Bahadurgad

Certain parts of the Indian state of Maharashtra, especially the hilly regions of the Western Ghats are dotted with numerous forts, though most of them are in ruins now. Many of these forts are linked with heroic tales of the legendary Maratha warrior Shivaji Maharaj. One such dilapidated fort is Bahadurgad. It stands on the banks of the River Bhima in a small village named Pedgaon, situated in the Ahmednagar district. The folklore surrounding the fort is certainly interesting.

Bahadur Khan, a trusted lieutenant of the Mughals and then commander of the Bahadurgad fort received a contingent of 200 highly prized Arab horses along with plenty of riches. They were offerings to the Mughal king. But as soon as this alluring news reached Shivaji, he devised a unique plan to rob the horses and the riches, both at one go. He divided his army into two separate groups and advanced towards the fort. But interestingly, Shivaji quietly leaked the news that he was planning to capture the fort with a handful of army men.

Bahadur Shah, on hearing of the attack, opened the gates of the fort with the intention to fight Shivaji’s men. But the tutored army of Shivaji retreated from the fight and started to flee. Bahdur Shah’s army was in hot pursuit. As a result, the fort abruptly became defenseless. That’s what Shivaji was anxiously waiting for. When finally every able bodied men had left the fort to catch hold of Shivaji’s fleeing army men, Shivaji along with his army entered the fort. He took away all the horses and the riches and disappeared into the depth of the Sahayadri Mountain.

You can visit the Bahadurgad fort next weekend. It is certainly an interesting trip.

How to reach: Take the Pune-Satara highway if you are visiting from Pune. The village is 25 kilometers from Rasshin. There are buses too that can take you to the village. If you are taking the train, then you must get down at the Shrigonda Road railway station. You can hire an auto-rickshaw from here.

There are no hotels, resorts or cottages around the fort. If you want to stay overnight, you can do so at the temple inside. It can hold 15-20 people.