Upon reaching the fort, the views got even more captivating and surreal.
Adequate parking space for 4-wheelers, there is a dedicated Pay & Park also available:-
The grand entrance of the fort, named after the great Shri Shivaji Maharaj, who captured this fort from Adilshah.
As per certain history sources, this fort was renamed to Sajjangad after this capture. Earlier, the fort was known as Parali (local village nearby).
And some really breathtaking views from atop 4000 feet above the sea level:-
You feel like you can stretch out your hands and almost reach out to the clouds, such
lovely play of cloud shadows and sunlight on the valley beneath:-
To get to the top, there were approx 250 stairs to be climbed:-
The difficulty level of the climb was easy-medium, the stairs' height was not that much. They were spaced out comfortably.
Inspite of this, if anyone still wanted to avail of the "transport" services, there are options available:-
We could see some folks using this, albeit sparingly.
And we started the ascent, came across some more wonderful views:-
Information about the upkeep, and excellent work done at the fort for the past many years:-
A very detailed map of the fort with proper labeling near the base of the stairs:-
Upon reaching the top, local staff establishments around:-
A side view of the Shri Ram Mandir:-
Like all major pilgrimage places in India, this place too provides Mahaprasad to the devotees during lunch hours:-
Due to covid, they have not opened the boarding & accommodation facility to the general public but we were told that they were allowing people who to stay who had come from far off places:-
After having the Mahaprasad lunch, we explored the fort premises.
All along the boundaries, the local administration had installed these:-
Some more picture-perfect views:-
There was an interesting vantage point at the very end of the fort boundary, which looked over the nearby
Urmodi dam backwaters:-
The backdrop of the clear blue pristine sky, the cool winds blowing across, the gentle warm sunlight around - I don't have more words to describe the moment! It was just so mesmerising that we tried to take in everything we could!
A photographer's paradise, I must say!
At the distant end of the fort premises, there was this Maruti temple, could be seen from a distance:-
Some more random shots of the scenery around:-
The Maruti temple was located or perched almost at the very end:-
After spending some more time in the serene surroundings, we made our way back to the fort entrance.
The usual small-gift items' shops that are seen at such places, serving as additional source of income for the villagers nearby:-
A dilapidated structure (rumored to be remains of the mosque built by the Mughals):-
And a final look upwards, a simple
greens vs blues peppered with clouds:-
![Day trip to Sajjangad, near Pune-37.jpg](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/travelogues/2243219d1686719063t-day-trip-sajjangad-near-pune-37.jpg)