A Chance Encounter with the Rare Karvy Flower…

Our one day trek up to Tikona fort was a fun Sunday spent outdoors. What made it really special (and we found out later, when I happened to chance upon a write-up in the paper) was that the carpet of purplish-blue flowers that covered the slopes was the rare Karvy flower that bloom once in 8 years.

We started at 6:00 in the morning from Dadar TT Circle. Tikona fort also known as Vitandgad is a dominant hill fort in Western India. Located near Kamshet, 60 kms from Pune, the nearest village to the fort is Tikona-Peth. The fort was conquered amongst several others in the region by Shivaji Maharaj.

It was a 3 hour trek that took us past abandoned caves, a water tank and some small temples. Though not a difficult trek, the heat did sap our energy. The saving grace was the lush green vegetation that covered almost every inch of the hill and the beautiful Karvy flowers that were in full bloom. I actually spent time sitting in a clearing amongst a huge bush of the Karvy, watching the bees that are attracted to the honey not realizing that this is such a rare sight!

Like with most treks, the view from the top was a fitting reward for all the effort. The entire Kamshet region was in full view as it was a clear, sunny day.

But that was not all. We had a fabulous home cooked meal awaiting us in the village below. Well fed, tired and happy we got back to Mumbai by about 5:00 in the evening.

If you’re in two minds about doing a Sunday trek I fully recommend it. It leaves you feeling completely rejuvenated.