Why this ride
614 km from Uran to Uran, about 9 h 13 of riding. The stops in between: Khanderi Fort, Lohagad, Raigad and back through Lohagad. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Elephanta Caves and Raigad · 614 km from Uran
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 614 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 9 h 13
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Elephanta Caves
The boat leaves from the Gateway of India in Mumbai and takes about an hour to cross the harbour, passing warships, container ships and fishing boats, to a green island of rock and trees where, in the sixth century or thereabouts, a group of sculptors carved a temple into the hill. Elephanta Caves, as the Portuguese called them after a giant stone elephant they found near the landing, hold a collection of Hindu rock-cut temples dedicated to Shiva. The great cave contains huge carved panels, and the most famous is the Trimurti, a six-metre-high three-faced bust of Shiva as creator, preserver and destroyer. The sculptures were damaged by soldiers and time, but they still have an extraordinary force.
Read the complete Elephanta Caves write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Elephanta Caves is where the day begins. Next is Khanderi Fort.
2. Khanderi Fort
Khanderi is a small island fort in the Arabian Sea, a short boat trip off the Konkan coast south of Mumbai. Shivaji built it in the late seventeenth century to challenge the Siddis, the Abyssinian-descended admirals of Janjira, who held the neighbouring island of Underi, and the two forts glared at each other across a narrow stretch of water for decades. The Marathas built Khanderi first, and the Siddis answered by fortifying Underi, and the sea between them saw skirmishes and cannon duels. Today Khanderi carries a lighthouse and the remains of walls and bastions, and its rocks are surrounded by fishing boats.
Read the complete Khanderi Fort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Khanderi Fort comes up about 74 km into the recorded legs. Next is Lohagad.
3. Lohagad
In the monsoon, Lohagad disappears into the clouds and reappears, drenched and green, with waterfalls pouring off every ledge. This hill fort stands on a ridge of the Western Ghats a short distance from Lonavla, between Mumbai and Pune, and its walls and gateways crown a basalt plateau a few hundred metres above the surrounding valleys. Its name means iron fort, and it is one of the forts associated with the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, which in 2025 were grouped together on the UNESCO list as the Maratha Military Landscapes.
Read the complete Lohagad write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 170 km into the recorded legs you reach Lohagad. Next is Raigad.
4. Raigad
Raigad is a flat-topped mountain in the Sahyadri, the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, with cliffs falling away on almost every side, and it was chosen by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the capital of the Maratha kingdom. In 1674 he was crowned here, a ceremony that announced the Marathas as a sovereign power in the face of the Mughal empire, and the fort became the political heart of the young state. Today the summit holds the ruins of the palace, the market street with its rows of stone shop plinths, water tanks cut into the rock, and Shivaji's samadhi, which draws a steady stream of visitors who come as pilgrims rather than tourists.
Read the complete Raigad write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Raigad, about halfway. Next is back through Lohagad.
5. back through Lohagad
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Lohagad write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Lohagad sits at 278 km, about halfway. Next is back through Khanderi Fort.
6. back through Khanderi Fort
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Khanderi Fort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Khanderi Fort comes up about 540 km into the recorded legs. Next is Elephanta Caves.
7. Elephanta Caves
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Elephanta Caves write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Elephanta Caves closes the day.
Leg by leg
Elephanta Caves to Khanderi Fort
Elephanta Caves → Khanderi Fort is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Khanderi Fort to Lohagad
Khanderi Fort → Lohagad is 96 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Lohagad to Raigad
Lohagad → Raigad is 136 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Raigad to back through Lohagad
Raigad → back through Lohagad is 142 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Lohagad to back through Khanderi Fort
back through Lohagad → back through Khanderi Fort is 92 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Khanderi Fort to Elephanta Caves
back through Khanderi Fort → Elephanta Caves is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.