Tikona
Grade : Easy
Region : Lonavala
Base village : Tikona Peth/Bedse Caves
Landmark : Pawna Dam
Number of Routes : 2
Highest Altitude : 3580 Feet (1091m)
Trek Duration : 1.5-2 hours ascend, 1 hour descend
Surrounding Peaks : Tung, Lohgad, Visapur
Ideal Season : June to February (Monsoon months are good weather wise and Winter months for clear views)
Major Attarction :
Temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', a water tanks (seven water tanks) and some Satvahan caves, View of Pawna Dam, View of Lohagad Visapur Fort.
Water Sources :
Turn left after passing the entrance. In a short while a cistern and cave can be seen. One can see cisterns on the right and fortification on the left after passing through the entrance. After taking a few steps straight ahead, a trail climbs down on our right. Here too are a few cisterns. However water is not potable at times hence it is recommended to carry water from Base Village itself.
Special thing about structure/route :
Shape of the Mountain on which it is built on is Pyramidal/Triangular
Other Special thing :
Tikona is situated in Pawna region, which is famous for Lakeside Camping. Tikona is an easy level trek suitable for Beginners and can be trekked all round the year.
History Info :
Ancient Name & Meaning (if any) :
Tikona means Triangular, the name has been given to this Fort because of the Pyramid/Triangular Shape of the Mountain it's built on.
Era :
As the caves found in this area belong to the Buddhist and Heenyana era, it is believed that these forts must have been built around 800 to 1000 AD
Brief War History :
Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered it in 1585 and thus it was made part of the Nizam territory. In 1657 King Shivaji conquered Tikona along with the forts of Mahuli, Lohgad, Visapur, Songad, Tala and Karnala. Thus, all areas of Konkan, which earlier belonged to the Nizam's territory, came under King Shivaji’s control.
This fort was strategically very important to keep a watch on the entire region of Pawna Mawal. In 1660, Netaji Palkar was assigned the task of ensuring security of fort Tikona. This fort was surrendered to the Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halalkhan and others. The fort was handed over as a part of Treaty of Purandar in 1665. However, the Marathas later recaptured the fort.
In 1682, King Sambhaji met with Aurangzeb's son Akbar. After this meeting, Akbar was offered to stay at fort Tikona, however was sent later to Jaitapur since the climate here didn't suit him. A small battle was fought with the British on Tikona in year 1818 and the fort was damaged to a great extent. Till date the fort of Tikona lies in the form of ruins.
