MAHULI FORT TREK & MANAS MANDIR. WEEKEND TRIP FROM MUMBAI

I was doing a trek after a decade ( the last one I did was korigad in lonavala). We started in the morning around 10ish. We started it quite adventurously , by getting lost in the jungle. We decided we will find the way by ourselves, but all in vain . We came back to the start and began again with three small local kids who showed us where the trail began from.

Getting lost in the Jungle.

It's a 3 hour trek but since we kept taking breaks we took a good 3.5 hours. If you google it, it's a beginners trek but for me it was tough, and the rains made the trail slippery. You have to keep finding your footing on the rocks. 

It's a trek in the sahyadri jungle . It's clean & it connects you to nature immediately.

We could see many small streams & waterfalls along the way since we did this in the monsoon. The gurgling sound of water accompanied us throughout the way.

Also since i had gone without doing research , our friends were hugely responsible to get us to the top with their encouragement. It was a lot of fun to do the trek with our friends.

With our friends.

The most surprising thing is it is right next to the manas mandir shahapur. We have been there so many times, but we did not know that there is a picturesque trek right next to it.

The pinnacle when reached is totally worth the effort, though I would say the journey is as good as the destination. There was a flag on the top and when we reached, the clouds descended on the top . We had our home cooked lunch which we had carried , and relished the view along with the food.

The pinnacle.

Can you see the mist which greeted us at the top?

About 15 minutes walk from the pinnacle is a small part of the fort with an entrance a few caves still kept intact. Also there is a tree there under which is kept a shiv ling and a shivaji shrine. with the fog the place had another worldly charm.

The caves.

A waterfall & one of the entrances to the fort.

Getting down was difficult. There were times when we were on all fours. Slipping, sliding , falling & balancing ourselves we managed to get down, tired & exhausted.

on the way back

I'm going to mention the manas mandir next though we did not do it this time. The trek is a full day affair. If you want to do both , consider staying at the derasar.

Manas Mandir- Its a peaceful jain derasar. Like all of them as clean & white as it can get . The derasar & its surroundings complex is huge. You will feel god's blessings in the pin drop silence there , where the heart will feel a yearning to just sit there and meditate.

Behind the derasar is a tree . People have tied coconuts in a red cloth while asking god to make their wishes come true. If they do come true, they go there & untie this coconut. I have myself done this.

Fun fact- there are snakes living on this tree. These snakes are really small and are considered sacred. You can see them on the tree if they decide to be on the outer branches of the tree. It's considered to be lucky if you do get to see them which is difficult because they are camouflaged by the tree branches.

shahapur/Mahuli are a 2 hour drive from mumbai.

Connecting with Nature & God , this place is worth a visit for mumbaikars.