The History of Shivneri Fort and Birth of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The Shivneri fort located close to Junnar in Maharashtra holds a special place in the history of India. This is where the legendary Maratha warrior Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born. And not just that, he received his initial military training inside the walls of this fort as well. Shahaji Maharaj, the father of Shri Shivaji Maharaj was a General in Adil Shah’s army. Shah was the Sultan of Bujapur. Shri Shahaji Maharaj was worried about the safety of Jijabai, his wife, and so moved her to this fort when she was pregnant. The location of Shivneri fort made it safer. It was considered a strong citadel because of steep rocks on all the sides. In fact, it was almost impossible to climb the walls of the fort and launch an attack.
Shivaji Maharaj was born here on February 19th 1630. His childhood days were spent within the walls of the fort. Interestingly, his name was initially “Shivba” after the goddess Shivai Devi, whose temple was located within the fort. You can see the place where the Maratha warrior was born – it is called Shiv Janmasthan. Some people even call it Shiv Mandir. In fact, the shape of the fort also looks like a Shiva-Pind.
Visiting the Shivneri Fort
You will have to park your automobile at the base of the fort and then climb up. In total, there are 400 steps that you’ll have to climb. You will have to cross as many as seven doors to reach the top. They are Hatti Darwaza, Parvangicha Darwaza, Peer Darwaza, Maha Darwaza, Phatak Darwaza, Shipai Darwaza and Kulambkat Darwaza. Maha darwaza is the first one, and it is the biggest as the name suggests. There are two more gates at the top.
Once you are inside, the first thing you should see is the small Shivai Temple. And of course, you will already have seen the statue of Shivaji Maharaj because it stands beside the main entrance to the fort. You should also see the Badami Talav, a big lake inside the fort. There are ruins of bungalows and quarters close to the lake. It’s not difficult to imagine that it was a busy place in another time. You can almost imagine a young Shivaji Maharaj running along the lake and practicing his combat skills. There is a statue of mother and son – Jijabai and Shivaji Maharaj beside the lake.
The Shivneri fort is located close to several other forts. You might want to visit Chavand Jeevdhan, Bhairavgad and Narayangad. There are five dams close to this fort as well.
