Tung Fort ( mr, तुंग किल्ला/कठिणगड ) (or Kathingad; ''difficult fort'' in Marathi) is a

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 ...

Pune District Pune district (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, 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 I ...

, India.

Location

It is about 12 km from

Malavli Malavli (Marathi: मळवली) is a town and a hill station in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is about 55 km away from the city of Pune, 139 km away from the city Mumbai and 39 km from Chinchwad. It is a major ...

railway station and can also be approached from

Lonavala Lonavala (ISO 15919, ISO: Loṇāvaḷā) is a hill station town and a Municipal Council in the Pune district, Maharashtra, India. It is about west of Pune and to the east of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy ''chikki'' a ...

. Tung Fort has an elevation of 1075 m above sea level. Since Pawna was built, it is now surrounded by water on three sides. One can ferry across in a boat from Pawna dam to its base village, Tungi. Tung fort is also named Kathingad fort. The word "Kathin" in Marathi means difficult. While climbing, one can experience the difficult challenge of reaching this fort. The fort is conical and has steep climbs with a very narrow route on the edge of the mountain throughout. From Pawana dam, reaching this fort requires a 400-metre climb. From Lonavala, one can reach the base village Tungwadi around 20 km via Bushy Dam-INS Shivaji-Peth Shahapur-Tungwadi. From Tungwadi village, reaching this fort requires about a 300-metre climb.

History

Tung Fort was built before 1600 CE. It was built by the

Adil Shahi The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's ...

dynasty but was captured by Chatrapati shivaji maharaj. It is a small fort, and able to hold not more than 200 troops at a time. As such, it would not have been able to defend itself on its own for a long time. Its shape and structure suggest that its main function was as a watchtower overlooking Maval region of the Pawana and Mulshi valleys guarding the road to Pune city. The Dhamale family, one of 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 ...

from the Maval region, was charged with ensuring the security of Tung Fort. During invasion, it served to provide a temporary distraction for invaders. Thus, the major forts of

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 ...

and

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 ...

would have time to prepare themselves to meet the invading army.

Major features

Its sharp, conical peak makes Tung Fort a prominent landmark, even from a distance. It has an oval shape, thick walls and numerous bastions. A steep climb on grassy slopes leads to the ruins of a temple at the summit. A rocky staircase leads several feet down to a water reservoir. From the top of the fort, the

Tikona Tikona also known as Vitandgad) is the dominant hill fort in Maval in western India. It is located near Kamshet around 60 km from Pune. The village nearest to the fort is called Tikona-Peth. The 3500 foot high hill is pyramidal in shape an ...

and Korigad forts are clearly visible. Tung fort 1

References

{{MarathaEmpire Forts in Pune district Lonavala-Khandala Buildings and structures in Lonavala-Khandala Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire 16th-century forts in India Tourist attractions in Pune district Hiking trails in India * Hiking

Location

History

Major features

See also

References