Chavand ( mr, चावंड किल्ला) is a hill fortress situated 30 km from the modern-day town of Naryangoan in
Junnar Taluka
Junnar taluka is a taluka (subdivision) of the Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is northernmost taluka of the District.The area is well known for two of the Ashtavinayak temples at Lenyadri and Ozar respectively. The taluka ...
of
Pune district
Pune district (Marathi pronunciation: uɳeː is the most populous district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The district's population was 9,429,408 in the 2011 census, making it the fourth most populous district amongst India's 640 district ...
in
Maharashtra, India. The fort, which rises above sea level, is located in the
Sahyadri mountain range. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege. This is one of the forts known as the 'Famous 5'. Chavaand, Hadsar,
Shivneri
Shivneri Fort (Marathi pronunciation: iʋneɾiː is a 17th-century military fortification located near Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra, India. It is the birthplace of Shivaji, the emperor and founder of Maratha Empire.
History
Shivneri ...
,
Jivdhan
Jivdhan (or Jeevdhan) is a hill fortress situated 1 km near the modern day town of Ghatghar in Junnar Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, India. The fort, which rises above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. The for ...
and Naneghat form the Famous 5 trek. The fort has remnants of construction that are more than 800 years old. Village of Chavandwadi lies at the base of the fort. Under the rule of
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adil ...
, this was known as Prasannagad.
History
Founder of Nizam Dynasty,
Nizam Ahmed, was the first Nizamshah who acquired the fort of Chavand after the dissolution of the
Bahmanid Empire
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, . The seventh Nizamshah was Burhanshah II. Bahadurshah's grandson was imprisoned 1594 and was taken away to this fort. Bahadurshah is the nephew of Chandbibi. In 1636, the Mughals got the fort of Chavand by signing a treaty with the Nizams. On 1 May 1818, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
forces captured the fort
Geography
Chavand fort is approximately 20 km away from the city of Junnar in Pune district, and is a popular destination for trekkers and adventure enthusiasts as well . There is a varied flora and fauna around the foothills of the Chavand fort trek. There are 12 various species of birds to observe. The base village of the Chavand Fort is Chavandwadi village.
There is a huge stone door called the Mahadarwaja which is still structurally intact. There is a Chamunda Devi Mandir on the fort along with a few remnants of a cannon as well. There are seven water tanks carved out of a single stone. The top of the fort offers splendid views of the neighbouring regions along with views of forts like Shivneri, Jivdhan and Hadsar. One can also see the seven tanks, the Kukadi river and the Manikdoh dam.
References
Forts in Pune district
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