Gorakhgad Adventures

धाडसी लोकांचा अत्यंत जवळचा वाटणारा , नाथ संप्रदायाचा गोरखगड

महाराष्ट्रात कित्येक असे किल्ले आहेत कि जे उत्तुंग उंची ,बेलग बुलंद कडे,भव्य दिव्य कामगिरी चे साक्षी असलेले आहेत पण फार लोकांना परिचित नसलेले काही डोंगरी किल्ले ठाणे जिल्ह्यातील  मुरबाड तालुक्यात आदिवासी गावांमध्ये आहेत जसे कि नारिवली जवळचा ‘ आकाशाला भिडलेला सिद्धगड ‘ ,’ खोपावली जवळचा आहुपे घाट रस्ता ’ आणि देहरी गावा जवळचे दोन सुळके ‘गोरखगड आणि मच्छिंद्रगड ‘ ,धसई जवळचे दुर्ग आणि ढाकोबा

गोरखगड ला जायचे कसे

पुण्याहून

पुण्याहून दोन ठिकाणहून जाता येते

१)      कर्जत पर्यंत रेल्वे ने आणि नंतर तेथून मुरबाड कडे सारख्या बस चालू असतात कर्जत हून मुरबाड ला जाणारी बस पकडून ४० कि मी अंतरावरील म्हसा या गावी उतरावे आणि तेथून देहरी गाव करिता जीप किंवा बस मिळतात

२)      पुणे हून बस ने माळशेज मार्गे टोकावडे ला उतरावे(म्हणजे पुणे हून आळे फाटा ला उतुरून मुंबई ला जाणारी कोणतीही बस पकडली कि टोकावडे ला पोहोचता येते) आणि टोकावडे गावातून तुम्हाला देहरी ला पुष्कळ बस मिळतील

देहरी गावातून तुम्हाला समोरच गोरख-मच्छिंद्र चे भयाण सुळके आणि त्या मागे आहुपे घाट ,दक्षिणेला थोडे लांब भला मोठा सिद्धगड तुम्हाला दर्शन देतो आणि उत्तरेला तुम्हाला दुर्ग ढाकोबा ,जीवधन नाणे घाट चे पण दर्शन होते

तर पहिले देहरी गावात आल्यावर एक काम करायचे कि तिथल्या सरपंचांना भेटावे लागते आणि एका पुस्तकात आपले नाव,गाव,पत्ता आणि फोन नंबर लिहावा लागतो कारण गेल्या काही काळात हे दोन सुळके चढतांना दुर्घटना / अनिष्ट घटना झाल्या आहेत त्यामुळे तिथल्या सरपंचांनी येणाऱ्या प्रत्येकाचे तपशील नोंद करून घेण्याचे ठरवले आहेत तसेच गड चढून परत आल्यावर पण त्यांना भेटावे लागते .

मी किल्ल्याकडे एकटा निघालोच होते तेव्हा पुण्याहून आलेली मंडळी देहरी गावात भेटली आणि त्यांच्या बरोबर मी निघालो

तर देहरी गावापासून सुरुवात केल्यावर्ती तुम्हाला थोडे मागे एका पुला पर्यंत परत जावे लागते आणि तिथून एक गोरक्षनाथांचे मंदिर दिसेल त्या मंदिरा मागून एक पाय वाट लागते तोच गोरख गड पर्यंत जाणारा मार्ग .मार्ग तसा धोपट आहे आणि जरी येथे घनदाट जंगल असले तरी पण चुकण्याची काहीच शक्यता नसते .या वाटेने चालत अर्धा पाउण तासात पहिला टप्पा संपतो तो आपल्याला बरोबर गोरख मच्छिंद्रच्या सुळक्याच्या खाली आपल्याला घेऊन जातो. येथून खडी चढण सुरु होऊन वाट एका अतिशय दाट जंगलातून आपल्याला घेऊन जाते .खडी चढण संपल्यावर सुळका बरोबर आपल्या डोक्यावर असतो पण सरळ न जाता उजवीकडे पुन्हा त्या घनदाट जंगलात उजवीकडे थोडे चढून तर थोडे उतरून एका झापा जवळ येऊन पोहोचते . येथे उघड्यावर एक शिवलिंग  आणि खडकात कोरलेले पादुका तुम्हाला दिसतील. इथे हेच वैशिष्ट्य आहे कि अगदी घनदाट जंगलात पण कोण अज्ञात शिल्पकाराने केलेले हे अद्भुत शिल्प नजरेस पडते. या शिव्लिंगी पासून डावीकडे आता सरळ सुळक्या जवळ जायचे असते त्यामुळे या ठिकाणी थोडी विश्रांती केल्यास चांगले होते कारण येथून पुढे बिकट वाट सुरु होते . “सर्व काही सहज सोपे करता येत असते हा समज आता येथून नाहीसा होते “. नवख्यांसाठी मात्र येथून पुढे वाट खूपच महा कर्म कठीण त्यामुळे त्यांनी येथूनच माघार घेतली तरी काहीच हरकत नाही

पुढे दगड धोंड्यातून वाट काढत तर कधी खडकात कोरलेल्या पाय्र्यातून आणि एका अवघड टप्प्यातून आपण हा सुळका जवळ जवळ काटकोनात चढायला लागतो आणि आपल्याला समोर खडकात कोरलेला गडाचा दरवाजा दिसू लागतो येथे पोहोचण्यास आपल्याला अर्धा तास लागतो .

दरवाज्यातून आत आल्यावर आपल्याला समोर रौद्रभीषण आहुपे घाटचे एक मनोहारी रूप बघायला मिळते जे फक्त गोराख गडावरूनच बघायला मिळते .समोर आहुपे घाटाचा अवाढव्य पसरलेला डोंगर ,गोरख – आहुपे मधील खोल दरी ,दूर लांब दिसणारे दुर्ग-ढाकोबा,जीवधन आणि सिद्धगड,आपण एका सरळसोट सुळक्या च्या माधोमद आहोत आणि खाली येथ पर्यंन्त येणाऱ्या पायर्या बघितल्यावर तर असा विचार देखील येतो कि आपण येथे कसे पोहोचलो ? कारण या आपण जवळ जवळ काटकोनात(Almost 90 degrees climb ) वर चढत आहोत त्यामुळे ज्यांना उंचीचा त्रास आहे त्यांनी या पायर्या चढतांना खाली न बघितले बरे .

येथे आम्ही जेवण केले आणि पुढे एका गुहेत आमच्या पाठपिशव्या येथेच ठेवून दिले कारण पाठीवर वजन घेऊन जवळ जवळ काटकोनात चढता येणे अशक्य असते कारण आता वाट येथून अजून बिकट होणार आहे याची जाणीव होती पुढे आणखीन खडकात कोरलेल्या अवघड पायर्यांनी चढून एका गुहे जवळ आपण येऊन पोहोचतो . हि एक भव्य आणि प्रशस्त गोरक्षनाथांची गुहा या अवघड ठिकाणी आहे .हि गुहा मुक्काम योग्य आहे . येथे काही ट्रेकर मंडळींनी साबण ,मीठ मसाला ,चूल , भांडी इत्यादी ठेवली आहेत .येथून जवळच पाण्याच्या टाक्या आहेत

 या गुहे पासून पुढे जवळ जवळ कातळरोहणाचे तंत्र वापरावे लागते कारण अगदी जेमतेम पाउल मावेल अशी पायर्यांची वाट आणि पाठीमागे खोल दरी त्यामुळे खूपच सांभाळून चढणे .हि फुफाटा ची वाट पार केल्यावर शेवटी आपण त्या उंच सुळक्यावर येऊन पोहोचतो .

वर सुळक्यावर खूप कमी जागा आहे आणि सर्व बाजूने तासून असलेले कडे आणि त्या अवघड जागी गोरक्षनाथांचे मंदिर आणि ३ औदुम्बाराचे झाड आहेत .
गोरख गडा च्या सुळक्या वरती खूप जास्त जागा नाही एक समाधी मंदिर, ३ औदुंबराची झाडी आणि खाली सगळ्या बाजूने सुटलेले बेलग कडे ,समोर दिसणारी सह्याद्रीची अभेद्य फळी आणि प्रचंड वेगाने वाहणारे वारे 
येथे येणारा रस्ता थोडा बिकटच आहे कारण पक्षीच येथ पर्यंत पोहोचू शकतात असा हा मार्ग आहे  

सुळक्या वरून लांबवर नजर टाकली कि तुम्हाला सिद्धगड ,भीमाशंकर ,आहुपे घाट ,दुर्ग-ढाकोबा ,नाणे घाट , जीवधन ,आजोबा पर्वत इत्यादी दिसेल

तो सुळका काळजीपूर्वक उतरून पुन्हा १.५ तासात देहरी गावात पोहोचलो

देहरी गावातून दिसणारे गोरखगड (डावीकडे ) आणि मच्छिंद्र गड उजवीकडे 

गोरखगडा कडे जाणारी वाट 

आहुपे घाट 

सिद्धगड 

आहुपे घाट , दुर्ग आणि दूर दिसणारे ढाकोबा चे शिखर 

पहिला टप्पा पूर्ण झाला 

या कातळाला वळसा घालून चढावे लागते .

दाट जंगलात शिवलिंग आणि पादुका .खोपावली गावातून येणारा आहुपे चा रस्ता येथे मिळतो .खाली उतरून आहुपे कडे जाता येते आणि डाव्या  बाजूस गोरखगड कडे जाणारी कातळात कोरलेली बिकट पायरी मार्ग सुरु होतो  

                                                                           

एका अवघड पाय्र्यातून प्रवेशद्वार जवळ येऊन पोहोचलो 

प्रवेशद्वारातून समोर दिसणारे आहुपे घाटाचे सौंदर्य 

भुयारी मार्ग 

समोर दिसणारा मच्छिंद्र गडाचा सुळका 

आहुपे आणि दुर्ग-ढाकोबा 

एका वेगळ्या कोनातून आहुपे घाटाचे दर्शन 

कातळातून कोरलेल्या पाय्र्यातून शेवटची चढाई 

मामा भांजे  असे या गुहेत कोरलेल्या शिल्पाचे नावे आहे 

                                   

गोरक्षनाथांची प्रशस्त  गुहा 

गुहेत एक दगडी चूल आहे 

गुहे च्या आत मध्ये 

शेवटचा टप्पा .हा फोटो anti clockwise फिरवून पाहणे .camera च्या  setting मुले हा फोटो असा आलेला आहे 

सुळक्यावर असलेले गोरक्षनाथाचे समाधी मंदिर 

गोरक्षनाथ समाधी मंदिर .एवढ्या अवघड ठिकाणी ???

गोरक्ष गडावरून दिसणारा "आकाशाला भिडलेला सिद्धगड "

आम्ही जेथून येथपर्यंत आलो आहोत ते गावच आता दिसत नाही 

हाच तो सुळका जो आम्ही चढलो होतो  आणि बघता क्षणी विश्वास पण बसत नाही कि  आम्ही त्यावरती जाऊन आलो 

गोरखगडाची  सावली मच्छिंद्र गडावर 

देहरी गावातून दिसणारा गोरख गड 

परतीच्या वाटेवर दिसणारा आकाशाला भिडलेला सिद्धगड 

Karoli ghat trek experience

Karoli ghat Trek Experience

Though we didn’t do Kalsubai yet History created because. 3 deadly difficult treks done in 1 single day.It was more more difficult trek than what we have planned

From Pune,it started as usual.We reached Chinchwad around 6:00 am and we boarded Sinhagad express and reached Kalyan around 8:55 am.By a whisker,we missed the 9:04 am Kasara local but we got the next local around 9:32 am and we reached Asangaon till 10:10 am.We reached Shahapur in 15 minutes and one bus to Dolkhamb was ready to leave.We boarded that bus and in 45 minutes,we reached Dolkhamb.

From Dolkhamb,we can get jeep/bus to Chondhe/Dehne.We got a jeep till Dehne and we reached there till 12:15 pm

Dehne is the starting point of the trek .We wanted to go to Samrad and One local person in Dehne  agreed to show us a way.

The route was very difficult .We walked into the thick forests.The route was adjoining the waterfall and below the Baan Lingi pinnacle of Ratangad.We  kept on walking through the dense forests.Now finding the route was also difficult because the route was filled with dense bushes.At a first glance,nobody will accept that there is a route but we had to keep aside the bushes with our sticks and proceed.

After 3 hours of walking into the dense forest with humidity we reached below the Baan Lingi pinnacle of Ratangad.Further we started walking away from Baan Lingi with sometimes descending,sometimes climbing up and in more than 1 hour, we reached near a small waterfall.After that,we have to climb us very very steep through loose soil and almost 90 degrees.The soil was very loose that stones started rolling down as we were proceeding further.We covered this patch in 15 minutes.Now it was 4:30 pm and we were able to see a gap between Ratangad and Karoli mountain above a waterfall.

Now the local person accompanied with us wanted to depart back because according to him,it will be very dark to reach his place filled with wild animals hence he returned from here. We kept on walking further and within 30 minutes,we came upto a patch where we have to climb a rock.

After climbing that rock,when we moved ahead,the road was blocked with trees fallen and big rocks and there was no road ahead.The forest was very dense and hence we were not able to find the route and the route told to us by the local person was blocked.

In the dense trees,we were not able to find the route now.It was around 5:45 pm.In humid climate,we were dehydrated completely.We were 25 kms away from the base village and in around 15 to 30 minutes,it would be complete dark.Now what to do? Because the route from which we came from was not at all possible to descend.

We decided that we will descend down through a different route and reach below the waterfall and on beside the river,we will walk and at a suitable place,we will make our camp in the forest because now we cannot reach any village because visibility was decreasing very quickly.We reached below the waterfall in some 30 minutes

The dark night in a dense forest was very difficult.In our torch light and on an near amavasya day,it was difficult for us to walk ahead even few steps because we were dehydrated and till now,we have walked around 30 kms.We started walking into the river to avoid further dehydration.The water somewhere was less deep(few inches) and at some areas, it was around 2 to 3 feets.We walked and came to one point where there were big rocks in between a river.We decided to make our overnight stay here because this was safest point because it was away from dense trees,water flowing with force from all sides of rocks hence no fear of snakes and scorpions coming till us,also we were 30 feets away from dense trees hence wild pigs coming to drink water also couldn’t reach till us.

It was 7:00 pm and the forest was in full flow.We collected wood and grass to light fire in few minutes,we lightened fire now we were able to see various eyes in dark some 100 feets away from us and was difficult to trace but we were knowing that there are many animals coming out of the forests towards the waterfall.Now it was a big question in front of all.

Around 20 kms away from a village,and in between a dense forest with wild animals all nearby us,we were just thinking about that we have to spend 11 hours at this point in darkness.It was around 7:30 pm and we started chanting of RamRaksha stotra around the fire .Now the fire was in in full flow and our Ramraksha ended,suddenly we saw two torch lights in that forest near to us.We flashed our torches and those people started coming near to us. It was one miracle because during day time also nobody goes by this way and now it was dark night so we were eager to know who were they.

They came near to us .They were local tribals who came to catch crabs in river water because it was their tradition that Darsh Amavasya/Sarvapitri Amavasya,it is their tradition to offer crabs in name of their forefathers who are dead.There were two people accompanied with 2 dogs.They also went by same way before us and they also lost their way hence just like us,they also were descending by the waterfall way (Can you imagine that local tribal people who spent their life in these forests also lost their way so how much difficult the trek was)

It was a pair of uncle and nephew and they belonged to village Veloshi near to Sakurli and they told us that we can follow them till their village .It was 7:45 pm and we started to move on in a dark night on banks of a flowing river.To reach their village, we have to climb the whole Karoli mountain and reach the Karoli ghat route and descend it to reach their village Veloshi.Thus it was a big task in front of us because we have already walked 30 kms till now and we were tired,dehydrated and exhausted due to humidity and now we have to climb up around 700 meters from ground and again descend that much distance plus it was around 20 to 25 kms walk in dense forests at night

We started moving along with the flowing river and after 1 hour of walking,we came to a plain area with the river bed widened and water was not deep here but flowing with force. We had a break of 10 to 15 minutes to eat something.We took out khakras, rajgira ladoos etc and after that we crossed this river again(till now, we have crossed this river countlessly).After crossing the river, the steep climb started and the route was getting tougher.At one point,I lost my balance,my legs was entangled in a small stone and I fell down with my head banging on a big rock.

After an 1 to 1.5 hours of climbing, we reached a flat grassy mountain top of Karoli .Now we were able to see traces of many animals.The local person was just telling us to shut down our torches and observe the eyes of animals .based on glittering of eyes of animals,he was telling whether it was Leopard,Neel Gaay,Wild pig etc

We spotted places where leopard and wild pigs just passed nearby few minutes before.There were clear pugmarks of leopards,wild pigs and neel gay.Also we saw few traps laid down by hunters to catch wild pigs

Thus after walking till 11:30 pm we were reached Veloshi village which is inhabited by tribals consisting of 35 houses.After having our food,we just slept by watching the stary sky and we woke up around 6:00 am and after spending time with local people,we left village around 7:30 am to reach Veloshi Fata till 8:30 am.We took the 9:00 am bus to Shahapur and took train to Kalyan and further reached Karjat by local train and around 3:25 pm,we took the Karjat-Pune local to reach Chinchwad at 5:00 pm

This was one of the most difficult trek in Sahyadris and we wiped few impossible things in our trek

We did Sandhan valley crossing,we did Karoli ghat and we did Ratangad Baan Lingi route all these 3 difficult treks in one single day plus walking of around 55 kms in one day and around 6 kms walk on next day

We are extremely thankful to people of Veloshi because it was a strange miracle when we were caught in deep trouble and we didnt have any hope of rescuing ourselves till morning.

I dont have any words to express.

Nothing is Impossible, and Something is Possible and our efforts converted nothing to something

Our starting point of trek.Ajoba Parvat(Right)->Katrabai->Ratangad seen from Dehne village

The trek route

Ratangad pinnacle seen on our way

The trek route

The trek route

Baan Lingi Pinacle of Ratangad

This was the route where we were supposed to climb.We climbed this whole mountain and at  just look at center and towards right top,you will find a small gap.From there we were supposed to reach Samrad but it was blocked by boulders and trees due to rains in recent some 4 days back

The local villager who were returning to Veloshi village after catching crabs

This was the spot where we planned to spend our night

Our travel at night time

Next day at Veloshi with local people

Veloshi village

This was the mountain which we climbed up and descended during night to reach Veloshi

Our return journey started from here towards Sakurli and Asangaon to reach Pune