Tikona also known as Vitandgad) is the dominant
hill fort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
in
Maval
Maval is a tehsil in a subdivision of the same name, in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India.
Description
The word Maval is derived from a Marathi word ''Maval'', meaning the direction in which the sun sets. This region is towards the west ...
in western India. It is located near
Kamshet
Kamshet is located in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India, 110 km from Mumbai City, and 45 km from Pune in Pune district. It is 16 km from the twin hill stations of Khandala and Lonavala and is accessible by road a ...
around 60 km from
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
. The village nearest to the fort is called Tikona-Peth. The 3500 foot high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means "triangular".
The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', seven water tanks (seven water tanks), and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pavana dam and the nearby forts of
Tung,
Lohagad
Lohagad is one of the many hill forts of Maharashtra state in India. Situated close to the hill station Lonavala and northwest of Pune, Lohagad rises to an elevation of above sea level. The fort is connected to the neighboring Visapur for ...
and
Visapur
Visapur is a small village near the town of Dapoli, in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra state in Western India. The 2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and popul ...
. There is a good view of Pavana lake from the summit.
History
![Tikona fort ramparts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Tikona_fort_ramparts.jpg)
Little is known about the origins of this fort. There is a
vihara on the fort datable to circa seventh-eight centuries A.D.
Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I
Malik Ahmed Nizam Shah ( fa, ) was the founder of the Nizam Shahi dynasty and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.
Ahmed was the son of the Nizam ul-Mulk Malik Hasan Bahri, a Hindu Brahmin from Beejanuggar (or Bijanagar) originally named Timapa who conve ...
of the Nizam Shahi dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 and annexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657,
Shivaji Maharaj
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 Adils ...
brought the whole of
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of
Karnala,
Lohgad,
Mahuli
Mahuli is an area of the Indian state of Maharashtra, covering about 6km. It is approximately 75km north-east of Mumbai in the 421601 postcode.
Features
Mahuli Fort, located 2815 ft above sea level, is a popular trekking and rock clim ...
, Songad,
Tala, and
Visapur
Visapur is a small village near the town of Dapoli, in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra state in Western India. The 2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and popul ...
. This fort was a strategic nexus: the centre of control for the entire Pawana Mawal region. In 1660, Dhamale family, the
Deshmukh
Deshmukh (IAST:Dēśamukh), is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a . It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whose family received it as a ...
s from Maval region were charged with ensuring the security of fort Tikona.It was under the Dhamale Deshmukh family for a long time. Jaysingh invaded the region in 1665 and attacked the local villages but the forts held out. Tikona fort was surrendered to the
Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halal Khan and others, according to the
Treaty of Purandar signed on 12 June 1665. Kubad Khan took over the fort on 18 June but it was later recaptured by the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
. In 1682 King Sambhaji met Aurangzeb's son Akbar. After the meeting the Akbar was offered to stay on Tikona fort, however, he was shifted to Jaitapur as the climate didn't suit him. A small battle was fought by the Maratha army with the British in 1818 before it was captured by the latter.
How to reach
The nearest town is
Kamshet
Kamshet is located in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India, 110 km from Mumbai City, and 45 km from Pune in Pune district. It is 16 km from the twin hill stations of Khandala and Lonavala and is accessible by road a ...
which is 51;km from
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
. The base village of the fort is Tikona peth which is 26 km from Kamshet. There are good hotels at Kamshet, now tea and snacks are also available in small hotels at Tikonapeth and Kale colony. The trekking path starts from the hillock south of the parking area near Tikonapeth. The route is very safe and wide. There are few trees on the trekking route. It takes about an hour to reach the entrance gate of the fort. There are very steep and high, which makes the climb a thrilling experience. There is very little space in the fort. It is advisable not to accompany large groups for climbing the fort. The steps are so narrow that only a single person can climb at a time. The night stay on the fort can be made in the caves either near the entrance of the fort or on the top of the fort. The villagers from the local fort restoration committee in the Tikonapeth make night stay and food arrangements at a reasonable cost. The
Bedse
Bedse is a village in Mawal taluka of Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It encompasses an area of .
Administration
The village is administrated by a sarpanch, an elected representative who leads a gram panchayat. At the time ...
caves which are on the way from Kamshet can also be visited on the way to Tikona on the same day
[How to reach Tikona fort:https://www.india.com/travel/articles/monsoon-treks-near-mumbai-how-to-reach-tikona-aka-vitangad-hill-fort-in-maharashtra-3228719/]
Gallery
File:Tikona fort 9.jpg, Main gate of the Fort
File:Tikona4.jpg, Limestone Crusher
File:Tikona5.jpg, Rock cut steps
File:Tikona2.jpg, The temple
File:Tikona3.jpg, The trek path in Rainy season
File:Tikona fort2.jpg, Rockcut water cistern on the fort
File:Tikona7.jpg, Caves on the fort
File:Tikona8.jpg, Idol of Veer maruti
References
Tikona Trek Info, TIkona Fort
{{MarathaEmpire
Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire
Forts in Pune district
16th-century forts in India
Hiking trails in India
*
Hiking