Overnight Trek to Thrilling Harihar Fort

Harihar Fort presents a rectangular shape when viewed from its base village, resting upon a triangular prism of rock. Three of its faces and two edges are perfectly vertical at 90 degrees, while the third edge to the west inclines at a 75-degree angle. A one-meter wide rocky staircase, complete with niches, has been painstakingly carved into the rock, providing the sole means of ascending and descending the fort.

This staircase comprises a total of 117 steps. Upon climbing the initial rocky staircase, one passes beneath an overhang with a precipitous drop, followed by another set of steep stairs with niches. Beyond this lies a passage resembling the staircases of Peth Fort (Kothaligad Fort), leading finally to the fort's summit. The panoramic view from the top is breathtaking. At the summit, a tapering plateau features a raised central level, hosting a small temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva. Adjacent to the temple is a small pond, its water suitable for drinking.

Continuing onward from the summit, one encounters a palace with two rooms capable of accommodating 10 to 12 persons. Notably, one of the fort's sheer vertical faces, overlooking Nirgudpada village, is famously known as 'Scottish Kada'. This cliff, towering approximately 170 meters, earned its name when Doug Scott, the renowned Himalayan mountaineer, first scaled it in November 1986, an endeavor lasting two days.