Shivneri is a hill fort above the town of Junnar in the Sahyadri range, and its fame comes from a single event: Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha kingdom, was born here in 1630. The fort stands on a steep, flat-topped hill of black basalt, one of the many Deccan trap formations that give western India its distinctive stepped skyline. Seven gateways, each with strong walls and sharp turns, lead up the slope, and inside the fortifications are cisterns, a small mosque, a temple to the goddess Shivai after whom Shivaji is said to have been named, and a cluster of old buildings, including one said to mark the room of his birth.
The surrounding country is a historian's playground. The Junnar area has more than a hundred rock-cut Buddhist caves, dating from the early centuries of the common era, cut into the basalt hills around the town, including the Lenyadri group, which has a Hindu temple of Ganesha built into one of the caves. The old trade route of the Naneghat pass, one of the earliest Deccan trade routes, leads up from the coastal plain nearby, and the Satavahana dynasty that ruled here left inscriptions that are among the earliest in India.
For the rider, this is a landscape best seen in or just after the monsoon, from July to September, when the hills turn emerald green and waterfalls tumble from every ledge. The roads from Pune, about ninety kilometres to the south, pass through rural Maharashtra with sugarcane fields, grape vineyards and small villages, with a fair amount of truck traffic. The ghat roads climbing toward the Naneghat give some enjoyable curves, though rain can make them slick, and fog may reduce visibility. In the hot season, from March to May, the temperature rises considerably, and the fort climb is better done early in the morning.
Junnar, a town of around twenty-six thousand, has fuel, shops, small restaurants and basic lodging, so you do not need to worry about running out. The climb to the fort involves a long flight of steps, so wear sturdy shoes, bring water and respect the shrine.
The local food is simple and good: misal pav, a spicy sprouted bean curry eaten with bread, and sweet chai from roadside stalls. Dress modestly at the temple and the mosque.