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Sarasgadh: Trek in the abode of Ganesha

Dusting off the haversack that I got off the almirah. I took out my hunter shoes, torch for the dark climb, packed a few cakes, crisps and lots of water for the trek. I was up and ready to climb Sarasgadh. It has four pinnacles and was used as a watchtower for the surrounding region. The base village is Pali one of the eight destinations of Ashtvinayak Mahaganapati. It has a beautiful and magnificent temple of the elephant-headed god lovingly known as Ballaleshwar.

Gazing past the window of the train I could see the moon in its full bloom. ‘I won’t be needing a torch’ I thought. It was my ninth trek and fourth trek with Aberrant Wanderers. It's always a great experience traveling with ABW. I was heading towards Vashi and from there we had decided to travel by road towards Pali.

Pranav was boarding the train from Rabale. Sanket, Founder of ABW, had brought his car all the way to Vashi along with Nikhil. He was leading the trek for the night. It was a crisp drive from Vashi to Pali. Zooming past the Sion – Panvel highway, we entered the Mumbai- Pune express highway at Kalamboli. It is one of the most amazing highways in India. The WagonR glided through the moonlit highway, whizzing past the tunnels and made its way into the Khopoli exit. We drove through a half baked road halting for a break at a tea joint. The road ahead was pitch dark and shrouded by dense forest.
Barking dogs welcomed us at Pali. It was two in the night as we walked past the village towards the base of the fortress. It is 490 m high and we could see the top from the distance. The  moonlight illuminated the forest and I never felt that a torch is required. Walking past the bushes, vines, and trees we made inroads towards the main climb through the forest. We paced ourselves quickly to reach the huge rock-cut steps that are a trademark of Sarasgadh. The steps were steeper than normal and we took good twenty minutes to reach Dindi Darwaza that marks the main entrance of the fort. The fort was cleverly built, it has a watch tower to keep an eye on the enemy and a hidden path that lets you escape the fort when it's under attack. We reached the summit at 4 am. I could see a few tents laid across the mountain top, dosed campfire and half-burnt logs.

The lantern in the Shiva Temple kept glowing spreading its golden hue. We settled in the temple. The conversation flowed, coupled with snacks, laughter and good cheer. After a while's rest, we got to see the most amazing views of our life. It was a rare occasion where the moon was about to set, and the sun was rising in. The clouds spread across the horizon were painted with the orange tinge of the rising sun. The clouds made it look as if we are standing on an island amidst the white ocean.

At 7:30 am, We began our descend at a steady pace and reached the base at 9 in the morning. We had a sumptuous breakfast; home cooked pohe, Wada pav and a glass of nimbu pani as an antidote for the scorching heat. We took blessings of Lord Ganesha and hit the road for our journey back home. I returned home with memories of a great outdoor experience.

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