Markandya Fort

Markandya Fort, also spelt Markanda, rises opposite the sacred Saptashringi hill, some 52 km from Nashik. Its base village, Mulane, lies on the Wani–Kalwan link road, 5.5 km from Wani. Tradition holds that the sage Markandeya lived on the hill and punished Bhimasur and other demons who were troubling Brahmin priests.

The fort served as an outpost. The Mughal commander Aliwardi Khan took it in 1639; Moropant Pingale captured it for Shivaji on 25 October 1670; the Mughals regained it after Shivaji's death; the Peshwas later garrisoned it; and Captain Briggs of the East India Company took it in 1818. The treeless trail starts from the Mulanbari gorge and takes about an hour. On top are a temple of Markandeya, the pond of Kotithirth, where pilgrims bathe on Somvati Amavasya, the Kamandaluthirth pond, two underground granaries and ruined buildings. Overnight stays are possible in the temples.