Fort History
This was the fort won by Shivaji Maharaj. He found a pot containing gold coins, which he later used for building Rajgad. Torana is called as 'Prachandagad' because of its size. The fort is very huge and wide spread. Its height is 1400 mtrs. Whenever Maratha history is recalled it is always the fort of Torna that is commemorated for being one of those forts captured by Shivaji Maharaj in his teenage. It has been rightly said by James Douglas "It was Shivaji's first conquest, the nucleus around which all the others clustered, making it virtually the cradle of the Marathi Empire, which shocked the throne of the great Moguls. It has been the scene of many bloody battles. If Sinhagad is Lion's does then Torna is Eagle's nest." On the fort are found many trees of the type "Toran", which may be the reason for the name of the fort. The fort is located in Pune district, 18.36 degrees Latitude & 73.37 degrees Longitude. The village at the base of the fort is called "Velhe". To the south of Torna is the river of Velvandi & to the north is the Valley of Kanad River.In the 1646, Shivaji Maharaj brought this fort under his control and named it "PRACHANDAGAD". He was the one who built some new monuments here. Moguls took over the fort after Sambhaji Maharaj's assassination. But Marathas regained control over the fort due to the efforts of Shankaraji Narayan Sachiv. In 1704 A.D., Aurangzeb captured the fort. He named it as "Futulgaib" or "The Divine Victory". However, within 4 years Sarnobat Nagoji Kokate was able to re-establish Maratha control here. In the treaty of Purandar, Torna remained with Shivaji Maharaj. The important thing about the fort is that it is the only fort that Aurangzeb won by fighting a real war.
Information courtesy : http://www.sahyaadri.com/info/articles.php?art_id=75&start=1
Our Trek
Torna was in my to-do list since a long time, since it was one of the first forts conquered by Shivaji maharaj for Swarajya. This plan for trek to fort Torna was a last minute decision after cancelling the trek to Peb. And since I had not visited this fort before, I instantly gave a green signal from my side.
Ayush, Priyanka, Rahul, Swati and I started from kalewadi phata towards Shivajinagar in a bus at around 6 AM and then took an auto to Swargate. I don’t like to travel in auto rickshaws since I feel it is for those lazy bones who like to sit in comfort instead of taking the pain to travel in PMT buses. But since it was too early in the morning and we had very less time, I had to board one.
At around 7.15 AM we 29 were at Swargate. The first bus to Velhe had left at 6.30 itself and now the second one was at 7.30. The sky was pretty clear and I was just thinking that it should not be sunny while climbing the fort. While Rahul took care of collecting the contribution money from all and taking the tickets, I decided to have a good nap. Katraj ghat did not seem to excite me either like always. But I saw that the climate had drastically changed after we crossed the old Katraj tunnel. It seemed like Rain-God had decided not to enter inside the boundries of Pune.
Dark clouds and cool breeze made the weather pleasant for my love- my sleep. I woke up only after taking a turn at Nasrapur phata, where the board said, Torna – 31 KM.
This ride of 31 Kms was a memorable one. The bus passed in between lush green paddy fields on one side and green mountains on the other. On the way there was another left turn that went to Rajgad (Gunjavane darwaja route), but our bus went straight.We reached the base village in 2 hours. Had our breakfast (Poha, vadapav, tea) in ShivTorna hotel. This guy cooked real good pohas and vadapavs. We started our trek at 10.30. The road of the trek goes straight from the village and ends at a small stream, from where you got to cross the fields and then start the climb. We could not see the fort since it was all covered in clouds. I knew there and then that this is gonna be a memorable trek amidst clouds.
We reached a small plateau in some 15 minutes where the new-comers were given some basic instructions of trekking. We also had an introduction round to break the ice and to let people mix-up with each other. The initial climb seemed to be a steep one till we reached the first remarkable plateau.
We also came across these beautiful bushes everywhere. (guess these are the toran trees, don’t know exactly though!! )
The clouds seemed to get more and more closer as we climbed higher. After a short break and some quick photography we proceeded to the next climb. 20 minutes of climb and we were yet again at another plateau. But now we were in clouds J. So taking pics seemed a bit difficult. Also it had already started drizzling now. The river in the valley on the other side of the mountainit was not clearly visible.
After climbing for some one and half hour we reached the first rock patch, which was very slippery but had railings which made it safe for climbing. As 29 of us climbed this patch very carefully, there was another group who was getting down from the same way J. So like everywhere, here too there was a traffic jam. I was the sweep till this point and got a very good break by the time everyone else had climbed.
After crossing this rock patch, there was another one which was still better and then a traverse. As we walked along this traverse, a group of 20, lead by Rahul had already reached the top of the fort. But I had decided to enjoy being a sweep this time and hence could stop for enough time to check out the clouds and nature around. As I walked, I could hear the sound of water getting harder and closer. With no clues that it could be waterfall, I simply said that it has started raining heavier. But as soon as I finished saying this, I saw a fairly big current of water falling from a considerable height. Yes ,it was a waterfall JJ. And a few from our group had already reached there to , mind it, just put there hands under it :D:D.
Don’t go by this pic, the water was falling from much above….not seen in the pic :)
After taking their few pics, I threw my bag in a corner, handed my camera to someone and went straight and stood under the waterfall. For a second my breath became heavy as I stood under it and a chilling wave went straight to my spine. I was all wet head to bottom and tried to do some funny stunts under it. Just wanted to sing loud but then I thought the water would stop falling and the clouds would run away :D. We then resumed our climb, and I was feeling much lighter and fresher than before. We entered the fort through Bini darwaja. All others were cursing us for reaching late (little did they know that their lead herself was responsible for this :D). Since the visibility on the fort was extremely less, we asked the group to stay together. We first gathered at the Mengai temple and took a head count. We then proceeded to the flag hoist where I gave my favorite pose for photo. But due to very poor visibility, we could see nothing around Torna. We also noticed a railing that was broken due to a big stone that had crashed over it. We did sight-seeing for around one hour and then after 2-3 hot cups of tea on the fort, started our descend.
The rocky patches seemed easier to climb down and the way till the first plateau was not slippery. But the last patch was interesting. There were very few who managed to reach down without falling even once. I managed to fall 3 times. Second one got some bruises on my hand and the third one made me land in a pool of wet red mud. The stream of water that we had first encountered was a relief for me, since I washed my shoes, socks, sack and lastly myself to get rid of that red mud :D. The last bus to Swargate was at 6.00 PM and we reached the same hotel Shivtorna by 5. Again a treat of poha, coffee, vadapav, tea and peanuts, and we were all set to go back.
The bus came at 6.30 and once the scenic route was over, I again met my love, my sleep, after the Nasrapur phata where I had left her while coming. Don’t exactly remember when we reached swargate but I was still in clouds when the harsh reality of Pune’s traffic woke me. We were amazed to find that the streets were pitch dry and it had not rained a drop in the whole day in Pune. I was feeling like a fool there who had wet clothes and wet hair and was wearing a jacket to stop shivering. We bid good bye to each other at swargate and 5 of us started on our way back to kalewadi phata.As someone said let’s take an auto to Shivajinagar and then catch a bus to Kalewadi phata, I instantly replied, I am going by bus. Finally all 5 of us board a bus to Sangvi and got down at Parihar chowk and then a tumtum from Parihar chowk till Kalewadi Phata. Without wasting much time, I started my Activa parked there at a friend’s house and reached home at 10.30 with beautiful memories of the day.
A hot water bath and then spicy and yummy egg curry cooked by momy brought my day to a peaceful end. -T
This was the fort won by Shivaji Maharaj. He found a pot containing gold coins, which he later used for building Rajgad. Torana is called as 'Prachandagad' because of its size. The fort is very huge and wide spread. Its height is 1400 mtrs. Whenever Maratha history is recalled it is always the fort of Torna that is commemorated for being one of those forts captured by Shivaji Maharaj in his teenage. It has been rightly said by James Douglas "It was Shivaji's first conquest, the nucleus around which all the others clustered, making it virtually the cradle of the Marathi Empire, which shocked the throne of the great Moguls. It has been the scene of many bloody battles. If Sinhagad is Lion's does then Torna is Eagle's nest." On the fort are found many trees of the type "Toran", which may be the reason for the name of the fort. The fort is located in Pune district, 18.36 degrees Latitude & 73.37 degrees Longitude. The village at the base of the fort is called "Velhe". To the south of Torna is the river of Velvandi & to the north is the Valley of Kanad River.In the 1646, Shivaji Maharaj brought this fort under his control and named it "PRACHANDAGAD". He was the one who built some new monuments here. Moguls took over the fort after Sambhaji Maharaj's assassination. But Marathas regained control over the fort due to the efforts of Shankaraji Narayan Sachiv. In 1704 A.D., Aurangzeb captured the fort. He named it as "Futulgaib" or "The Divine Victory". However, within 4 years Sarnobat Nagoji Kokate was able to re-establish Maratha control here. In the treaty of Purandar, Torna remained with Shivaji Maharaj. The important thing about the fort is that it is the only fort that Aurangzeb won by fighting a real war.
Information courtesy : http://www.sahyaadri.com/info/articles.php?art_id=75&start=1
Our Trek
Torna was in my to-do list since a long time, since it was one of the first forts conquered by Shivaji maharaj for Swarajya. This plan for trek to fort Torna was a last minute decision after cancelling the trek to Peb. And since I had not visited this fort before, I instantly gave a green signal from my side.
Ayush, Priyanka, Rahul, Swati and I started from kalewadi phata towards Shivajinagar in a bus at around 6 AM and then took an auto to Swargate. I don’t like to travel in auto rickshaws since I feel it is for those lazy bones who like to sit in comfort instead of taking the pain to travel in PMT buses. But since it was too early in the morning and we had very less time, I had to board one.
At around 7.15 AM we 29 were at Swargate. The first bus to Velhe had left at 6.30 itself and now the second one was at 7.30. The sky was pretty clear and I was just thinking that it should not be sunny while climbing the fort. While Rahul took care of collecting the contribution money from all and taking the tickets, I decided to have a good nap. Katraj ghat did not seem to excite me either like always. But I saw that the climate had drastically changed after we crossed the old Katraj tunnel. It seemed like Rain-God had decided not to enter inside the boundries of Pune.
Dark clouds and cool breeze made the weather pleasant for my love- my sleep. I woke up only after taking a turn at Nasrapur phata, where the board said, Torna – 31 KM.
This ride of 31 Kms was a memorable one. The bus passed in between lush green paddy fields on one side and green mountains on the other. On the way there was another left turn that went to Rajgad (Gunjavane darwaja route), but our bus went straight.We reached the base village in 2 hours. Had our breakfast (Poha, vadapav, tea) in ShivTorna hotel. This guy cooked real good pohas and vadapavs. We started our trek at 10.30. The road of the trek goes straight from the village and ends at a small stream, from where you got to cross the fields and then start the climb. We could not see the fort since it was all covered in clouds. I knew there and then that this is gonna be a memorable trek amidst clouds.
We reached a small plateau in some 15 minutes where the new-comers were given some basic instructions of trekking. We also had an introduction round to break the ice and to let people mix-up with each other. The initial climb seemed to be a steep one till we reached the first remarkable plateau.
We also came across these beautiful bushes everywhere. (guess these are the toran trees, don’t know exactly though!! )
The clouds seemed to get more and more closer as we climbed higher. After a short break and some quick photography we proceeded to the next climb. 20 minutes of climb and we were yet again at another plateau. But now we were in clouds J. So taking pics seemed a bit difficult. Also it had already started drizzling now. The river in the valley on the other side of the mountainit was not clearly visible.
After climbing for some one and half hour we reached the first rock patch, which was very slippery but had railings which made it safe for climbing. As 29 of us climbed this patch very carefully, there was another group who was getting down from the same way J. So like everywhere, here too there was a traffic jam. I was the sweep till this point and got a very good break by the time everyone else had climbed.
After crossing this rock patch, there was another one which was still better and then a traverse. As we walked along this traverse, a group of 20, lead by Rahul had already reached the top of the fort. But I had decided to enjoy being a sweep this time and hence could stop for enough time to check out the clouds and nature around. As I walked, I could hear the sound of water getting harder and closer. With no clues that it could be waterfall, I simply said that it has started raining heavier. But as soon as I finished saying this, I saw a fairly big current of water falling from a considerable height. Yes ,it was a waterfall JJ. And a few from our group had already reached there to , mind it, just put there hands under it :D:D.
Don’t go by this pic, the water was falling from much above….not seen in the pic :)
After taking their few pics, I threw my bag in a corner, handed my camera to someone and went straight and stood under the waterfall. For a second my breath became heavy as I stood under it and a chilling wave went straight to my spine. I was all wet head to bottom and tried to do some funny stunts under it. Just wanted to sing loud but then I thought the water would stop falling and the clouds would run away :D. We then resumed our climb, and I was feeling much lighter and fresher than before. We entered the fort through Bini darwaja. All others were cursing us for reaching late (little did they know that their lead herself was responsible for this :D). Since the visibility on the fort was extremely less, we asked the group to stay together. We first gathered at the Mengai temple and took a head count. We then proceeded to the flag hoist where I gave my favorite pose for photo. But due to very poor visibility, we could see nothing around Torna. We also noticed a railing that was broken due to a big stone that had crashed over it. We did sight-seeing for around one hour and then after 2-3 hot cups of tea on the fort, started our descend.
The rocky patches seemed easier to climb down and the way till the first plateau was not slippery. But the last patch was interesting. There were very few who managed to reach down without falling even once. I managed to fall 3 times. Second one got some bruises on my hand and the third one made me land in a pool of wet red mud. The stream of water that we had first encountered was a relief for me, since I washed my shoes, socks, sack and lastly myself to get rid of that red mud :D. The last bus to Swargate was at 6.00 PM and we reached the same hotel Shivtorna by 5. Again a treat of poha, coffee, vadapav, tea and peanuts, and we were all set to go back.
The bus came at 6.30 and once the scenic route was over, I again met my love, my sleep, after the Nasrapur phata where I had left her while coming. Don’t exactly remember when we reached swargate but I was still in clouds when the harsh reality of Pune’s traffic woke me. We were amazed to find that the streets were pitch dry and it had not rained a drop in the whole day in Pune. I was feeling like a fool there who had wet clothes and wet hair and was wearing a jacket to stop shivering. We bid good bye to each other at swargate and 5 of us started on our way back to kalewadi phata.As someone said let’s take an auto to Shivajinagar and then catch a bus to Kalewadi phata, I instantly replied, I am going by bus. Finally all 5 of us board a bus to Sangvi and got down at Parihar chowk and then a tumtum from Parihar chowk till Kalewadi Phata. Without wasting much time, I started my Activa parked there at a friend’s house and reached home at 10.30 with beautiful memories of the day.
A hot water bath and then spicy and yummy egg curry cooked by momy brought my day to a peaceful end. -T
