Igatpuri
Surrounded by solitude

Situated at an elevation of three ,000 ft above water level , the Tringalwadi Fort overlooks a huge area of the Sahyadri Hills. The fort is sort of popular among trekkers and hikers, who find their way through challenging trails to urge to the majestic structure. on the way there are many ancient caves and temples that bring intriguing exploration sites. The initial 1 km of the trek involves walking through plain fields and crossing small streams to succeed in the traditional Pandav Leni caves. On reaching there, an outer verandah will lead you to a building that wont to house Buddhist monks and therefore the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum). The verandah or vihar also houses a statue of Lord Buddha.

On proceeding further, you’ll encounter dry cisterns and an outsized cave near the foothills of the fort. a brief walk from here results in underground cisterns carrying drinkable water. the gorgeous designs carved on the pillars of those cisterns are bound to catch your attention. At the doorway of the fort stands a Shiva temple, from where one gets to ascertain majestic views of Talgad and Igatpuri within the south, Kalsubai sanctuary within the east and Harihar and Basgad within the north. Visitors pays respects at the Lord Hanuman temple, located near the Tringalwadi Lake, a couple of kilometres faraway from the fort.

Not only does Igatpuri surprise travellers with its picturesque setting, it’s also famed as a crucial centre of meditation. The town is home to the Vipassana International Academy, popularly called Dhamma Giri, meaning hill of Dhamma. one among the world’s largest Vipassana meditation centres, the Vipassana International Academy was established in 1976 and offers courses for people seeking spiritual healing. Today, thousands of scholars study meditative sciences here.

Vipassana is one among India’s most ancient techniques of meditation that’s supported self-purification with the assistance of self-observation. Housing 400 cells for individual meditation, the centre conducts courses in English and Hindi. All the expenses of the classes are met by those that have completed a course and experienced the advantages of Vipassana in their lives.