Fort is the place made by the king to show their wealth and glory. The other aim of the fort was to save people from the war. British used the word fort for castles. Most of the forts were constructed from 1300 to 1800 A.D.
Usually, there are 4 types of forts seen in Maharastra such as Hill forts, Forest forts, Sea forts, and forts on the Plane Area. Hundreds of forts can be found in the state but we are covering the 5 Most Popular Forts in Maharashtra.
let’s get started…………………….
1. Raigad Fort (Dist-Raigad )
Raigad is a hill situated in Sahyadri mountain in western Ghat it stretches approx. 2.5 km and steep slopes and rises approx. 4400 ft from the sea level. At that time this fort was named the Fort of Rairy but after being captured by Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj and renovated and renamed Raigad Fort in 1656. and made his capital in 1674 A.D. Fort helped Sivaji Maharaj to challenge the supremacy of the Adilshahi dynasty and it also opened a route to extend his power towards kokan.
Shivaji Maharaj is accessible only from one side through a pathway of 1737 steps and the other 3 sides were surrounded by 3 deep valleys which made this fort more secure.
The fort also overlooks an artificial lake named Ganga Sagar Lake the main pathway to the fort passes through the Maha Darwaza. the main palace of the fort is built with wood. the fort was destroyed by the British East India Company in 1818.
how to reach
- by air; Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai is the major airport that connects most cities abroad and a distance of about 140 km from Raigad.
- by train; The nearest railway station is connected to Puneis Veer railway station, about 40 km away from Raigad. From here anyone can hire a taxi, or cab easily to reach Raigad Fort.
- by road; Alibaug bus stand and Panvel You can avail of many private busses apart from the government-owned Maharashtra State Road Transport (MSRTC) busses.
2.Murud Janjeera Fort (Village-Murud,Dist-Raigad)
this fort is situated in a village named Murud and is one of the strongest marine forts in India. This fort is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on all sides. Raja Ram Mohan Rao Patil who was king of the Koli community built this fort for his Koli community to live peacefully away from pirates. After all the efforts Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj also couldn’t win it.
Anyone can go to this fort by sailboat and ferry service from the coastal village of Murud. October to February is the best time to visit Murud Janjeera because the weather is best and enough greenery to enjoy.
how to reach:
- by air; Chhatrapati Maharaj International Airport is a major airport anyone can opt for a taxi or any private vehicle to reach Murud Janjeera.
- by train; the nearest railway station is Roha is about 35 km from Murud Jnjeera and connected to many major railway stations.
- by road: it is accessible by road as well as water ferries from Mumbai Goa highway NH66.
3. Pratapgad Fort (Village-Pratapgad,Dist-Satara)
this fort is located in the western Indian state of Maharastra Satara. this is a mountain fort and a distance of around 25 km from the famous hill station Mahabaleshwar. this historical fort is famous for the battle of PratapGad between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan. Which took place on 10 NOV1659.In this battle, Afzal Khan was killed by Sivaji. After this battle, this fort marked Sivaji to rise his power. the monsoon time from Jun to September is the best time to visit the fort.
how to reach;
- by air; a distance of about 225 km Chhatrapati International Airport is the nearest airport to reach Pratapgad .any one can opt for a paid taxi from the airport to reach Pratapgad
- by train; Satara is the nearest railway station about 46 km distance from Pratapgad Fort.
- by road; anyone can opt for a paid taxi from Mahabaleshwar or by St bus from Panvel to reach Mahabaleshwar.
4.Salher Fort (Village-Salher,dist-Satara)
This is the highest fort in Maharashtra located in Nashik height of this fort is 5175 feet. This fort is famous for the battle of Salher between the Marathas and Mughals in 1672. The battle of Salher was the first open-field battle where the Mughals were defeated by the Marathas. After this win confidence level of Marathas was too high which helped them to go ahead. the shape of this fort is like a pyramid and Parshuram temple is the highest point of the fort. another specialty of the fort is it gives a rare opportunity to see the sunrise and sunset from the highest peak of the fort.
how to reach;
- by air; Nashik is the nearest local airport and well connected to Chhatrapati Maharaj International Airport and can opt for a private taxi to reach Sahler Fort
- by train; manmade is the nearest railway station distance of about 80 km
- by road; Satna is a village near Salher Fort this village is well connected by Nashik and Mumbai
5. Shivneri Fort (Village-Junnar,Dist-Pune)
This fort is also a very famous fort because this fort is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj. This fort is located at Junnar a famous city near Pune this fort is also being used as a safeguard for the old trading route from the Decan Plateau. There are 2 water springs named Ganga and Yamuna here to fulfill the water requirement for an entire year. The best time to visit the fort is October to march
how to reach;
- by air; Pune airport is the nearest airport to Shivneri Fort anyone can book a private taxi from here to reach Shivneri Fort
- by train; Pune railway station is the nearest railway station about a distance of 94 km to reach the fort
- by road; Junnar is the nearest town which is well connected to the fort any one can opt taxi, private bus, or govt bus to reach the fort.
In this article, you will know about the 5 Most Popular Forts in Maharashtra and their historical information including the location This article help you to explore the forts .as soon as we try to update more information like food, where to stay, nearby places to visit, etc . plz stay updated for more latest updates.
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If you wan to know popular forts located in Bhubaneswar then visit eBhubaneswar Blog.
