Info About the Fort: Jivdhan (Jeevdhan) is one of the most popular forts for experienced trekkers. It is also grouped under the famous 5 trekking destinations in Maharashtra.
Located in Junnar Taluka, the fort falls under difficult treks as there are misleading jungle trails and some hill patches that require a lot of mountaineering experience to cross. On some sections of the trek, you might also need to use ropes.
Ideal for folks who want to experience an extreme mountaineering experience.
Incidents at Jivdhan: Again we would like to highlight that Jivdhan is not for novice trekkers. Here is an incident from the past wherein trekkers have been rescued from the fort as they were stuck or lost while trekking here.
Routes: There are two base places for this fort. One can go via the Naneghat route or take the Ghatgar route.
The Naneghat route is quite challenging and is recommended only for experienced trekkers.
We would recommend that you take a guide along with you from the base villages. Not many trekkers come here and hence there are chances that you may lose your route while trekking.
Also Beware of beehives on trees. There are plenty of beehives in this area and if you trigger any, the consequences will not be good.
What to see at Jivdhan:
- Kothi - This is the storehouse on the fort that is still intact. Be careful while exloring these Kothis as there are chances that you might find some creepy crawlers inside.
- Water Cisterns: We spotted a couple of water cisterns on the fort. Please do not use water from these as it may be contaminated.
- North front - From here you can see the other forts surrounding Jivdhan. One can see Harishchandragad, Ratangad and the entire Junnar plateau from here on a clear sunny day.
Best season to visit: The best time to visit this fort without any doubt is during the monsoon season. One can see a lot of waterfalls enroute and also take a splash in these. But, do take extreme precaution on the slippery patches of the trek during the rainy season.
Winter is ideal for folks who want to camp overnight.
Camping info: The Kothi is ideal if you do not have tents. This has a capacity of 8-10 people.
If you have tents, make sure that you setup your campsite where the wind is less. Also ensure that you check the surrounding area for any crawlers. There are many scorprions and vipers in the jungle.
For camping, ensure that you take plenty of water for cooking and drinking purposes. After dinner, clean the campsite, else the mice will do the cleaning for you and in return give you a sleepless night :).
Please leave a comment below for others if you have been to Jivdhan or you have any questions related to Jivdhan trek.