Avchitgad is a

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

located in the Sahyadri ranges 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 ...

. The fort is situated near Roha in the

Raigad district Raigad district (), previously Colaba fort, Colaba district, is a district in the Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The headquarters of the district is Alibag. Other major cities in the district are Panvel, Karjat, Navi Mumbai, Khopoli, Sh ...

. At the base of this fort is a village called Medha and Padam - Kharapti.

History

This fort is believed to be built by Shilahar kings and subsequently used by the Nizam of

Ahmednagar Ahmednagar, officially Ahilyanagar, is a city in, and the headquarters of, the Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impre ...

. The great Maratha king Chhatrapati

Shivaji Shivaji I (Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale, ; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680) was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the ...

is also believed to have reconstructed this fort. The work was carried out in a hurry and hence the name 'Avchit' (hurry) 'gad' (fort). In the

Third Anglo-Maratha War The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire, Maratha Confederacy in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an in ...

, this fort was won over by Colonel Prother from the

Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...

s in February 1818 along with other forts in the neighboring region.

How to reach

The approximate height of this fort is 977 feet. The nearest railway station is Roha and Nidi. The Padam - Kharapti, Pingalsai and Medha village are well accessible by road. There are three routes to reach the fort. One route starts from the village Padam - Kharapti, Another route starts from the village Pingalsi, it takes 2 hours to reach the fort and the other route is from village Medha, which takes about 1hr. to reach the fort top. It is a fairly easy trek from Padam - Kharapti, the route passes through the jungle up to the fort. the route from Padam - Kharapti is good for Trekking and hiking here the villagers are really co-operative, The route from Padam - Kharapti is Jungle lore and enjoying. The route from Medhe village begins from a big well called "Haud". The water from this well is potable. Both the routes meet at a saddle-shaped hill. There is a small Devi temple at the col. From the top of the fort there are views of the neighboring forts of Talagad, Telbaila, Sarasgad, Ghangad,

Sudhagad Sudhagad / Bhorapgad is a hill fort situated in Maharashtra, India. It lies about west of Pune, south of Lonavla and east of Pali in Raigad District. The summit is above sea level. The entire area around the fort is declared a Sudhagad wi ...

, Raigad and Savashnagad.

Places to visit

The fort has a large

dodecagon In geometry, a dodecagon, or 12-gon, is any twelve-sided polygon. Regular dodecagon A regular polygon, regular dodecagon is a figure with sides of the same length and internal angles of the same size. It has twelve lines of reflective symmetry ...

al-shaped cistern which was used mainly for bathing and washing purposes. Nearby this cistern there are 6 smaller cisterns which have

potable water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

. A small temple of the Pingalsai goddess is also situated atop. The main gate is also in good condition. There are four cannons on the top of the fort. There are two good bastions one at the northern end and the other at the southern end. There is an inscription on the southern bastion which says " Shri ganeshayanama Shri jayadev shake 1718 Nal Nam samvatsarae Chaitra shudha pratipada" There is a dense forest around the entire fort with

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

s, monkeys, and foxes.

Gallery

File:Avchitgad1.jpg, Main gate File:Avchitgad2.jpg, Cannon at the fort File:Avchitgad3.jpg, Rock cut cistern File:Avchitgad4.jpg, Inscription on rock File: Avchitgad 5.jpg, Temple at the fort

Notes

{{MarathaEmpire Forts in Raigad district 16th-century forts in India Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire

History

How to reach

Places to visit

See also

Gallery

Notes