Lying southwest of Bhor-Pune, this is a prominent 8km long plateau. At the temple here, Shivaji Maharaj, a teenage boy, vowed to establish “Swarajya”. It is a place of worship. There is a small village at the top.
There are many approaches to this plateau; from Rayari village, Korle village or a long zigzag ridge connects the plateau to Kenjalgad. The breathtaking views and the feeling of untouched nature is just mind-blowing. Ideal place for a one-day trek.

The places worth visiting on Raireshwar are Raireshwar Temple, Gomukh Lake, Nakhinda, and Pandavleni. It is a very beautiful place to visit from June to February.

History of the Raireshwar Plateau

Raireshwar has a temple famous for its historical importance. The temple is very old and of a stone structure, but it was later reconstructed in the 18th century.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took the oath of Hindavi Swarajya in this temple at the age of 16 in 1645 and then created history. It said that he had cut his little finger and taken the oath by dripping blood onto the Shivling. There is a large portrait of Shivaji Maharaj and his friends inside the temple.

Thus, Raireshwar can be considered an important place in Maratha history.

Kenjalgad is a beautiful fort located to the south of Pune near Bhor. During the early days, it was also called Ghera Kelanja and Mohangad. This fort stands on the ridge, joining Raireshwar. This fort is situated at 4,269 feet high.

A broad rock staircase leads to the top. There is a huge tunnel cum cave near the top with an excellent view. A cliff, about 60 m high encloses the top itself.
There is not much to see on the fort as most of the structures are not intact, but it’s worth visiting considering the beautiful plateau on the fort. The walls of the fort, however, are still intact.

Kenjalgad trek is a simple trek and does not require much effort or a trekking experience. Reaching the top of the fort takes just 40 minutes. This is a quick escape from your urban life.

What to see at the Kenjalgad Fort:
• Perfect entrance with Stairs – Huge Rock blocks that were carved as stairs
• Flat-top of the fort which is spread over miles & walls of the Fort
• Beautiful views of the valleys nearby.

History of the Kenjalgad Fort

This fort is said to have been built by Bhoj Rajas of Panhala who flourished in the 12th century. This fort was won by Adilshah of Bijapur in 1648.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had captured all the forts in Wai and Bhor region but, he was not able to win this fort till 1674. He captured this fort as an amazing movement while he was on a military campaign at Chiplun. He along with soldiers marched to the Kenjalgad and captured the fort by surprise.

The garrison head Gangaji Vishwasrao Kirdat was killed in the ambush and the fort was captured on 24 April 1674. This fort was captured by Aurangzeb in 1701. In the subsequent year i.e. 1702, this fort was captured by Maratha Army. After the fall of Peshwa, this fort was captured by the British under the detachment sent by Gen. Pritzler on 26 March 1818.