Ratangad - The Jewel of Sahyadri

 “Ratan” means Jewel in Hindi and indeed it is jewel in all the hill forts here in Sahyadri, at a height of 4255 ft above sea level. Ratangad gives you the best views of surrounding peaks and Bhanadardara dam.

At a distance of 6 km from Ratanwadi, 23 km from Bhandardara, 183 km from Pune & 197 km from Mumbai, Ratangad is an ancient hill fort situated at Ratanwadi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Ratangad is very popular place for trekking in Maharashtra and also one of the famous Bhandardara tourist places.The fort is located at a height of 4250 feet. Ratangad Fort is 400-year-old fort, which was used by Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.The fort has four gates known as Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan and Trimbak.

Valley of Sandhan is a one-and-a-half-kilometer distance from Samrad village in Ahmednagar district, on the west side of the Bhandardara region. All year round, there is crowd except for four months of rainy season.The way in the valley becomes so tapering that sunlight does not reach the ground in many places. It is a memorable experience for a trip to Sandhan valley while witnessing the magnificence of Sahyadri in front of the Ajoba Mountains, Ratan Gad and the Alang-Madan-Kulang fort and the Kalsubai peak. It is said that the depth of the number two in the continent is in Asia.

History: 

The fort is 400 years old. Ratangad was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle.The fort is named after Ratnabai Tandal, who has a small temple inside the cave on the fort. She was one of the three sisters: Ratnabai, Kalsubai and Katrabai.

Accessibility:  Ratanwadi is the base village for Ratangad trek. 

By Air: Nearest airports are Aurangabad and Pune. Airport Shirdi (limited flights).

By Train: Ahmednagar is nearest railway station.

By Road: Regular State Transport Buses are available from Any Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation Bus Stand.

Best time to visit: October to December.

Trek level: Medium 

Places to visit: 

 Amruteshwar Temple

Bhandardara dam

Natural rock peak with a cavity in it at the top which is called 'Nedhe' or 'Eye of the Needle'.