Irshalgad
Grade : Moderate
Region : Karjat
Base village : Irshalwadi
Landmark : Morbe Dam
Number of Routes : 1
Highest Altitude : 3700 Feet (1127m)
Trek Duration : 3 hours ascend, 2.5 hours descend
Surrounding Peaks : Matheran, Nakhind, Prabalgad and Kalavantin
Ideal Season : June to February (Monsoon months are good weather wise and Winter months for clear views)
Major Attarction :
Nedhe (Needle Hole), View of Morbe Dam and Matheran Range of Mountains.
Water Sources :
Until March, the tank in the fort has water, after which there is no water available on the area. However water is not potable at times hence it is recommended to carry water from Base Village itself.
Special thing about structure/route :
Irshal is a pinnacle. There is a water tank on the route from the Irshal plateau to the peak. From there, we reach the needle hole near the top through a simple rock-climbing route. Proceeding little ahead, we see a water tank to the left and a cave to the right. The route, which climbs up from near the needle hole goes to the top of the pinnacle.
Other Special thing :
Irshalgad can be reached only till Nedhe, the route beyond that to reach the top requires technical climb.
History Info :
Ancient Name & Meaning (if any) :
Irshalgad name may have been defaced by the name of Vishal Devi on the fort.
Era :
Basically Irshalgad it's not a Fort; because Irshal is a conundrum(Sulka). Therefore, there is no mention of it in history. It is thought that the water tanks on the fort were used for surveillance (Kind Of Watch Tower)
Brief War History :
This fort may also have been in the hands of the Marathas when Shivarai took over the whole of Kalyan and Bhiwandi upto Rairi in May 1666.
