Here is some Info about Rajmachi:

Type: Hill Fort
Height: 3000 Feet above MSL (Approx)
Grade: Easy (3.0 Hrs walk)
District: Pune
Region: Karjat/Lonavala
Base Village: Kondivade/Tungarli
Rajmachi is a beautiful plateau nestled midst 2 magnificent forts, Shrivardan and Manoranjan. The word ‘Machi’ in Marathi means ‘Plateau’, this plateau is at a height of almost 2500-2700 feet above MSL. The expansive plateau that greets you once you get to the top befits the name of the place. Kalyan and Nalasopara were important trade ports and on of the routes from these ports to Pune was via Bor Ghat. Naneghat and Borghat were the routes that served the major trade traffic between Ghats and Konkan Region. The need of the time was to control and protect the trade route as well as for collection of toll. Rajmachi played a significant roll for this purpose because of its strategic location on the border of Konkan and Ghats. The fort is geographically located such that on one side Tung, Tikona, Lohagad, Visapur while on other side Peth, Bhimashankar, Dhak, Gorakhgadh, Siddhagadh, Chanderi can be sighted. With such a strategic location, Rajmachi must have been of high importance.

Rajmachi, an ‘Ever-Green’ favorite with most trekkers for its proximity to the city as well as Easy Accessibility, has a lot to offer to all trekkers.
The village of Udhewadi is nestled snugly between the twin forts of ‘Shrivardan’ & ‘Manoranjan’. Both forts are expansive and are considered as the ‘Balle Killa’ of Rajmachi.
The trek is well known for the vast number of waterfalls that line the route during the monsoons, offering every trekker the option of frolicking in the water to the hearts content.

History:

The fort of Rajmachi is assumed to be more than 2500 years, this assumption is made due to the existence of the BC Era Kondane caves which are located enroute to Rajmachi fort.

Also going by the the presence of the Hemadipant Era temple on the machi near the lake, one can assume that the place was inhabited since eons.

As mentioned earlier, the twin forts of Shrivardan and Manoranjan were basically used as Watch Towers and were of Prime Significance during their time.

The goods from the port cities of Mumbai used to be transported to the interiors via the Bhor ghats, the forts served as watch towers to regulate the traffic.

These were 2 of the 27 forts that were handed over to the Mughals by Shivaji Maharaj when he signed a treaty with them!

Route Map:

There are 2 main routes to get to Rajmachi; Via Karjat and Via Lonavala.

Rajmachi via Karjat: In order to get to get to Rajmachi via Karjat, one has to alight at Karjat station on Central Railways Main Line.
Karjat lies at a distance of 100 kms from CST(VT) and is well connected to the island city by Local trains which ply at a frequency of almost 1 train every hour.

On alighting at Karjat, one just has to walk out of the station and get to Shri Ram Pul which is at a walking distance.
One can hire 10 seater Dukkar Rickshaws from here to Kondivade which is at a distance of about 10kms for Rs.100, or to Kondane for Rs.150. One can even take the rickshaws on a Per Seat/Sharing basis, but then one will have to wait till all the 10 seats are occupied.

There are 2 ways to ascend Rajmachi from Karjat, one route is via Kondivade and the other via Kondane.
The route via Kondivade is less steep and more interesting with a lot of waterfalls on the way during the rains.
The route via Kondane is much more steeper n one can take a slight deviation to pay a visit to the BC era Kondane Caves which fall along the route.

Via Kondivade: On alighting at Kondivade, one has to walk around 1.5-2.0 odd kms to get to Kharaundi, the route to Rajmachi starts from this village.

The Trek can be broadly broken up into a couple of phases or Plateaus. Given below is the time schedule for Pure Reference purposes:

Kondivade  Kharaundi: 0. 25 hrs

Kharaundi 1st Plateau: 0.25 hrs

1st Plateau  2nd Plateau: 0.25 hrs

2nd Plateau  Small Plateau: 0.5 hrs

Small Plateau  Rock: 0.25 hrs

Rock  3rd Plateau: 0.5 hrs

3rd Plateau  Overhanging Tree: 0.5 hrs

Overhanging Tree  Fence: 0.25 hrs

Fence  Udhewadi Village: 0.25 hrs

A map and a pictorial depicting the route is given below:

Via Kondane: The route via Kondane as mentioned earlier is much steeper, but takes one directly to the 3rd Plateau.
The BC era Kondane caves are worth a watch if one is taking this route. During the rains, a waterfall flows over the top of this cave and is a beautiful sight.
To visit Kondane caves, one has to take a slight detour to the left for about 15 mins to get to the caves. The caves fall on the right side and can easily be missed if not for a sharp eye!

Note:

• The route via Kondivade can be confusing for a first timer; it is advisable to hire a guide or a ‘Vatadya’ to show u the way to the top.

• There are ample amount of markers/arrows on rocks/trees to show one the way, but at the same time, there are many routes/paayvaat which may confuse u.

• Water is available throughout the route only during the Rainy Season and for a few months after the rains.

• Otherwise water is available on getting to the 3rd Plateau, there is a water cistern to the extreme left on the third plateau.

Rajmachi via Lonavala: Those wanting to take a leisurely walk can opt for the Lonavala route to get to Rajmachi, but please bear in mind that the walk is of 16 odd kms!
The route/road is a 10-15 feet wide mud-dirt-stone motorable road taking one right upto Udhewadi village.

On alighting at Lonavala, one just has to get to Upper Deck@Tungarli and the road starts from there.
To get to Upper Deck, walk/ride/drive from Lonavala station twds Tungarli, the market/landmark would be that u will come across an underpass to the Mumbai Pune Expressway.
On clearing this underpass, take the First Right, it is a Mud Road climbing steadly up flanked by Bungalows on both sides.
On getting to the top, follow the road till u come across a Dam Wall on ur right, keep moving straight till u come to Thakurwadi village.
The route from here to Rajmachi is simple and straight, and passes through 100 acres of Patel Estate.
On getting down a mud road, one has to move to the right on a wide motorable road, take this road till u come across a fork in the road, the one on the right goes up towards Dhak and the one on the left going down goes to Udhewadi.
After taking the left fork, in a short span of time, u come across a dry waterfall/stream which is a raging river during the monsoons.
It is advisable to not cross this river during or after heavy rains as there have been many instances of ppl being washed away into the valley below to their death!

On crossing this dry river, within about 30-45 mins one gets to Udhewadi village.

The Trek/Hike/Ride/Drive can be broadly broken up into a couple of phases. Given below is the time schedule for Pure Reference purposes:

Lonavala  Gurukul/Upper Deck Parking: 0. 25 hrs

Upper Deck Parking Expressway Underpass: 0.25 hrs

Underpass  Dam Wall: 0.25 hrs

Dam Wall  Tungarli/Thakurwadi: 0.25 hrs

Thakurwadi  Fork in the Road: 1.5 hrs

Fork  Waterfall/River: 0.5 hrs

Waterfall/River  Udhewadi: 0.75 hrs

A Map and Pictorial Depicting the route is given below:

Note:

• Please avoid frolicking in the waterfalls along the route during monsoons, they have been witness to many a careless trekker being washed away into the deep valley below
  

• The waterfall/river at the ‘C’ is extremely dangerous during heavy rains or just after a long spell of rainfall.
  

• It is common logic that it takes some time for the water to flow down from the mountains till the river, so avoid crossing this river just after heavy rainfall or continuous rains
  

• The villagers also wait for the force to subside before trying to cross this waterfall/river. This place has also been a witness to people being washed away.
  

• There is a very Fine Line that separates Bravado and Foolishness, the choice is ours which side of the line to stay on.

Sightseeing:

Rajmachi has a lot to offer to everyone, be it the lazy picnicker or the hardcore trekker.
The 2 forts, namely Shrivardan and Manoranjan offer a sneak peak into the Era gone by.

Shrivardan: On reaching the village of Udhewadi, the first thing that meets the eye are the 2 magnificient forts.
The fort of Shrivardan is the taller of the two, offering one with a birds eye view of the entire surrounding region.
The route leading to the top of the fort is well marked, on getting to the top, one is greeted by a door that is cut out in the rock.
As we move ahead from the door, we are greeted by 2 huge caves and 2 water tanks cut into the rock.
Moving further ahead, one has the choice of taking the route straight up to the top of the fort where the Maratha Flag flutters high and mighty; or take the route on the right which lets one experience the beauty of walking on the walls of the fort till one gets to the bastion/buruj on the eastern end.
There is a route leading down from the top of the fort to the bastion at the western end, this bastion is also worth a watch.
The fortifications around the fort are still intact and are worth a look, it takes not more than 20 mins to get to this fort from the village, the entire fort can be completed in 2 hours time.

Manoranjan: The fort of Manoranjan is the more expansive of the 2, the route up the fort is well marked and passes from just behind the Bhairoba temple.
The walls of this fort are intact just like Shrivardan. On reaching the ramparts of the fort, one comes across a massive door.
The expansive machi atop the fort house a Dhaanya Kothar or Granary and a huge water tank.
The bastion of the extreme North-Westerly side is worth a look and offers an expansive and breathtaking view of the entire Karjat region.

Shiva Temple: The shiva temple near the lake dates back to the Hemadipant era and is estimated to be almost 700 years old. The temple is carved from stone and stands a magnificent reminder of an era gone by.
The irony is that this temple was discovered only recently, a decade or more ago, till then it was covered by earth and had to be excavated out. The temple provides a beautiful ambience if you just want to relax.

Udaysagar Lake: One of the most sought after attraction at Rajmachi, the lake provides every single visitor to Rajmachi the option of enjoying in the water.
The talav is expansive, it has a rock base at its entrance and is shallow…those who don’t know to swim can enjoy here, after about 7 feet the rock floor suddenly drops and the depth increases to more than 30 feet.
The lake has water all year round and is a pleasant site to spend the evening.

Bhairoba Mandir: The Bhairoba Mandir in the col between Shirvardan and Manoranjan is set amidst greenery. The temple is small and has 2 small canons placed at its entrance. The idols of Bhairoba worshipped by the villagers is kept in this temple.
In the courtyard of the temple, we can find 3 Deep Mala and also an Idol of Goddess Laxmi.

Jungle: The dense foliage on the way from Udhewadi to the Udaysagar lake is worth taking a walk in. The cover is pretty dense and abound in monkeys and langoors.
The Jungle between Shrivardan and Manoranjan is expansive and pretty dense. It abounds in a lot of wildlife and is worth exploring.

Plateau: As mentioned earlier, the word ‘Machi’ in marathi means ‘Plateau’; Rajmachi offers one with an expansive plateau around the entire village. The adventurous and enthusiastic can explore the plateau on the southern side of the village. It offers one with an amazing view of the deep Ulhas Valley.

Additional Information:

• For Stay/Food arrangements at Udhewadi, please contact Mr. Khandu Vare on
  

• The rickshaws from Kondivade/Kondane are available at the regular rate of Rs100/150 resp till 5.00PM, after this they will try and cite reasons like “ we have to come back empty” to charge more.
  

• One has to pay a premium post 6.00PM for a rickshaw to the station
  

• Rick: 9270224166/02148690824