Purandar fort

The mountain on which the fort is constructed was known as the Indraneel Parvat. As per Hindu mythology, this mountain was created when Lord Hanuman was carrying the Dronagiri mountain range, a portion of land slipped from the hands of him. Purandhar Fort situated 1.5 km west of Sasvad or about 40 km south of Pune via National Highway 04, is a hill fort known for its distinctive location. It occupies one of the highest points in the Sahyadris,

The fort then fell into the hands of the Nizamshahi rulers in1484 AD who controlled the fort for a long spell of over hundred years. The fort was then passed on to Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Shivaji, in the year 1596. Shivaji Maharaj took over the fort in 1646 after a long struggle with the Mughal Empire. The Mughals, however, won it back from Shivaji in 1665 under the leadership of Jai Singh and Dilir Khan after an intense battle with Murar Baji Prabhu, the brave commander of the fort, who lost his life while protecting it.  The treaty of Purandar was signed after this epic battle in which Shivaji agreed to surrender 23 of his forts to the powerful Mughal Empire.  He, however, recaptured the fort of Purandar from the Mughals in the year 1670 AD.

One of the highest forts in Maharashtra, it has two levels: the upper or Ballekilla with precipitous side all around and the lower part or Machi about 300 meters is relatively plain. The northern end of the machi houses a number of new and old monuments which includes the 'Dilli Darwaza' at the eastern extremity of the fort. Machi also compressing the cantonment area of the fortification. The north facing darwaza is flanked by two lions on either side. A narrow path from here will lead to Kandakada, which boasts a huge rock located in the east. From here there are fine views of Vajragad, the fortified lower hill immediately to the east and the Bhima valley below.

A set of stairs that start from this point lead you directly to the upper level of the fort via Ganesh Darwaza. This winding path takes you to the highest part of the fort which is home to the Mahadev temple which is also known as the Kedareshwar temple.  The Rameshwar temple, Purandar machi, Bhairav Khind and Padmavati Lake are some other attractions worth exploring.

This fort provides plenty of opportunity for rock climbing. Trekking up Purandar is not very difficult because the climb is not very steep. Once on the top the place provides a panoramic view of the surrounding areas. It takes about three and a half hours to get to the fort from the base village which is Narayanpur and about 45 minutes from Purandeshwar mandir.

 Picture Courtesy: Chetan Godbole