Kothaligad Trek – Fireflies Tour

Its Pre-Monsoon !! Waiting eagerly for rains to quench your thirst. Why not enjoy the firework of fireflies while waiting.

Moon and stars have always been there to follow your path and guide you.

Ever seen fireflies do the same. Imagine a dark trail brightened by fireflies flying all around you. Imagine to be in a mysterious forest lighted by fireflies.

What are fireflies and why do they ignite?

Fireflies are a family of insects which glow in the dark. The phenomenon of glowing is called as bioluminescence which occurs due to a chemical reaction inside their bodies. Fireflies use this luminescence to attract mates or prey.

Some interesting facts about fireflies:

Certain species of female fireflies pick mates based on specific male flash pattern characteristics. Higher male flash rates and increased flash intensity have been found to be more attractive to females among two different fireflies species.
Many fireflies do not illuminate at all. They use pheromones to attract their mates. Using pheromones for sexual signal is an ancestral condition, whereas, using luminous sexual signals are recent phenomenon.
Certain species of fireflies deploy both pheromones and luminous component to identify their mates.
There are varieties of use of luminescence by fireflies apart from attracting mates. luminescence is also used for attracting prey, making themselves unpalatable to predators, for identifying other members of their species etc.
Kothaligad- Peth

Kothaligad (also called Peth) is a small Fort (3100 ft) is situated to the east of Karjat near Karjat-Murbad Road in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is one of the famous treks in the Karjat area, because of its small height and easy climbing. It is also known as the Fort of Peth because of its vicinity to Peth village at its base.

The cave and the temple carvings date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th century. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. Then later on, on November 2, 1817, it was recaptured by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who belonged to the generation after Bajirao. It was recaptured by the British, on December 30, 1817, the very next month, under Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862 as an outpost for vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it.

The locals say that this is not actually a fort but a sort of lighthouse from where the directions were given to know the advancements of the enemy. In fact, it can be called a watch tower to keep a vigil on the Mawal area in the greater province of the Maratha.

Major Attractions:

Fireflies
A small temple
A large cave
Canon made up of alloy metals
A chimney like tunnel to the top of the fort
A tank of water near the cave and another one at the top of the fort