| Kothaligad/ Peth Fort | |
|---|---|
| Part of Sahyadri Hill Range | |
| Raigad district,Maharashtra | |
 Kothaligad fort | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Hill fort |
| Owner | Government of India |
| Controlled by | Ahmadnagar(1521-1594) Portugal(1594) Maratha Empire (1739-1818) United Kingdom
 India (1947-) |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Location | |
  Kothaligad/ Peth Fort Shown withinMaharashtra | |
| Coordinates | 18°59′32.3″N73°30′45.6″E / 18.992306°N 73.512667°E /18.992306; 73.512667 |
| Height | 4490 Ft. |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Kothaligad (also called Kotligad/ Kothligad/Peth) is a smallfort (3100 ft) situated to the east ofKarjat near Karjat-Murbad Road in theIndianstate ofMaharashtra. It is a famous trek in the Karjat area, because of its small height and easy climbing. It is also known as theFort of Peth because of its vicinity to Peth village at its base.
How to Reach -
Nearest station is Karjat from there
Karjat railway station - Karjat bus depot - catch bus for Ambivali village ( bus name - solangaon Or Jamrug) - reach the top
Also private vehicle are also available (auto Or tum tum) with around 400-600 rupees
There is a smalltemple and largecave at the base and a chimney like tunnel to the top of the fort. This pinnacle is carved from inside forming a staircase reaching the top.There is a tank of water (rock cut water cistern) at some distance from the cave and another one at the top of the fort.[1]The stone is a single black expanse reaching till the Peth village standing on the fertile soil with abundant natural resources for water and farming.
The cave and the temple carvings date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th century. In 1684Aurangjeb sent Abdul Kadir and Alai Biradkar to capture this fort. After a small skirmish, the fort was captured by Abdul Kadir.Aurangjeb honoured Abdul Kadir and renamed this fort as Miftah-ul-Fateh (Key to success). Many attempts were made later to win this fort by theMaratha Army, but they were not successful. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. On 2 November 1817, it was recaptured by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who was general of BajiraoPeshwa. The fort was recaptured by the British on 30 December 1817, by Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862 as an outpost for vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it.
The locals say that this is not actually a fort but a sort of lighthouse from where the directions were given to know the advancements of the enemy. In fact, it can be called awatch tower to keep a vigil on theMawal area in the greater province of the Maratha.
