Dhodap ( mr, धोडप), is one of the hill forts in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

state in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. Situated in

Chandwad Chandwad (IPA:Cāndavaḍa) is a town located in the Nashik district in Maharashtra. It is 250 km from Mumbai. The 11th-century Jain Caves, Renuka devi mandir, Chandreshwar temple and Rangmahal are in Chandwad. Chandwad is a tehsil of N ...

taluka in the

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nash ...

district. the fort is 4829 ft (1472 mt) above sea level. It is the site of the second-highest fort in the Sahyadri mountains after Salher. Dhodap hill is the second-highest hill peak in

after Kalsubai and Salher and the 29th highest peak in Western Ghats.

Location

The base village is called as Dhodambe from where one can start to climb the fort. The fort is 55 km to the Nashik, about 3 km from Hatti Village, 16 km from Abhona in the Satmala range, Nasik region of Sahyadris. When travelling from Nashik to Malegaon on highway NH-3, one can see this fort from a distance, from villages Shirwade-Wani, Khadak-Jamb, Vadali-bhoi and Sogras. One simple route is Nashik to Wadali bhoi (50 km) and Wadali bhoi to Dhodambe (8 km). This fort is also accessible from village Hanmantpada in Devla taluka (15 km) which has simple and easy access to the fort. The fort is recognizable for its typical shape.

Parts of the fort

The top of the fort was built using a combination of dressed stone and brickwork. There is a tank with an idol of Lord

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

and a tunnel 5m wide. The fort has a pointed cliff named Shembi. One can find caves at the base. One end of the fort shows a domical structure. The eastern face shows a fearsome cliff named Ikhara which is ideal for rock climbers. One temple situated in one of the caves is in good condition. A few other caves are also seen around and are quite big in size. Also the trunk of Dhodap fort is in good condition. One of the most interesting things is that there is a "cow of stone" moving inside this hill. It's heard by the peoples in the nearby villages that on every Vasubaras, this cow moves inside by the distance of four grains.

History

The fort played an important role during the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...

period. It was here that Raghobadada Peshwa hatched a plot against

Madhavrao Peshwa Peshwa Madhavrao Bhat I (February 15, 1745 – November 18, 1772) was the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire fully recovered from the losses they suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat, a phenomenon ...

. During return travel from the second invasion from Surat (1670 CE), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had visited here, presumably for keeping the treasure. A few days later, the battle of Dindori took place between the Maratha forces and Mughal forces.

Tourism

This fort is a good site for trekkers and adventurous tourists to visit. Accommodation can be arranged at the base village with the help of local villagers. Enough drinking Water is available at the top. However, carry enough water while climbing this fort.

Routes

One can climb the fort from two routes, from the Dhodambe village side and from the Deola side. From

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

the route can be as Pune to Nashik (road/rail, 202 km) - Dhodambe (road, 40 km) - Hatti (road, 3 km).

Location

Parts of the fort

History

Tourism

Routes

See also