Kolhapur District
Kolhapur district (Marathi pronunciation: olʱaːpuɾ is a district in the Maharashtra state of India. The city of Kolhapur is its district headquarter. It is situated near Panchaganga river.
It is bordered by the Sangli district to the Nor ...
of Maharashtra is half a mile towards the east of Panhala fort from which it is separated by a
ravine
A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. The chief defense of the fort is a scarped rock fifteen to twenty-five feet high. In most places the steepness of the rock has been increased by artificial scarping and it has been strengthened by a parapet wall of Kolhapur black stone fourteen feet high.
In 1827, under Shahoji I (1821–1837), Pavangad and its neighboring fort
Panhala
Panhala (Pronunciation: ənʱaːɭa is a city and a Hill station Municipal Council (3177 feet above sea level) 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Panhala is the smallest city in Maharash ...
were given over to the British Raj. In 1844, during the minority of
Shivaji IV
Shivaji IV(1816 - January 03, 1822) was Raja of Kolhapur of the Bhonsle dynasty. He ruled from July 02, 1821 to Jan 03, 1822. He was succeeded by Shahaji of Kolhapur
Shahaji (22 January 1802 - 29 November 1838) was Raja of Kolhapur of Bh ...
(1837–1860), Panhala and Pavangad were taken by rebels who seized Colonel Ovans, the Resident of Satara, when he was on tour and imprisoned him in Panhala. A British force under General Delamotte was sent against the rebels and on 1 December 1844 breached Panhala fort walls, took it by storm. Shortly thereafter in 1844, the two main entrances of Pavangad were pulled down and the fort was dismantled. The fort though deserted has a good water supply.