Patta Fort, or Patta Killa, also known as Vishramgad ( mr, पट्टा किल्ला ), is a fort situated between

Nasik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nash ...

and Ahmadnagar in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

, India. The Indian ruler

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 ...

maharaj once visited and rested there. The residents of Patta Killa are known as ''Pattekar'', meaning "residents of Fort Patta". Patta Fort stands approximately above sea level.

History

The fort was located in the

Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan,

. In 1490, when the Bahamani Empire was divided, the fort was taken over by Nizam of

Ahmednagar Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1494 ...

. In 1627, it was conquered by the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. In 1671, Moropant Pingale seized the fort, but the Mughals retook it again in 1672. In 1675, the fort was taken over by Moropant Pingale. Patta was once at the border of the Swarajya.

arrived at this fort in November 1679 after fleeing the battle at Jalnapur. The

Mughal army The Army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 15th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselves, ...

trapped him on three sides. Thanks to

Bahirji Naik Bahirji Naik, (original name Bhairavnath Jadhav), was a 17th century Indian spy and military commander in the army of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a time when the Maratha Empire and Mughal Empire were at war. He was honoured by Shivaji maharaj wi ...

, a spy and military commander, Shivaji was able to reach Patta safely. On 11 January 1688, the fort was occupied by the Mughul army headed by Matabar Khan. He appointed Govindsingh of Bhagur as the fort's chief. Peshwas later seized the fort in 1761. In 1818, the fort was conquered by the British army.

Places to See

Patta Fort is straightforward to climb. During the full moon ( Poornima), the disciples of Laxmangiri Maharaj gather at these caves. The 'Ambarkhana' is a large, newly reconstructed hall which can accommodate about 200 visitors for overnight stays. A rock-cut cistern exists near Ambarkhana. With villagers' help, the forest department has developed pathways, steps, and a gazebo around the fort. Many wind turbines have been erected on the way to Pattewadi, constructed by

Enercon Enercon GmbH is a wind turbine manufacturer based in Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany. It has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-1990s. Enercon has production facilities in Germany (Aurich, Emden and Magdeburg), Brazil, India, Canada, ...

. In the ''Bhavarth Ramayana'' written by Eknath, Patta Fort and Aundha Fort are mentioned.

Gallery

File: Palace View.jpg, Palace on Patta Fort "Ambarkhana" File:Patta top.jpg, Top of Patta Fort File: view of Darna dam.jpg, View of Darna valley from Patta Fort File:Patta1.jpg, Ambarkhana File:Patta2.jpg, Pattai Devi Temple File:Patta3.jpg, Trymbak Darwaja File:Patta4.jpg, Wind turbines on the way File:WP 20160207 09 32 25 Pro.jpg, Cave on the fort File:Patta5.jpg, Aundha Fort seen at left from Patta

References

{{MarathaEmpire Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire Forts in Nashik district 16th-century forts in India