorite hike near Mumbai city.
I hiked twice to Naneghat in
Monsoon. My first hike to Naneghat was organized by Decathlon. Thane. Since the
group size was big and they have arranged a minibus for our transportation. It
was a good mixed group. Almost all were experienced hikers except three young
participants. It is very convenient to travel if you are traveling by your own
vehicle or book a commercial vehicle for both ways. Otherwise, you have to
depend on the state transportation facility which is time-consuming.
My first experience was mixed.
Though I loved the trail, I enjoyed the whole journey and off course the
amazing views from the top but we were badly caught up in a very strong wind
while descending from Nanacha-Angatha. The pressure of the wind was very high
that there is a chance that you can blow you away. We could not even open
our eyes properly. We were asked to sit on the ground close to each other
and not supposed to move till the wind subsides. That was a bit scary
experience. I assumed that the Naneghat area is one of the places in the
Western Ghats which receives maximum rainfall during Monsoon and it's very
windy as well. Another issue was while returning, one of our participants
got ankle sprain and could not walk due to severe pain. Our trek leaders had to
struggle to take her down to the base camp. The rest of the participants had to
wait too long for them. That was not a good experience. As a result, we had to
wait too long and reached home very late and the worst part was, the next day
was Monday i.e. working day for everyone.
That is the reason that I decided
to hike again with a smaller group or solo. In the year 2019, I decided to hike
Naneghat trek again in Monsoon. Therefore, I checked with the few other hiking
partners; they were all willing to join me. We planned to hike the weekend.
Three of the hikers joined me for this trek. I always prefer to go with a smaller group than a large group.
We took a direct taxi from
Kalyan for both ways which are the most convenient way to reach the starting
point.
Naneghat trek route is easy and well-marked to the top. It is such a pleasant walk across the beautiful lush green forest and crossing several small water streams. We really enjoyed walking across the green forest with awesome surrounding views. These awesome views become our motivation. We started our hike at the expected time and followed the beautiful trail. There is a good space for parking your car near the starting point. It takes around two and a half hours to reach Naneghat pass. It depends on your speed and number of water breaks you take on the way.
The trail leads to beautiful green pastures and has to enter into two gates. The 1st gate was the main entrance gate and followed by the second gate after a few minutes of walk. We crossed several small water streams and slowly the trail took us through the beautiful forest.
After crossing the last water stream, you have to start ascending slowly towards the narrow and slippery forest route. After one hour of ascending towards the hill,
we reached the base of Naneghat and we took a water break and paused for a couple of pictures. From the base to till the Naneghat top, the nature of trail changed as we had to climb through long zigzag wide stone steps. This route becomes more challenging during heavy rainfall, the rainwater flows through the steps and you have to walk against the waterfalls.
The route is uneven and very slippery too. You have to walk carefully while descending. There is one particular point where you have to walk on the flat smooth and wet stone and it is very slippery. That point is very risky. We walked from the extreme side with the help of a fence. That patch demands good endurance and you will see lots of small crabs throughout the step route.
This route will directly take you up to the top. After walking for almost one hour, we finally reached the point, where we could see the caves and the pass.
We explored the caves first and observed the surrounding area. The
mist had blocked the view. We proceeded further towards the pass and there we
saw an old stone curved POT on the right side. The pot is used to collect the
coin as a toll. On the left-hand side, there are small caves inside there is
lord Ganesh idol. We moved towards the cliffside and there is another viewpoint
where you can see a beautiful cliff view with many waterfalls. And the clouds
rolled down. Everyone enjoyed the views and took many selfies. It's time for a
refreshment. There is one eatery at Naneghat village. It is 3 km away from
Naneghat pass. and few tea stalls beside the roadside. For big group size, you have to order in advance.
We sat down on the bench near the cliff view area and had a light snack to refresh ourselves. Luckily the weather was favorable, with no heavy rain. After a good rest,
we climb up to the top of Nanache Angatha. One has to climb through a muddy and slippery road to the top.
Summit Point
The top of Nanache Angadtha offers 360-degree views as a reward for the hikers as we summit the trek. We can see the bird eye view of plains, The magnificent view of tall hills like Jivdhan and Varhadi on the left-hand side and towards the right side the picturesque view of Naneghat surroundings areas. We spent almost 40 minutes enjoying the views. Amit Ray has said that “Looking at beauty in the world, is the first step of purifying the mind” The mesmerizing view from the top has purified our mind and soul. We started descending because the crowd was increasing and we have to give others a chance to enjoy the view. The descending was a bit challenging during the rainy season as it was very slippery. It is difficult to maintain balance and walk downwards at the same time. Somehow we all managed to get down without any fall.
The other attractions near Naneghat are Jevdhan Fort view, reverse waterfall. The reverse waterfall can be seen only during the heavy Monsoon shower. The reverse waterfall is just 20 minutes away from the paved road when you are climbing from the cave. The Jivdhan fort is close to Naneghat but a little harder to hike than Naneghat. The fort plays an important role in providing the safeguard the traders and the travelers who pass through the toll pass. It is said that the fort was destroyed by the Britishers later on.
We started descending back. I find descending is more challenging because stone steps are very slippery and uneven. One has to walk very cautiously.
The return journey was always quicker
and our drivers were eagerly waiting for us at the main entrance gate. We
stopped at Tokewade village had a yummy Misal Pao and tea to re-energize
ourselves to go back. We return back with happy memories and lots of satisfaction
by exploring such a beautiful and historical hiking spot.
Tips:
- A good Raincoat/Poncho is a must for this trek
- A good hiking shoe is a must
- Put your mobile, purse and other important things in a waterproof bag
- Do some background research before you visit Naneghat. It is a historical site
- Respect the culture and the heritage of the area
- Smoking and drinking is not allowed
- Respect the nature
- Leave your trail not trash. Carry your trash back to the city
- Start early, so that you can get more time to enjoy the view
- Always hike responsibly.
- You can further hike to Jevdhan fort from Naneghat. It is a little harder than Naneghat trek
- There is one Dhaba at Naneghat village and there are two-three tea stall beside the road
- Naneghat receives heavy rainfall and a high-pressure wind in Monsoon
- Bring a minimum of a 2-liter water bottle and ready to eat dry snacks or pack lunch
- You can take shelter in the cave if you are coming for a night trek in winter. The cave can accommodate 30 people but make sure you better pack your sleeping back or any warm Chadar to put on. The temperature dips in the night and brings a rope or key chain to tie the Cave door in the night.
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