Sinhagad
All around Pune you will find many wonderful places that are perfect for a weekend trip. But there is one place that has remained extremely popular for a very long time. It is the Sinhagad Fort. This is a popular weekend picnic spot for many residents of the city. One reason for its popularity is the close proximity of the fort to the city. The Sinhagad Fort is just 30 kilometers from Pune. It takes less than an hour to reach it. Once it was known as Kondhana, but these days, there are several names for the Sinhagad Fort. Some people refer to it as Sinhgad, while others call it Sinhgarh.
This is a place of history. This fort from the 17th century has seen a lot of battles. The most famous battle is of course from 1670 – the battle of Sinhgarh. There are many epic tales of bravery, and that’s where the name Sinhgarh comes from. It means, the “Lion Fort”. This fort actually is a part of a bigger network of forts that include Purandar, Torna and Rajgad.
Those interested in history should definitely visit the Sinhgarh Fort. Climb the terraces and see the sites where the battles took place. You will also be able to see the Samadhis of Rajaram and Tanaji Malusare inside the fort. There are two bungalows on top of the fort. Lokmanya Tilak stayed in one, and the resident of the other bungalow was the famous Marathi poet, G.D. Madgulkarm. Take a tour. The view from the top is also fantastic. However here’s a word of caution. The fort is not in very good condition now. The good news is, plans have been drawn to carry out renovations.
How to reach: You can take a bus to reach the fort from Pune. There are regular Maharashtra State Transport buses. You can drive your car or even a bike to reach Sinhagad. The Ghat road is very scenic.
You cannot stay overnight in this fort. You can visit it only on a day trip from Pune. You cannot thus find any hotels in Sinhagad, or resorts in Sinhagad. Travellers often plan it as a one day trek. You could carry your tents if you plan to stay on the Fort.
