Mulher Fort (Mayurgad)

Rising above the village of Mulher in the far north-west of Nashik district, deep in the Baglan (Satana) country, Mulher Fort — also called Mayurgad — is one of Maharashtra's grandest and least-crowded hill forts.

• By tradition and record it served as the capital of the medieval Baglan kingdom, long held by the Rathod chieftains who ruled this frontier between the Deccan and Gujarat before the fort passed through Mughal and Maratha hands and was, at length, taken into Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Swarajya.
• What survives today is not a single citadel but a whole ridge-top world: a three-tiered complex in which Mulher, the neighbouring Mora (Moragad) and Hargad share one massive spur of the Selbari–Dolbari range.
• The climb begins from Mulher village and rises past successive gateways — carved darwazas, bastions and long curtain walls — onto broad plateaus scattered with the ruins of a rajwada, granaries, and rock-cut water cisterns that still hold rain through the dry months.
• On the upper reaches stand an old Someshwar shrine beside a quiet pond and a Bhavani temple, while the living heart of the fort is the Uddhav Maharaj math, a small monastic seat whose caretakers keep a lamp and a simple kitchen going for pilgrims and trekkers alike.
• From the summit the view sweeps across the Baglan tablelands to the pinnacles of Salher and Mangi-Tungi on clear days — reward enough for a stiff two-to-three-hour walk.
• This is slow, self-reliant travel: there is no ticket counter, no cafe on top, and little shade, so carry water and start at first light.
• Approach it as heritage and landscape rather than a quick photo stop, and give it a full day.
• For food, plan to eat down in Mulher village or, better, in Satana (Baglan) town on the way, where small family bhojanalayas and udupi-style joints serve unfussy vegetarian thalis, poha, misal (ask specifically for the pure-veg or Jain plate, as not every misal house is pure-veg), sabudana khichdi and hot chai.
• The math on the fort may offer simple prasad-style food to pilgrims, but do not count on it — pack fruit, theplas and plenty of water for the climb.