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Sinhagad



 
 
Sinhagad or Sinhgad (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
, Marathi: ??????) meaning Lion Fort, is a fortress located roughly 20 kilometres southwest of the city of Pune
Pune

Pune ,Pune is the administrative capital of Pune district and the 7th Metro city of India.Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD....
, India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. It is situated on a hill rising 800 metres above the surrounding countryside.






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View From Sinhagad Pune Darwaja
Sinhagad or Sinhgad (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
, Marathi: ??????) meaning Lion Fort, is a fortress located roughly 20 kilometres southwest of the city of Pune
Pune

Pune ,Pune is the administrative capital of Pune district and the 7th Metro city of India.Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD....
, India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. It is situated on a hill rising 800 metres above the surrounding countryside. Previously called Kondana (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
: ???????), the fort has been the site of many important battles, most notably the battle of Sinhagad
Battle of Sinhagad

The Battle of Sinhagad was a night battle that took place on February 4, 1670 in the fort of Sinhagad, near the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India....
 in 1670. It was also strategically located at the center of a string of other forts such as Rajgad
Rajgad

Rajgad , literally meaning King of forts, is one of the most impressive forts of Maharashtra state in India. Situated in the Pune district, the fort is approximately 4250 feet above sea level....
, Purandar
Purandar fort

Purandar fort figures repeatedly in the rising of Shivaji against the Bijapur kingdom and the Mughals. Purandhar fort stands 4,472 ft. above the sea in the Western Ghats, 20 miles southeast of Pune....
 and Torna
Torna Fort

Torna Fort or Prachandagad is a large fort located in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is historically significant as one of the first forts to be captured by Shivaji in 1643, forming the nucleus of the Maratha empire....
.

Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range of the Sahyadri Mountains, its height above sea-level is 1380 metres. Given natural protection by its very steep slopes, the walls and bastions were constructed at only key places; it has two gates – the Kalyan Darwaza in the south-east and the Pune Darwaza in the north-east.

History

This fort has been quite a long history, referred to as 'Kundhana 'in a Persian poem named 'Shahanama-e-Hind', dating back to 1350 A.D. It was called 'Kondana' after the sage Kaundinya
Kaundinya

Kaundinya also known as Ajnata Kaundinya was a Buddhist bhikkhu in the sangha of Gautama Buddha and the first to become an arahant. He lived during 6th century BCE in what is now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India....
. The Kaundinyeshwar temple, the caves and the carvings indicate that this fort had probably been built two thousand years back. It was captured from the Koli tribal chieftain, Nag Naik, by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1328 AD.

Shahaji Bhosale, as the commander of Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Ibrahim Adil Shah I

Ibrahim Adil Shah I was a sultan and later shah of the Indian kingdom of Bijapur. He succeeded his elder brother, Mallu Adil Shah, through the machinations of the afaqi faction at the court....
, was entrusted with the control of the Pune region. His son Shivaji
Shivaji

Shivaji Bhosle , commonly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji was younger of the two sons of Shahaji and Jijabai....
, however, refused to accept the Adilshahi and initiated the task of setting up Swarajya. He gained control of Kondana in 1647 by bribing Siddi Amber, the Adilshahi Sardar who controlled the fort. In 1649, it had to be handed over to Adil Shah for Shahaji Maharaj's freedom. Shivaji Maharaj soon captured it back. Unfortunately it went into the hands of the Mughal army chief Mirzaraje Jaysingh, in the year 1665. In 1670, Shivaji Maharaj re-conquered this fort and then it stayed under Maratha rule till 1689. After the death of Sambhaji
Sambhaji

Sambhaji Raje Bhonsle was the eldest son of the Maratha Empire founder Shivaji, and succeeded him as the Chhatrapati or the High Protector of the Maratha Empire....
 death, the Mughals regained control over. Again in 1693 the Marathas captured it. Rajaram died on Sinhagad on the 3rd of March 1700 & in 1703 Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb Aurangzeb ruled India for 48 years, bringing a larger area under Mughal rule than ever before . He is generally regarded as the last Great Mughal ruler....
 conquered it. In 1707, it once again went into the hands of the Marathas and remained with them till 1818, when the British conquered it.

Battle of Sinhagad

One of the most famous battles for Sinhagad was fought to recapture the fort by Tanaji Malusare
Tanaji Malusare

Tanaji Malusare , also known as Sinha , was a renowned warrior and military leader in the army of Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire in 17th century India....
, a general of Shivaji
Shivaji

Shivaji Bhosle , commonly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji was younger of the two sons of Shahaji and Jijabai....
 in March 1670. A steep cliff leading to the fort was scaled with the help of a ghorpad, or a monitor lizard. Thereafter, there ensued fierce battles between Tanaji and his men, and the fortkeeper Udaybhan Rathod and his army. Tanaji lost his life, but his brother Suryaji took over and captured Kondana.

Upon hearing of Tanaji's death, Shivaji expressed his remorse with the words: "Gad aala pan sinha gela" - "We gained the fort, but lost the lion". In honor of Tanaji's death, the fort was renamed as Sinhagad. A bust of Tanaji has been established on the fort in memory of his contribution to the battle.

Lokmanya Tilak

More recently, during the 20th century, Lokmanya Tilak, the Indian freedom fighter, built a bungalow atop the fort. Also, Gandhiji is said to have asked for water from it whenever he was imprisoned in the nearby town of Pune
Pune

Pune ,Pune is the administrative capital of Pune district and the 7th Metro city of India.Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD....
.

Present Day

Sinhagad
Parts of the once extensive fortification are now in ruins, but visitors still sense how the fort acted as an active military outpost. It is a popular weekend destination for many residents of Pune, with some enthusiasts trekking to the top of the fort from the base near Sinhagad village. The site also houses a memorial to Tanaji as well as the tomb of Rajaram
Rajaram, Chhatrapati

Shrimant Rajaram Shivaji Raje Bhonsle Chhatrapati Maharaj was the younger son of the first Chhatrapati Shivaji, stepbrother of the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji, and took over the Maratha Empire as the third Chhatrapati after his brother was tortured and killed by the Mughal Empire Emperor, Aurangzeb in 1689....
, Shivaji's younger son, who also died here. Visitors can see the military stables, brewery and a Kali (godddess) temple along with a Hanuman statue much to the right side of the temple, as well as the historic gates.

The fort is also part of training at National Defence Academy
National Defence Academy (India)

The National Defence Academy of India located in Khadakwasla, Pune, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Army, Navy and Air Force are trained together before they go for their pre-commission training to their respective academies....
, Khadakwasla
Khadakwasla

Khadakwasla is a small calm and quiet place which is situated 20 km from Pune. There is a dam is one of the main sources of water for the city of Pune....
. Cadets from the academy are regularly sent on a hikes and runs from NDA to Sinhagad in full battle gear to build endurance and stamina. The fort also houses a television tower for broadcasting local TV signals.

See also

  • Tanaji Malusare
    Tanaji Malusare

    Tanaji Malusare , also known as Sinha , was a renowned warrior and military leader in the army of Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire in 17th century India....
  • Shivaji
    Shivaji

    Shivaji Bhosle , commonly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji was younger of the two sons of Shahaji and Jijabai....
  • List of forts in Maharashtra
    List of forts in Maharashtra

    The following is a list of forts in the Indian state of Maharashtra.See also:Category:Forts in MaharashtraExternal Links ...
  • Sinhagad Express
    Sinhagad Express

    Sinhagad Express is an express train that plies daily between the cities of Pune and Mumbai in India. It is operated by the Indian Railways and comes under the Central Railway zone and is one of the six point-to-point express trains that carry thousands of passengers daily between Pune and Mumbai, the other five being Pragati Express, Decca...
  • Battle of Sinhagad
    Battle of Sinhagad

    The Battle of Sinhagad was a night battle that took place on February 4, 1670 in the fort of Sinhagad, near the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India....


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