Peth fort (Karjat)

Trek to Peth fort

Peth fort (also called Kotligad or Kothligad) is a small Fort (1500ft.) is situated to the east of Karjat in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is one of the famous treks in the Karjat area, because of its small height and easy climbing. It is also known as the Fort of Peth because of its vicinity to Peth village at its base.


Peth Fort is around 21 kms north-east of Karjat.Peth fort contain bhairoba caves and around 15 water tanks. 

Its a small fort used more as a defense station during Sambhaji's era, and is surrounded by other forts like Bhimashankar, Padargad, Rajmachi and Siddhagad. 

Location :- Ambivali,Karjat

Base village:- Peth

Difficulty level:- Easy

History

The cave and the temple carvings date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th cent. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. Then later on, on November 2, 1817, it was recaptured by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who belonged to the generation after Bajirao. It was recaptured by the British, on December 30, 1817, the very next month, under Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862 as an outpost for vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it.

The locals when spoken to tell that this is not actually a fort but a sort of light house from where the directions were given to know the advancements of the enemy. in fact it can be called a watch tower to keep a vigil on the mawal area in the greater province of the Marathas. Its absolutely breath taking to climb and to have a feeling of the engineering marvel being crafted when there were no engineers like today or even no PWD departments as well. only the foresightedness of the Maratha warrior has been behind the development of the watch tower standing atop the small but sturdy hillock. the stone is a single black expanse reaching till the Peth village standing on the fertile soil with abundant natural resources for water and farming.

For more pics click here

How To Reach

To reach Peth, you can take a bus or tumtums (six-seater rickshaw, but of course they can accommodate many more people) from Karjat station to Ambivli village via Kashele, the journey will take around 1 and 1/2 hours. From Ambivli the trek starts to Peth village, which is a scenic one as you pass through dense forests. 


Bus time table
From Karjat  to ambivali
8.15 am (firt bus)
From ambivali to karjat
10.00 am, 2 pm, 5 pm

In about two hours, you reach Peth village, an easier path on the left and the steeper path on the right which will get you faster to the top. 


On reaching the fort, a common sight in many forts in Maharashtra, is this cave called Bhairoba, as it holds the idol of Lord Bhairoba. 

This cave has well-sculpted pillars and is clean to accommodate many people at a time (around 40). The floor is very flat which makes it good for camping too. There are also water cisterns near the entrance of the cave. Inside are small rooms which were used by the Marathas to store ammunition. To get a panoramic view of the surroundings, you can take the vertical tunnel to reach the pinnacle. An excellent view awaits you, as you see the majestic Sahyadri range and the Konkan plains.

It will take you 1 and 1/2 hour to see the entire fort, so if you have a place to stay in Karjat, then this can be a one-day outing or you can spend the night in one of the caves. 


Best Time
During rainy season


Where to Stay
Bhairoba Caves or peth villege


Where to eat
Peth village