Situated in an extremely remote location in the Koyna Reservoir area, this fort caters to trekking enthusiasts. Shilahar Raja Bhoj II of Panhala built this fort between 1178 and 1193 AD. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj named it 'Vyaghragarh'. The hilltop of Vasota is about 15 acres.
Vasota fort is heavily forested and is home to bears and other wild animals. Places worth seeing on the fort are the Hanuman temple, the Chandika temple and Babukada.
There is a slightly higher old Vasota on the Vasota fort itself. There are a lot of bears here. From the tower on the north side of the fort, you can see the ‘Old Woman's Thumb’, which is part of several hill ranges, and the Shivsagar reservoir. You can also enjoy a beautiful sunset from this point. Apart from this, there is a castle and granary of Tai Telini on the fort.
Mahipatgad, Sumargad, Palgad, Mahimandalgad are all the forts that can be seen from the Vasota fort. There is also a panoramic view of the Koyna River and the water bubble. Vasota, which was very remote, was used as a prison.
At the time of Aurangzeb's attack, the idols of Sajjangarh and Ramdas were kept here. Also, after Bajirao II was defeated in the battle of Khadki in 1817, he kept the family members of Chatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj of Satara in this fort.
There is a fork in the trail leading to Vasotya, and from there another trail leads to Nageshwar, a unique temple. This temple is built in a cave. At present, there is a railing near Nageshwar's cave.
There are drinking water tanks near Naw Vasota and Nageshwara. Here, too, you might come across some wild animals. So, it is better to visit this area in the day time, with a guide to show you around.
301 KM from Mumbai Airport via Pune, Satara, Kaas, Bamnoli
145 Km from Pune via Satara, Kas, Bamnoli
157 KM from Kolhapur via Shendre, Kas, Bamnoli
368 KM from Goa via Belgavi, Kolhapur, Shendre Phata, Kaas, Bamnoli
38.3 KM from Satara Bus Stand, Kas, Bamnoli
