Category: forts

The Raigad Fort is special in Maratha history. It was the capital of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji. There are so many stories of bravery here that the European historians often used to refer to as “the Gibraltar of the East”. This was the capital of Shivaji way back in the 14th century. For as long as six years, Raigad remained the capital of the Maratha Kingdom. Shivaji was crowned here, and he died at Raigad too. So Raigad is definitely significant for people in Maharashtra and also for historians.

This fort’s location had also helped the Maratha forces keep constant vigil on the entire southern Maharashtra by changing guards on its ramparts.

The Bhudargad fort was built by King Bhoj of the Silahara dynasty during 12th century AD. It is located in what is now known as the Paal village, which is about 50 kilometers from the modern city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The fort has witnessed many historic events since it was commissioned or pressed into service.

Built by the first Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath between 1713 and 1720, Visapur fort, also known as the Visapoor fort is a hill fort. It is located in the Pune district of Maharashtra. It has an elevation of 1084 meters above the sea level. It is built on the same plateau as its twin fort, the Lohagad.

According to local folklore, Chatrapati Shivaji, the legendary Maratha leader preferred living in stony forts than in comfortable palaces, even though there was no dearth of such luxuries in his domain. He spent the most of his days in the Rajgad fort, which literally means the Royal Fort. And in many ways, the name befitted the fort magnificently. Situated at a height of more than 4000 feet in the deeply wooded Sahyadri Mountains and having a base that covers more or less 40 kilometers, the fort was almost unconquerable. But even then, this Royal fort has changed hands several times. It was finally captured by the British in 1818.

Salher and Mulher are two forts that are located very close to each other. That is why they are often referred to as twin forts. Most people make it a point to visit both these forts on a single trip. You can do this as well. These forts are quite close to the city of Mumbai in Maharashtra.

Situated in Shirpur Tehsil, which is around 46 kilometers north-east of Dhule in Maharashtra, Thalner fort stands on the bank of the River Tapi. The fort is named after the temple of Thaleshwar which is located at the foot of the fort. At one side of the fort is the river. The other three sides are surrounded by a moat-like depression, varying in width from 100 to 15 yards. The walls of the fort rise to a height 60 feet from this depression, thus making it secured against sudden enemy aggression. The fort has only one entry gate on the eastern side but this entry point is secured by five successive gates, each placed at higher heights till the final gate comes level with the main wall of the fort.

We all know that Shivaji was an excellent warrior and strategist. However he was also a fort builder par excellence. It is believed that in his lifetime, the legendary Maratha leader had conquered 130 forts, built 111, and possessed more than 240 forts before his death in 1680. Perhaps he was much too familiar with every crack and crevice on the Sahyadri Mountains where forts could be built to protect the people from the invaders – Mughal or British.

Forts served several purposes in the earlier days. These bastions provided protection to warrior kings who were perpetually threatened by their adversaries and dragged into battles when least prepared for it. By closing the ramparts of the fort and disconnecting the entrance to it, the king and his entourage could spend days within the fort, chalking out plans for the next counterattack. Adversely, a defeated king or a vanquished enemy could be lodged indefinitely within a fort (like a prisoner). This is what precisely happened to the last exiled king of Burma, King Thibaw. He was lodged in the Ratnagiri Fort, which is also known as Ratandurg or Bhagwatidurg Fort.