Malanggad Fort is in Raigad District in Maharashtra. The nearest city to the Malanggad fort is Kalyan city. The fort’s highest point is 2590 ft. above sea level. It is also popularly known as Malang Gad, Haji Malang Gad. It is famous for Haji Malang Dargah which is a famous holy shrine of Haji Abdur Rehman Malang Baba. People visit Malanggad fort for the "Haji Malang Dargah" and the trek which leads towards the top of the mountain. There is a fort nearby named Chanderi fort in Badlapur which has approximately the same height.
"Haji Malang Gad" is at a 17 km distance from the nearest railway station called Kalyan Railway Junction. The holy shrine of Haji Malang Baba called Haji Malang Dargah Kalyan is Situated on the lower level of Malanggad fort. The fort is divided into three levels – Pir machi (first level), Sone machi (second level) and Balekilla (final level).
Haji Malang Dargah
On the first level (Pir Machi) of the Malanggad Fort you will find the Haji Malang Dargah. To reach the Dargah you must take the stairs which consist of more than 1500 steps. To reach the Dargah from the base village it almost takes 3 hours and is recommended to start the journey early in the morning. People from multiple religious communities come to Haji Malang Baba’s Dargah to pay respect and take their blessings.
In the month of February, the "Urus festival" is celebrated on the Malanggad fort as the death anniversary of the Haji Malang Baba by the people on the fort. Many Devotees from different places visits the Haji Malang Dargah during the Urus festival to seek their blessings.
Trek towards the top
From the second level (Sone Machi) the difficult part of the trek begins. "Sone Machi" is the plateau that measures 250 m long and 25 m wide. The trail towards the Sone Machi has rock patches which can be tiring to few people after climbing 1500 plus steps till Haji Malang Dargah.
From there, you can continue and reach the top called "Balekilla" which is the last level of the Malanggad Fort. The Route to the Balekilla has been seen broken for a while. The People Staying on the mountain has put a steel pipe at the broken patch. With the help of climbing ropes and the pipe, one can reach the top of the mountain. Reaching to the top is very risky and is recommended not to do it without expert guidance
How to Reach Haji Malang Dargah from Kalyan
There are two different ways through which you can reach Malanggad from Mumbai. One of them is by Roadways and the other one is by Railways. From Railways, you can board a local train from Mumbai on the Central Line to Kalyan Railway Station which takes around 1 hour 30 mins. And then from Kalyan Railway Station, you can take either ST Bus or Auto-rickshaws which will directly take you to the base village of the Malanggad fort. It will take you 20-30 mins from Kalyan Railway Station to reach the base village. ST Bus Number 45 is the bus which will drop you at the base village for rupees 20 per person. If you are travelling by personal vehicle from Kalyan Railway Station you travel to Naveli Phata which in the way Kalyan-Badlapur road from their onwards it is a single road opposite to Kalyan City which will lead you to the base village of Haji Malang Gad which is known as Malang Wadi. In the base village, you will be able to see a huge space in front of the Bus Station where you can park your vehicle. Also, you can read our blog called "Different Ways to Travel to Haji Malang Dargah" to reach Haji Malang Dargah from Pune.
Malanggad fort is the best place to experience the trek and visit a religious place like dargah and a few Hindu temples near the dargah and in the Malanggad village (base village). From the top of the Haji Malang Gad you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Raigad district which you will never forget.
