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Torna Fort, also known as Prachandagad, is a large fort located in Pune district, in the
This fort is believed to have been constructed by the Shiva Panth in the 13th century. A Menghai Devi temple, also referred to as the Tornaji temple, is situated near the entrance of the fort. Malik Ahmed, a Bahamani ruler, captured this fort during the reign of Alauddin Khilji during the late 1470s.
In 1646, Shivaji captured this fort at the age of sixteen , thus making it one of the first forts that would become one of the forts of the Maratha empire.
Shivaji renamed the fort ' 'Prachandagad' ' as ''Torna'', and constructed several monuments and towers within it. After capturing the fort, whilst repairing the fort and digging ruins, he discovered large quantities of gold buried in some unknown time. He used it to build Rajgarh fort among others.
In the 18th century, the
File:Kille torna zunjar machi.jpg, Torna fort with the ''zunjar machi'' fortification on right
File:069torna2.jpg,
File:Zunzar Machi at Torna.jpg, Zunzar Machi at Torna
File:Budhla Machi.jpg, Budhla Machi at Torna
File:Way to Torna.jpg, Way to Torna
File:Torna from Budhla Machi.jpg, Torna from Budhla Machi
File:Way to Rajgad from Torna.jpg, Way to Rajgad from Torna
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. It is historically significant because it was the first fort captured by Shivaji I in 1646, at the age of 16. The hill has an elevation of above sea level, making it the highest hill-fort in the district. The name derives from ''Prachanda'' ( Marathi for huge or massive) and ''gad'' ( Marathi for fort).
History
This fort is believed to have been constructed by the Shiva Panth in the 13th century. A Menghai Devi temple, also referred to as the Tornaji temple, is situated near the entrance of the fort. Malik Ahmed, a Bahamani ruler, captured this fort during the reign of Alauddin Khilji during the late 1470s.
In 1646, Shivaji captured this fort at the age of sixteen , thus making it one of the first forts that would become one of the forts of the Maratha empire.
Shivaji renamed the fort ' 'Prachandagad' ' as ''Torna'', and constructed several monuments and towers within it. After capturing the fort, whilst repairing the fort and digging ruins, he discovered large quantities of gold buried in some unknown time. He used it to build Rajgarh fort among others.
In the 18th century, the Mughal empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
briefly gained control of this fort after the assassination of Shivaji's son Sambhaji. Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
, the Mughal emperor, renamed this fort ''Futulgaib'' in recognition of the difficult defense the Mughals had to overcome to capture this fort. It was restored to the Maratha confederacy by the Treaty of Purandar.
Location
The fort is about 50 km via Pabe ghat southwest ofPune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
in the Western Ghats of the Sahyadri mountain ranges at the base village Velhe. One can go from Pune via Satara road and take right at Nasarapur village. This distance is near about 65 km. It is the highest fort in the Pune district.The distance from nasrapur is 30 km. The private vehicles are available from Pune and Nasrapur to velhe(village at the foothill).
Tourism
The Torna Fort is a popular destination for trekkers specially after the south-west monsoon, from September to December. Staying at fort isn't allowed as per orders of District Collector, everyone is asked to leave the fort after 5:00pm. The Raigad, Lingana, Rajgad, Purandar fort, Sinhagad are some forts that can be seen from Torna. Other places that are visible from the fort include the Budhla Machi, Zungar Machi, Kothi Darwaja, Konkan Darwaja, Menghaigoddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
, Bini Darwaja, Sadar, and the Toranji goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
.
Gallery
References
{{Forts in Maharashtra Forts in Pune district