Panhala Fort Kolhapur Information, Story, Points, Location, History

Panhala Fort Kolhapur Iiformation, Story, Points, Location, History

Panhala Fort

Panhala Fort is one such location in Maharashtra that holds a lot of historical and cultural relevance. It is one of the most popular destinations in Maharashtra. After visiting the Panhala Fort Kolhapur, you will get many ideas about the state’s history and historical events. Also, this Fort’s architecture and features are mentioned. In this article, I will mention all the information about Panhala Fort that you need to know to plan a visit there. So keep on reading about this Fort.

Where is Panhala Fort?

Panhala Fort is one of the largest forts in Deccan, located 20 km northwest of Kolhapur in the state of Maharashtra.

Timings of Panhala Fort:

6 am to 6 pm

Entry fee of Panhala Fort

No entry fee

How to reach Panhala Fort?

Kolhapur is the nearest city to reach the Panhala Fort. The nearest Airport is the Kolhapur Airport, about 25 km away, and the nearest railway station is the Kolhapur railway station, which is 27 km away from the Fort. FroFortlhapur, you will get buses to Panhala, which will take about 2 hours to reach here. Also, you can travel from Mumbai or Pune to reach this Fort. Fortne, the distance to the Fort is about 232 km, and it would take around 5 hours to get here via the Mumbai- Satara Highway. From Mumbai, the distance to this Fort is 3Fortm, and it would take more than 7 hours and 30 minutes to reach there by road.

The best time to visit the Panhala Fort

According to the weather, you can ideally visit here any time of the year. The temperature remains moderate most of the time, so that would not be much of an issue. However, the monsoon season is not ideal for a visit to this Fort. The hiking trail gets really slippery, and it can also be inconvenient to travel during the rains. You can choose the winter season for the best experience.

Overview of Panhala Fort

Panhala Fort or Panhalgad or Panhalla Fort means the home of serpents. One of the massive forts in India, the strategic location of this Fort makes it an alluring location for a visit. Because of the zigzag structure of this Fort, the Fort also has a name, the Fort of Snakes. Moreover, this Fort is one of the forts that hold a lot of relevance culturally and historically. At one point in time, this Fort was also a major trade route from Bijapur within Maharashtra due to its strategic location across the Arabian Sea Coast. For history buffs and nature lovers, this Fort is one of the ideal destinations to visit. Also, one thing that is popular here is trekking. This is also a popular spot among trekkers, and adventure lovers find it alluring to visit this location.

This massive Fort has Fortnd 7 km of fortification with three double-walled gates. And these gates are huge in size. You will find bastions, parapets and ramparts dotted around this Fort alonForte green slopes of Sahydri. At various times, rulers, such as the Marathas, the Mughals, and the Bahamas, ruled over this Fort. This Fort was Fortified as the residence of the great Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj and the Queen Regent of Kolhapur, Tarabai. The Indo-Islamic architecture of this Fort is one of its most alluring features.

Who made it Panhala Fort?

Raja Bhoja founded the Old Panhala Fort in the 12th century, from 1178 to 1209. Later, however, the Marathas modified the Fort when Forty was ruling over it.

Panhala Fort Story

King Bhoja II of Shilahara built this massive Fort with 15 others between the years of 1178 and 1209 BCE. The main aim behind the building of this Fort was Forter’s administration of the Fort. During that time, the political significance and ownership of the Fort changed, and because of that, the Fort was under the rule of many rulers. After the rule of Raja Bhoja, the Singhanias took over this Fort as new rulers. Also, they were the most powerful among the Devgiri Yadavas. Later, during the 1400s, the Bahamanis of Bidar ruled over this Fort. For more than a hundred years till 1500, the major fortification took place in the Fort. FroForte’s creation of complexes, bastions, and ramparts is everything that happened during the rule of Adil Shahi Sultanate of Bijapur.

After the death of the general of Bijapur, Afzal Khan, in 1659, the Fort was Fortr, under the rule of the Marathas. The great Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji took over this Fort. DurForthis reigned for 20 years, and this Fort flouted to its fullest until his death. A 52 kg bronze statue of the king is also inside the Fort to honour his efforts and rule. However, after his death, the opponents had new opportunities to seize over the Fort. At Fortt in 1680, after the death of Shivaji, the power went to his son Sambhaji in 1689. After the fall of Raigad, Panhala was also the de facto capital of the Marathas.

It was the Mughals then who set their eyes on this Fort. MugFortemperor Aurangzeb tried to attack this Fort to gain power and control over the Panhala Fort. During that time, the Panhala Fort was under the rule of Rajaram’s widow Tarabai. She had established an autonomous rule along with a separate state of Kolhapur. The Panhala Fort was the state’s leading centre of power and capital. During the first few formative years, Tarabai stayed in this Fort, and Fort she got the support and won over the trust of the officials as well as the subjects.

Later, in 1827, the Fort came under British rule. But in 1844, a British Colonel was held hostage inside this Fort. This incident changed the course of this Fort. The British forces kept this fort undetected until 1947, the time of the Independence of India.

Architecture of Panhala Fort

One of the most striking features of the architecture here is the Panhala Fort Points. These portions of this fort make Fortone one of the most unique forts, too.

  • Andhra Bhavadi

One of the chief features of the Fort, the Fortar Bhavadi, makes this fort veryFortque. Adil Shah commissioned most of the fortifications here and wanted a fort within the Fort itself. The idea was to handle emergencies like that. Andhra Bhavadi means Hidden Well. This was a three-storey structure that was used for the main water storage. This was kept away from the enemies as well to protect it from poisoning by the enemies. This area also has its residential quarters and soldier posting recesses as well. Other than that, there were also escape routes that led to outside the Fort. Also, the Bhavadi acted as the second-level firewall to protect the core of the Fort.

  • Amba Fortna

Located at the centre of Fort AmbaFortna were three granaries. These granaries were made in the Bijapur style of architecture. The three granaries are Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati Kothis. The Ganga Kothi was the largest, and it had the capacity to hold 25,000 Khandis. Here, 1 Khandi is equal to 650 lbs.

This covers a total area of 950 sq km with a height of 10. 5 meters. There were stairs on both sides by which one could lead to the top of the buildings. In total, there are 16 bays, each with its own flat vault. Also, on each granary, there were holes on top, which were used to put the grain inside. There is a domed structure on the eastern entrance and a balcony. Further, this balcony has plasterwork that follows the Bijapuri style. These granaries helped Shivaji Maharaj sustain a long seize of 5 months of Siddhi Johar just before the famous battle of Pavan Khind.

  • Kalavantinicha Mahal

This is basically a terrace room used for courtesans. At present, the structure is in ruins after the British dismantled it. However, you can still notice the beautiful ornate inscriptions on the wall. There are intricate carvings on the ceilings as well, which is a major attraction for tourists. During the Bahamani rule, they used this Mahal as the residence of the court ladies.

  • Sajja Kothi

This one-story structure was built by Ibrahim Adil Shah in 1500 CE as a viewing pavilion overlooking the valley. On his father’s orders, Shivaji, this chamber also served as Shambhaji’s imprisonment chamber.

  • Teen Darwaza

The Panhala fort is also famous for its Teen Darwaza or Three Doorways. These massive doorways were used to welcome both guests and enemies. Teen Darwaza was the first doorway, and on the first entrance, you will find a Persian inscription along with various carved motifs, including the motif of Lord Ganesha, one of the worshipped deities of the Marathas. During one of their sieges, the British had destroyed the second door, which is the Char Darwaza. The last one, the Wagh Darwaza, is more like an illusion. It has a small courtyard behind it. Most enemies used to be trapped and defeated here when they tried to intrude.

  • Rajdindi Bastion

This is one of the secret exits from this massive Fort. MaiFortShivaji Maharaj used this exit during the Battle of Pavan Khind. This is one of the very few structures in Panhala Fort that still stands intact for visitors.

Current status of the Fort

The Fort of Tarabai is one of the structures with its old charm. Currently, this area is used as a school, government offices, and a boy’s hostel. Most of the Fort is iFortins today. However, this is still one of the famous hill stations many tourists love visiting. It is also a protected area where many monuments are protected under the Archaeological Survey of India. Some temples and mausoleums are also present here. Some notable ones are Sambhaji, Ambabai, Someshwar, Mahakali, Mausoleum of Jijabai, etc.

Wrapping Up!

Now that you have all the information about Panhala Fort plan a trip there as soon as possible. After all, a destination like this should be noticed. Let me know if this article on Panhala Fort is helpful for you when planning a trip to the location.

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