Sudhagad / Bhorapgad 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 ...
situated 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
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. It lies about west of
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( 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 As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
, south of
Lonavla and east of
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
in
Raigad District
Raigad district (Marathi pronunciation: aːjɡəɖ, previously Colaba district, is a district in the Konkan division of Maharashtra, India.
The district was renamed to Raigad after the fort that was the first capital of the former Marath ...
. The summit is above sea level.
The entire area around the fort is declared a Sudhagad
wildlife sanctuary.
History
The origin of this fort is said to date back to the 2nd century B.C., the same age as the
Thanale Caves
Thanale Caves or Nadsur Caves is a group of 23 Buddhist caves located to the southeast of Mumbai, in western Maharashtra, India, at Thanale Village, Taluka Sudhagad in Raigad, 18 km from Pali.
These caves belong to first century B.C. It ...
and Khadsamble caves nearby. It was then called Bhorapgad
(after its presiding deity, Bhoraidevi). In 1436, it was captured by the
Bahamani Sultan. In 1657, the Marathas took over and renamed it "Sudhagad"(''the sweet one''). It was a large fort and Sudhagad was considered by
Chhatrapati 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 Adilsh ...
as the capital of his kingdom. He surveyed it, but instead chose
Raigad because of its central location.
In the regime of the
Peshwas
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); lat ...
, the ‘Pantsachivas’ of Bhor
became the custodians of this fort. After the annexation of princely states in 1950 the fort became patron less. As a result, the fort is in a state of ruins, even though it escaped the wrath of the British.
Major Features
The first fort has several ruins of two temples dedicated to
Lord Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...
. However, the temple of Bhoraidevi (its patron goddess) is well maintained temple.
On the large plateau at the summit,
there are two lakes, a house, a big granary, some tombs, a shrine (Vrindavan) and numerous other ruins, scattered around the fort area. There are three main gates the largest of which is called the Maha Darwaja.
From the top, other forts like
Sarasgad,
Korigad,
Ghangad
Ghangad is a fort situated near 30km from Lonavla- Khandala and 100 km from Pune in Maharashtra state, India.This fort is an important fort in the Pune district. The fort restoration is done by the Shivaji Trail group with the help of local villa ...
, Taila-Baila are clearly visible.
Current use
Sudhagad is a popular trekking destination as it is one of the better preserved forts in Maharashtra. It takes about 1–2 hours to reach the top of the fort. The trekking route from village Thakurwadi is most popular and regularly used. There are no water cisterns on the way. The night halt at the fort in any season can be made at Pantsachiv wada and Bhorai mata Mandir. There are two water ponds on the fort.
On the slopes of the fort there are trees of
pandhri which are used to make a popular walking stick.
[
]
Gallery
File:Sudhagad entrance 2.jpg, Entrance of Sudhagad
File:Sudhagad 1.jpg, Shiva Temple on the fort
File:Sudhagad 2.jpg, PantsachivWada in Rains
File:Sudhagad 3.jpg, forest around the fort
File:Sudhagad 4.jpg, Bhoraidevi temple
File:Sudhagad entrance.jpg, Entrance of Sudhagad as seen from the higher ramparts of the fort
File:Chor vaat sudhagad.jpg, Secret escape route, Sudhagad fort
File:Sudhagad gates.jpg, Sudhagad main entrance
References
* A rendezvous with Sahyadri by Harshal Mahajan
* 'Sudgagad Darshan', written by Mr. Suresh Potdar
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 ...
* List of forts in India
This is a partial list of forts in India.
Andhra Pradesh
Coastal Region
# Anvika Fort
# Addanki Fort - Prakasam district
# Bellamkonda Fort - Guntur district
# Bobbili Fort – Vizianagaram district
# Dharanikota Fort – Guntur distri ...
* Baji Prabhu Deshpande
Baji Prabhu Deshpande ( 1615–1660) was a commander of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire. Baji Prabhu is linked with an important rear guard battle enabling Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's escape from Panhala fort; he wa ...
* Marathi People
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 ...
* Maratha Navy
The Maratha Navy was the naval wing of the armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from around mid-17th century to mid-18th century in India.
Formative years
Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar noted:
In medieval India, the Muslim rul ...
* 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
The Maratha Conquests were a series of conquests in the Indian subcontinent which led to the building of the Maratha Empire. These conquests were started by Shivaji in 1659, from the victory at the Battle of Pratapgad against Bijapur. The expa ...
* 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. ...
{{MarathaEmpire
Konkan
Lonavala-Khandala
Talukas in Maharashtra
Forts in Raigad district
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