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Pratapgad ( ) (also transcribed Pratapgarh or Pratapgadh ) (English: Valour Fort) is a large fort located

in Satara district , in the state of Maharashtra in India . Significant as the site of the Battle of Pratapgad , the fortis now a popular tourist destination.

Geography [edit ]

Pratapgad fort is located 15 kilometres from Poladpur and 22 kilometres from Mahabaleshwar , a popular hill

station in the area. This fort stands 1,080 metres above sea level .[1]

The fort is built on a spur which overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar.

History [edit ]

The Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle , his prime minister, to undertake the

construction of this fort in order to defend the banks of the Nira and the Koyna rivers, and to defend the Par

pass. It was completed in 1656 .[1]

The Battle of Pratapgarh between Shivaji and Afzal Khan was fought below the rampants of this fort on

November 10, 1659. This was the first major test of the fledgling kingdom's army, and set the stage of the

establishment of the Maratha empire .

Pratapgad continued to be involved in regional politics. Sakharam Bapu, a well-known minister of Pune, was

confined by his rival Nana Phadnis in Pratapgad in 1778. He was later moved from fort to fort until he finally

died at Raigad . In 1796, Nana Phadnis, while escaping from the intrigues o f Daulatrao Shinde and his minister

Baloba, assembled a strong garrison in Pratapgad before heading to Mahad .

In 1818, as part of the Third Anglo-Maratha War , Pratapgad surrendered by private negotiation. This was a

great loss to the Maratha forces, as Pratapgad was an important stronghold, had a large garrison, and could

suppress much of the country round Wai.

A 17-foot high equestrian bronze statue of Shivaji was unveiled by Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of

India, on the 30th of November 1957, the same year a road was constructed by the Public Works Department

from Kumbhrosi village up to fort. A guest house and a national park were built inside the fort in 1960.

The fort is currently owned by Uday Raje Bhosale, the heir of the Satara princely state. [

Structure [edit ]

The fort can be divided into the lower fort and upper fort.

The upper fort was built upon the crest of the hill. It is roughly square, 180m long on each side. It has several

permanent buildings, including a temple to the god Mahadev . It is located at the northwest of the fort, and is

surrounded by sheer cliffs with drops of up to 250m.

The lower fort is around 320m long and 110m wide. It is located at the southeast of the fort, and is defended by

towers and bastions ten to twelve metres high.

The Afzal tower extends out from the fort proper and defends the approach to the fort. It is said to have beenconstructed after the Battle of Pratapgad , and Afzal Khan's head is said to be buried under the tower.

In 1661, Shivaji Raje was unable to visit the temple of the goddess Bhavani at Tuljapur. He decided to dedicate

a temple to the goddess at this fort itself. This temple is on the eastern side of the lower fort. The hall has been

rebuilt since the original construction, and consists of wooden pillars about 50' long, 30' broad and 12' high.

The shrine is made of stone, and contains a clothed black stone image of the goddess. The roof of the temple

is flat inside, but covered in lead covering put up by the Satara Raja Pratapsinha (1818 1839). A small spireor shikhar covers the shrine.

A dargah of Afzal Khan is located a short while away from the fort to the south-east.

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Torna Fort or Prachandagad is a large fort located in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra , India . It is

historically significant because it is the first fort captured by Shivaji in 1643, at the age of 16 forming the

nucleus of the Maratha empire . The hill has an elevation of 1,403 metres (4,603 ft) above sea level, making it

the highest hill-fort in the district. The name derives from Prachanda (Marathi for huge or massive)and gad (Marathi for fort). [1]

History [edit ]

This fort is believed to have been constructed by the Shaiva Panth , followers of the Hindu god Shiva , in the

13th century. A Menghai Devi temple, also referred to as the Tornaji temple, is situated near the entrance of thefort.

In 1643, Shivaji Maharaj captured this fort at the age of sixteen, thus making it one of the first forts in what

would become the Maratha empire. Shivaji renamed the fort Torna , and constructed several monuments and

towers within it.

In the 18th century, the Mughal empire gained control of this fort after assassination of Shivaji Maharaj 's

son Sambhaji . Aurangzeb , then Mughal emperor, renamed this fort Futulgaib (Language unknown : Divine

victory), in recognition of the difficult defense the Mughals had to overcome to capture this fort. It was restored

to the Maratha confederacy by the Treaty of Purandar .

Location [edit ] The fort is about 100 km southwest of Pune in the Sahyadri mountain range. It is the highest fort in Pune

district.

Tourism [edit ]

The Torna Fort is a popular destination for trekkers especially after the south-west monsoon , from September

to December. Trekkers can stay in the Menghai Devi temple.

Routes [edit ]

Travellers from Pune start in the early morning from Swargate bus stand (6:30 am first bus to Velhe reaches

around 8:20 am till Velhe the base village). The relevant routes go by via Khed Shivapur , Cheladi/ Nasarapur/Baneshwar, then Winzar, to the village of Velhe. The main path to Torna starts from here, and local people can

help with directions. The way to the top is moderate to difficult, with some precautions to be taken in the rainy

season. It is a two or three hour climb to the "Bini Darwaaja", the main entrance to the fort.

Alternatively, there is a pleasant and interesting ridge walk of 5 6 hours from the fort at Rajgad . This startsfrom "Alu Darwaaja" of Rajgad, near the left side of "Sanjeevani Machi", and ends at Torna Fort's "Budhla

Machi".

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