Lohgad Fort

This fort is 10km from Lonavala. It belongs to the period of Chattrapati Shivaji's reign and was used for keeping prisoners in the year 1564.

With a 2000 year old history and at 3400 ft high, Lohagad one of the magestic forts in the region. The climb to the fort takes you to panoramic vantage points, huge balconies, doors and reminds you how important this place was which was used to defend freedom. Surrounded by lakes on all side the views from the fort are breathtaking specially from vinchu kata

History:
Lohgad was one of the most important forts of Satwaahan Period, which takes us to 2000 to 2500 years back. Bhaje & Bedse caves where used by Buddhist monks to stay. These caves are situated in the mountain of Visapur. Sage Lomesh had been meditating on Lohgad, and this is why the fort is called so. It had been built with a primary intention to keep a watch on Nane Maval, Korbaarse Maval and Andhra Maval.

After the downfall of Bahmani kingdom, the fort went into the hands of Nizamshahi in 1489. Thereafter it remained with till 1630. When the brother of seventh Nizam named second Burhan ruled here (1590-1594), he was imprisoned on this fort. In 1630, the fort went under the control of Adilshah. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648, two years after he captured Torna. Netaji Palkar was appointed to look after the fort and the surrounding region.

In 1665, Mirza raja Jaysingh invaded Purandar, and launched a major attack on the forts in Pune region. Villages nearby Lohgad became a victim of that. In March 1665, Kutubuddin attacked and looted the villages here. About 1500 soldiers came down from the fort, but could not sustain, and returned back. According to the treaty of Purandar, the fort went into the hands of Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb broke the treaty, and Shivaji Maharaj got it back in 1670. Aurangzeb recaptured it in 1700. Shahu Maharaj gave the fort to Kanhoji Angre. In 1720 it was under the control of Balaji Vishwanath. Nana Phadnis was an important personality amongst the Peshwas. He developed the fort a lot. He renovated the first, second and the fourth entrance of the fort. Jaavji Bomble and later Dhondopant Nitsure ruled under Nana Phadnis. He shifted his entire treasury on this fort, which was kept in Laxmi Kothi. Nana Phadnis passed away in 1800. His wife came here in 1802. Bajirao-II was an inefficient ruler, who was pro-British. General Wellesley was the person who insisted Dhondopant to be loyal to Bajirao. But it did not last long, and Dhondopant Nitsure?s man attacked Bajirao. Wellesley decided to capture the fort. In 1818 colonel Prother came here and captured Visapur. Lohgad came into his hands without firing a single bullet.

Structure:
Vinchu Kata :
The fort houses many old constructions and much of its fortification is very intact. This becomes clear as we move. The entrances and the ramparts are as they were 200 years ago. As we enter the Ganesh Darwaaja, we come across an inscription on a rectangular stone. If it is not stone, one has to check every stone there. The words on it tell that the construction was initiated and done by Dhondopant under Nana Phadnis. Here are the galleries for guards.

Between Narayan & Hanuman Darwaaja there are two go downs. These were used for storage of granary. After entering the Maha Darwaaja we come across an old 'Dargah'. Besides the Dargah we come across the remnants of the court. Going towards right we come across 'Laxmi Kothi'. It is a big cave where 50 people can stay. The Kothi has many rooms. On Lohgad Laxmi Kothi is the only place for us to stay. The treasury of Nana Phadnis was kept here. In front of this place are two cannons. Besides the cave are many other caves. On the northern side of the fort is a newly built Dargah. This is the tomb of Sheikh Umar. The history is interesting. Three Arabs named Sheikh Umar, Sheikh Salla and Sheikh Malang invaded Pune. Salla resided in Pune city and destroyed the temples. Malang went and stayed on what is known as Malanggad, near Kalyan. Umar seized Lohgad. A sage was meditating here. Umar threw him off the cliff and became the ruler here. Today his Dargah has gained importance as pilgrimage.
Going ahead from the old Dargah towards right there is small a temple of Lord Shiva. Going ahead we come across a small lake besides which there are drinking water reservoirs. This is only place on fort where we can get drinking water. After walking 15 to 20 min we come to a bigger lake, which was built by Nana Phadanavis. The lake is polygonal with 16 sides, and was constructed by Nana Phadnis. An inscription here tells us about that.
To the western side of the fort is 'Vinchu Kata', which reminds us of 'Sanjeevni Machi 'of Rajgad. It is 1500m long & 30m wide part of the mountain, separated from the main part. Viewing from the fort this portion looks like scorpion?s sting and hence it is called 'Vinchu Kata'. As named, this portion was to keep a watch on the surrounding region, and any activity of the enemy in its vicinity could be tackled. Ample quantity of water is available in this area. This 'Vinchu Kata' was used for keeping a watch on the nearby area. Here we can see some cannons. The bastion on the end of this machi is like the Armour of the fort.

Bhaje Caves :
The fort is not so big as the main forts, but it acquired significance due to its geographical location and the dominance of Buddhists and later the Satvaahans here. Building forts strengthened the peaks of Sahyadri, and the marvelous caves and sculptures beautified their faces. The artistic works not only reveal the cultural development, but also show an advanced architecture that is not achievable today. The caves of Ajantha and Verul are the best works, so are the caves of Karla and Bhaje. Karla caves are little farther from here, but Bhaje caves are near Malavali. The ancient Viharas and Stupas of Buddhists indicate that they were Heenyana Buddhists, who do not believe in idol worship. Mahayana Buddhists carved idols of Buddha. Here we can find 8 more Stupas. There is a temple, which is Surya-Mandir or Temple of Sun. the chariot of Sun God is carved here. The constructions here are highly astonishing, and remained intact even after more than 2000 years. The wooden planks used here have not degraded yet. The place is now under the care of ASI.

Restaurant : Food is available at Lohgaon and we can also carry our own food.
Lodging : In Laxmi Kothi nearly 50 persons can be accommodated.
How to Go :

1)From Malavali :
We have to get down at Malavali station near to Lonavala. After crossing the Express-Highway & reaching Bhaje village we get straight route to Lohgad. After walking for 1.5 to 2 hours & turning to right from `Gaimukh Khind` we will reach to Lohgad. Turning to left we reach to Visapur. At the base of the fort we have a village called Lohgaon. We can reach to the top of fort by stairs. We will come across four doors while reaching the top. The first one is called 'Ganesh Darwaaja', second one is called 'Narayan Darwaaja', third one is called 'Hanuman Darwaaja' & fourth one is called 'Maha Darwaaja'. Out of this Hanuman Darwaaja is the most ancient of all the doors.
While returning from Lohgad one should reach Malavali station. From there we can get a local train for Lonavala, from there we can go to Mumbai or Pune.
2)From Lonavala :
Jeeps are available from Lonavala, which take us to the backside of Lohgad. The road here is worst, and one has to walk for about 3 km. We can have a glimpse of Vinchu Kata from here, and extensive ramparts of the fort. The forts Tung and Tikona are seen very near from here

Torna Fort

Prachandagad, also called Torna Fort, is a fort situated near Pune, Maharashtra in India.

The word "Prachanda" means "huge" and "gad" means fort in marathi, which undoubtedly means that this fort is vast and stretches on for many miles. The Torna is located at a very high altitude and it takes an average of three hours to get to the top from the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains on which the fort is situated. The Torna fort is considered to be built by followers of the Hindu Lord Shiva called the Shaiva Panth in the 1400s. A Menghai Devi temple, also known as Tornaji temple is situated near the entrance of the fort.

The fort is located in Pune district, 18.36 degrees Latitude & 73.37 degrees Longitude. The village at the base of the fort is called Velhe. To the south of Torna is the river of Velvandi & to the north is the Valley of Kanad River.

History :

Till now it wasn't known that who built the fort. The caves & sculptures here indicate that the fort belongs to the period of SHAIVA PANTH, the followers of Lord Shiva. During 1470 to 1486 A.D., Malik Ahmed, a Bahmani ruler, captured this fort. Later Nizamshah ruled it. In the 1646, Shivaji Maharaj brought this fort under his control and named it PRACHANDAGAD. He was the one who built some new monuments here. After his daring escape from Agra, he came here & renovated the fort. Moguls took over the fort after Sambhaji Maharaj's assassination. But Marathas regained control over the fort due to the efforts of Shankaraji Narayan Sachiv. In 1704 A.D., Aurangzeb captured the fort. He named it as Futulgaib or The Divine Victory. However, within 4 years Sarnobat Nagoji Kokate was able to re-establish Maratha control here. In the treaty of Purandar, Torna remained with Shivaji Maharaj. The important thing about the fort is that it is the only fort that Aurangzeb won by fighting a real war.

Fascinating Spots :

Goddess Toranjai : It is a small temple where goddesses Somjai & Toranjai are worshipped. Ahead we can see the lakes called Toran & Mhasoba.

Maal & Safeli bastions : On the west of Kothi Darwaaja are the bastion Maal, & the latter one is to the south of the former. Near Safeli is a construction called Lakadkhaana, where wood was stored. Here is the way to Kokan Darwaaja & to Budhla machi.

Budhla machi : In Marathi "Budhla" means a vessel, & "Budhla" Machi looks like a vessel kept upside down. This diff is a breathtaking spot on the fort. From here, a cheek was kept on the western side of this fort.

Bini Darwaaja : This is the main entrance to the fort from Velhe and is situated to the northwest of the fort. The bastion on the left side has collapsed. The path ahead leads to Kothi Darwaaja.

Kothi Darwaaja : Ascending the steps carved in the rock, we enter the Kothi Darwaaja facing east. Here we come across some guardrooms. Way along the wall towards east takes us to the temple of goddess Toranjai.

Hanuman bastion : This bastion is situated east of Kothi Darwaaja. Here we can see idol of Hanuman facing south & a flag post. Way ahead leads to the bastion Bhel. To proceed ahead a guide is required, the way being a bit difficult. Further eastwards we come to Zunjar machi.

Konkan Darwaaja : Kokan Darwaaja still exhibits the constructional features that prevailed during 17th century. Here the fortification is the better condition. It lies on the way to Budhla Machi.

Temple of goddess Mengai : This is the only place on the fort where one can stay. It has two doors & the roof is still in the need of repairs. Here the group "Pune Ventures" has put a map of Torna. In front of the temple is a Deepmala (a structure that supports oil lamps & is always found in every temple of Lord Shiva).

Zunjar machi : It is situated on the western side & a wonderful spot to see. However, in the recent period, way here has been destroyed, & hence it cannot be reached easily.

Restaurant : Not Available
Lodging : Only in Padmavati Temple
How to Go :

From the Village of Velhe : Starting from Pune, preferably early in the morning is the best option. From Swargate Bus stand in Pune board any bus to the village of Velhe. The way to Torna starts from here and is quite straight. A walk of couple of hours leads to the "Bini Darwaaja", the main entrance to the fort.

From Rajgad to Torna : The route starts from "Male Darwaaja" of Rajgad, descending along the left side of "Sanjeevni Machi" and proceeds through a few houses. It continues through the woods and is about 5-6 hours walk. The road ends in front of " Budhla Machi". Here one has to climb a small rock patch. A walk of 15-20 minutes eastwards leads to the temple of "Mengai Devi". This temple serves as an accommodation facility.

Rajgad Fort

History :
Rajgad Fort (near Pune, India) is one of the most grand forts of the Sahaydris. It was Shivaji Maharaj's capital for 26 years before moving to another grand fort Raigad. Treasure found on adjacent Torna was used to fortify this beautiful fort.The mighty hill fort of Rajgad , which was the base of Shivaji Maharaj for most of his momentous campaigns,was never attacked during his reign

This fort has seen lots of historic events. The origins of this fort date back to 2000 years. This fort was ruled by Adilshahis then Nizamshahis and then finally the Marathas.

Rajgad is tristar shape with each ends having the grand machis and the bale killa or citadel at the center. The diameter of the fort at the base is 40 Kms and hence difficult to capture.

Located approximately 55 km south of Pune, Rajgad stands at a height of 4,574 ft above mean sea level. Shivaji designed it exclusively for war, therefore, though it was his residence for two decades, he did not allow fancy palaces. Its special features are the doubly fortified ramparts, a feature which no other hill fort in Maharashtra has.

Structure:

Main parts of the fort are:
Padmavati Machi: Facing north this has Padmavati Temple, Padmavati Lake, chor darwaja, Pali darwaja, Gunjavane darwaja, Daru Kothar (storage of arms and ammunition) and remains of the castle.

Sanjivani Machi: This huge, beautiful and royally constructed machi faces west and has 3 layered fortifications making it extremely difficult to conquer. Each layer has a depth of 20 feet and just 2 feet wide which looks like a scary narrow well. This type on construction was to aide guerilla warfare.

Suvela Machi: This is another grand machi facing east with lots of secret routes, doorways, nedha (Mountain hole).

Bale Killa: This is the highest part of the fort which has remains of palaces, water lakes and water towers. One can view the whole fort and the vast surrounding expanse.

This fort is a must visit in any ones trekking/adventure list. One has to stay in the padmavati temple which can house 50 people. Water tanks provide water all over the year

Restaurant : Not Available
Lodging : Only in Padmavati Temple
How to Go :
Rajgad is easily reachable from Pune. On Pune Bangalore highway, there is a small village called Nasrapur. Rajgad is 30-35 kms from it. There are three different ways to climb on it.. One way is through Gunjavane Village and the other are from Vaazegar. You can catch a bus[early morning] to Vazegar from Swargate , Pune or catch another bus to Gunjavane village. The bus frequency is not good so it will make sense to know the bus timings in advance. There is enough water on the fort and good place for living. The shortest way starts from Bhikulya's Hut and takes you to Chor darvaza. We climbed from Pali Darvaza. Simplest and longest way starts from Gunjavane village.

Pune Region Map

Pune Region Map