Kothaligad (also called Kotligad/ Kothligad/Peth) is a small
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
(3100 ft) situated to the east of
Karjat
Karjat (Pronunciation: əɾd͡zət̪ is a city administered under a Municipal Council in Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is served by Karjat railway station. Karjat forms a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Karjat ...
near Karjat-Murbad Road in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Maharashtra. It is a famous trek in the Karjat area, because of its small height and easy climbing. It is also known as the ''Fort of Peth'' because of its vicinity to Peth village at its base.
Features
There is a small
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
and large
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
at the base and a chimney like tunnel to the top of the fort. This pinnacle is carved from inside forming a staircase reaching the top.
There is a tank of water (rock cut water cistern) at some distance from the cave and another one at the top of the fort.
The stone is a single black expanse reaching till the Peth village standing on the fertile soil with abundant natural resources for water and farming.
History
The cave and the temple carvings date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th century. In 1684
Aurangjeb sent Abdul Kadir and AlaiBiradkar to capture this fort. After a small skirmish, the fort was captured by Abdul Kadir.
Aurangjeb honored Abdul Kadir and renamed this fort as Miftah-ul-Fateh (Key to success). Many attempts were made later to win this fort by the
Maratha Army
The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in India.
17th century
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, raised a small yet effective l ...
, but they were not successful. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. On 2 November 1817, it was recaptured by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who was general of Bajirao
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...
. The fort was recaptured by the British on 30 December 1817, by Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862 as an outpost for vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it.
The locals say that this is not actually a fort but a sort of lighthouse from where the directions were given to know the advancements of the enemy. In fact, it can be called a
watch tower
A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is t ...
to keep a vigil on the
Mawal area in the greater province of the Maratha.
Image gallery
Image:Down the staircase.jpg, The steep steps of the chimney-like top of the fort are intact and are used by trekkers today.
Image:Koltigad cannon.jpg, Cannons of Kothaligad fort
Image:kothaligad.jpg, Kothaligad
Image:Kotligad Carvings.jpg, Carvings on the walls of Kothaligad fort
Image:Kotligad main entrance.jpg, Main Entrance, Kothaligad Fort
Image:Caves Near the Kotaligad.JPG, Caves Near the Kothaligad Fort
Image:Kotligad fort.jpg, The distinctive chimney-like feature of Kotligad fort
Image:Kothaligad3.jpg, Sculpture on the Pillars
See also
*
List of forts in Maharashtra
This is list of forts in Maharashtra a state of India
# Achala Fort (Nashik)
# Agashi Fort
# Ahmednagar Fort
# Ahivant Fort
# Ajinkyatara
# Akola Fort
# Akluj Fort
# Alang Fort
# Ambolgad
# Anjaneri
# Anjanvel Fort
# Ankai Fort
# Antur Fo ...
*
Marathi People
*
List of Maratha dynasties and states
This is a list of Maratha dynasties and Maratha princely states.
Historical Maratha dynasties with original clans spread globally
† - States annexed by the British East India Company
Maratha Princely States
The Marathas ruled much of ...
*
Maratha War of Independence
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 ...
*
Battles involving the Maratha Empire
*
Maratha Army
The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in India.
17th century
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, raised a small yet effective l ...
*
Maratha titles
The following list includes a brief about the titles of nobility or orders of chivalry used by the Marathas of India and by the Marathis/Konkanis in general.
Titles used by the Maratha Royals
The titles used by royalty, aristocracy and nobili ...
*
Military history of India
The predecessors to the contemporary Army of India were many: the sepoy regiments, native cavalry, irregular horse and Indian sapper and miner companies raised by the three British presidencies. The Army of India was raised under the British R ...
*
List of people involved in the Maratha Empire
This is a listing of people who were involved in the formation and growth of Maratha Empire.
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian power that existed from 1647 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered a territory of over 2. ...
References
External links
*Click her
to see its photosphere of the peak of the Kothaligad fort.
{{MarathaEmpire
Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire
Forts in Raigad district
16th-century forts in India
Caves of Maharashtra
Tourist attractions in Pune district
Indian rock-cut architecture
Former populated places in India
Hiking trails in India
*
Hiking