Pratapgad Fort Maharashtra History and Interesting Facts

Pratapgad Fort Quick Facts

Pratapgad Fort Overview

Pratapgarh Fort is an ancient fort located in the Satara district of Indian Maharashtra. Pratapgarh Fort is also known as "Courageous Fort" and is the largest fort in Maharashtra. This fort is one of the forts conquered by Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire and the great warrior of India. The name of Veer Shivaji is one of the warriors of the country who bowed down to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb with his bravery.

Pratapgad Fort History

This historical fort was built by the great warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was completed in the year 1656. The Pratapgarh Fort tells the story of the bravery of the brave warrior Shivaji Maharaj. In the same year on November 10, there was a war between Chhatrapati Shivaji and Afzal Khan at this fort. 20 km from the city. It was in this distant fort that Shivaji killed Afzal Khan and won the battle. In the third war with the British in the year 1818, the Maratha Empire suffered heavy losses and they also lost the Pratapgarh Fort.

Pratapgad Fort Interesting Facts

1. The Fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to protect the banks of the Nira and Koyna rivers and the Par Pass.
2. A temple of Lord Shiva is also established in the north-west of this fort situated at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea.
3. This Fort can be divided into two parts, the lower fort and the upper fort.
4. The upper fort was built on the top of the hill. It is roughly square and is 180 meters long on each side. It has many permanent buildings including a temple for Lord Mahadev. It is located to the north-west of the fort and is surrounded by cliffs with drops of up to 250 meters.
5. In the year 1661, Shivaji Maharaj could not visit the temple of Goddess Bhavani in Tuljapur, so he decided to build a temple of Mata in the fort. This temple is situated on the eastern side of the lower fort. This temple is made of stone and has a stone idol of Maa Kali.
6. The Temple building has been renovated after the original construction, while the original hall had wooden pillars 50′ tall, 30′ wide and 12′ high.
7. The lower fort is about 320 meters long and 110 meters wide. It is situated to the south-east of the fort, which is formed by towers and bastions 10 to 12 meters high.
8. A guest house and a national park were also constructed inside the fort in the year 1960.
9. At present, this fort is owned by Uday Raje Bhosale, the successor of the former Satara princely state.
10. There is also a tomb of Afzal Khan in the south-east part of the fort, which is the main attraction of the fort.
11. In this fort where Shivaji Maharaj made his first victory against Afzal Khan in the year 1659, this victory is considered to be the foundation for the Maratha Empire.
12. Being situated at a height above sea level, this fort is very popular for trekking among tourists. During the trek, you can also enjoy the greenery covered all around.
13. The Fort is 20 kms from the city of Stara, about 25 kms from Mahabaleshwar. and is situated at a distance of 1,080 meters above sea level.
14. You can easily reach Mahabaleshwar through state-run private and government buses, whose fare ranges from Rs 75 to Rs 250. From here you can reach the fort via tempo or auto-rickshaw.