| Sinhagad | |
|---|---|
| Pune District,Maharashtra, India | |
 Sinhagad Fort | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fort |
| Location | |
  Sinhagad Sinhagad (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates | 18°21′56.39″N73°45′18.97″E / 18.3656639°N 73.7552694°E /18.3656639; 73.7552694 |
| Height | 1,317 metres (4,321 ft) |
Sinhagad (also known as theLion's Fort) is an ancient hillfortress located at around 28 kilometres southwest of the city ofPune, India. Previously known asKondhana, the fort has been the site of many battles, most notably theBattle of Sinhagad in 1670.[1]
The fort is a popular weekend destination for the residents of Pune. A road directly leads up to the summit of the fort. Hikers can get access to the summit from the base of the fort, with the trek involving a one-way walk of 2.7 km (1.6 miles), gaining approximately 600 metres (1950 feet) in elevation.[2] Shared taxi services to the base as well as the summit are also available.
Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range in theSahyadri Mountains, the fort is situated on a hill about 760 metres (2,490 ft) above ground and 1,317 metres (4,321 ft) above mean sea level.[3][4] On clear day, other forts associated with the Maratha empire, such asRajgad,Purandar andTorna, can be seen from Sinhagad.
Sinhagad was strategically built to provide natural protection from the enemies due to the very steep slopes of the hill it was built upon. There are two entry gates called Pune darwaja and Kalyan darwaja to get into fort. Pune darwaja is towards north east while the Kalyan darwaja is towards the southeast.[5]
The fort houses memorials of the Maratha general,Tanaji Malusare as well as that ofRajaram I, the third MarathaChhatrapati. The original commemorative memorial of Tanaji Malusare was unearthed by the restoration workers in February 2019. The stone structure was found buried under cement, concrete, and layers of oil paint and is believed to be around 350 years old.[6] There is military stable, a brewery and a temple of the goddessKali along with aHanuman statue to the right side of the temple.
The fort also houses a television relay tower set up in 1973 for relaying signals from MumbaiDoordarshan TV to Pune.[7]
The Sinhagad was initially known as "Kondhana" after the sageKaundinya.
Until 14th century, the fort was held byNag Naik. Nag Nayak was worshipped as a symbol of strength and held power over the strategically important mountain fortress. The fort was captured by forces ofMuhammad bin Tughluq in 1328 fromKoli chieftainNag Naik after a siege of eight months and became part ofDelhi Sultanate.[8][9] It later became part ofBahmani Sultanate in mid 1300s followed by theAhmadnagar Sultanate in late 1400s andSultanate of Bijapur in late 1500s.[10]
Shahaji Bhosale, as the commander ofIbrahim Adil Shah II ofSultanate of Bijapur was entrusted with the control of the Pune region. His sonShivaji, refused to accept theAdilshahi and initiated the task of setting up Swarajya. Shivaji gained control of Kondana in 1647 by convincing Siddi Amber, the Adilshahi Sardar who controlled the fort, that he, the son of Shahaji Bhosale, could manage the fort's defences optimally.Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande played a key role in this activity. Adil Shah jailed Siddi Amber for this treasonous act and schemed to get it back. He imprisoned Shahaji Bhosale for a concocted crime and informed Shivaji. In 1649, Adil Shah traded the fort for Shahaji's release.
Shivaji recaptured it in 1656 again with the help ofBapuji Mudgal Deshpande who convinced the Fort commander by giving land in the newly createdKhed Shivapur village and peacefully gained control of the fort.
This fort saw attacks by Mughals in 1662, 1663, and 1665. In 1664,Shaista Khan, a Mughal general, tried to bribe the people of the fort to hand it over to him but was unsuccessful. Through theTreaty of Purandar in 1665, that Shivaji entered into with Mughal general Mirza RajaJai Singh I, the fort passed into the Mughal hands.
In 1670,Shivaji reconquered the fort for the third time through hisKoli Subedar,[11]Tanaji Malusare inBattle of Sinhagad, and the fort came and stayed under Maratha rule till 1689 A.D.[12] A steep cliff leading to the fort was scaled in the dead of the night with the help of a tamedmonitor lizard named "Yashwanti", colloquially known as a Ghorpad.[13][14] Thereafter, a fierce battle ensued between Tanaji and his men versus the Mughal army headed by Udaybhan Singh Rathod, a Rajput Sardar who had control of the fort. Tanaji Malusare lost his life, but his brother Suryaji took over and captured the Kondana, now known as Sinhagad.[15] There is an anecdote that upon hearing of Tanaji's death, Shivaji expressed his remorse with the words, "Gad ala, pan Sinha gela" - "The Fort is conquered, but the Lion is lost". Thus the fort was named as Sinhagad. A bust of Tanaji Malusare was established on the fort in memory of his contribution to the battle.[16]
After the death ofSambhaji, the Mughals regained control of the fort. The Marathas headed by "Sardar Balkawade", recaptured it in 1693.Rajaram I took asylum in this fort during a Mogul raid on Satara. He died at the Fort on 3 March 1700 A.D. In 1703,Aurangzeb re-conquered the fort. In 1706, it once again went into the hands of the Marathas. Panaji Shivdev ofSangola, Visaji Chafer, and Shankar Narayan, thePant Sachiv played a key role in this battle.
The fort remained under Maratha's rule till the year 1817. The more than one century of the Maratha rule saw the fort serving as a refuge from hostile forces attacking Pune, or as a place of confinement for rebels.[17]
During theThird Anglo-Maratha War in 1817, theEast India Company General Pritzler laid siege to the fort on the orders ofMountstuart Elphinstone, the company resident in Pune, and it passed into the British hands. The British retained it until 1947 post which it became part of Republic of India.
.jpg)
The fort has played a vital role in India's freedom struggle.Bal Gangadhar Tilak also known as 'The Father of Indian Unrest', used the fort as a summer retreat. It is here whereMahatma Gandhi had a historic meeting with Tilak after his return from South Africa. The bungalow has his bust at the entrance.[18]
A television relay station tower was set up in 1973 for broadcasting theDoordarshan TV to the city of Pune.[19]
.jpg)
