Kothaligad (also called Kotligad/ Kothligad/Peth) is a small
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 ...
(3100 ft) situated to the east of
Karjat
Karjat (Pronunciation: əɾd͡zət̪ is a city administered under a Municipal Council in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It forms a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and is located approximately from both Mumbai and Pune
...
near Karjat-Murbad Road in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
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 a famous trek in the Karjat area, because of its small height and easy climbing. It is also known as the ''Fort of Peth'' because of its vicinity to Peth village at its base.
How to Reach -
Nearest station is Karjat from there
Karjat railway station - Karjat bus depot - catch bus for Ambivali village ( bus name - solangaon Or Jamrug) - reach the top
Also private vehicle are also available (auto Or tum tum) with around 400-600 rupees
Features
There is a small
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 ...
and large
cave
Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...
at the base and a chimney like tunnel to the top of the fort. This pinnacle is carved from inside forming a staircase reaching the top.
There is a tank of water (rock cut water cistern) at some distance from the cave and another one at the top of the fort.
The stone is a single black expanse reaching till the Peth village standing on the fertile soil with abundant natural resources for water and farming.
History
The cave and the temple carvings date back to the 13th century. Not much is known about the history until the 18th century. In 1684
Aurangjeb sent Abdul Kadir and Alai Biradkar to capture this fort. After a small skirmish, the fort was captured by Abdul Kadir.
Aurangjeb honoured Abdul Kadir and renamed this fort as Miftah-ul-Fateh (Key to success). Many attempts were made later to win this fort by the
Maratha Army
The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Confederacy, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in the Indian subcontinent.
17th century
Shivaji, The great the founder of Maratha Kingdom, raised a small ...
, but they were not successful. In 1716, this cave was captured by the British. On 2 November 1817, it was recaptured by the Marathas under the leadership of Bapurao who was general of Bajirao
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 ...
. The fort was recaptured by the British on 30 December 1817, by Captain Brooks. The British had the fort till 1862 as an outpost for vigilance on the surrounding valley and the hills all around it.
The locals say that this is not actually a fort but a sort of lighthouse from where the directions were given to know the advancements of the enemy. In fact, it can be called a
watch tower to keep a vigil on the
Mawal area in the greater province of the Maratha.
Image gallery
Image:Down the staircase.jpg, The steep steps of the chimney-like top of the fort are intact and are used by trekkers today.
Image:Koltigad cannon.jpg, Cannons of Kothaligad fort
Image:kothaligad.jpg, Kothaligad
Image:Kotligad Carvings.jpg, Carvings on the walls of Kothaligad fort
Image:Kotligad main entrance.jpg, Main Entrance, Kothaligad Fort
Image:Caves Near the Kotaligad.JPG, Caves Near the Kothaligad Fort
Image:Kotligad fort.jpg, The distinctive chimney-like feature of Kotligad fort
Image:Kothaligad3.jpg, Sculpture on the Pillars
See also
*
List of forts in Maharashtra
The Forts of Maharashtra are often referred to as ''Green Canyon of India''.
This is a list of forts in Maharashtra, a state of India.(District)
* Harshal Fort (Nashik district, Nashik)
* Agashi Fort
* Ahmednagar Fort
* Mandar Fort
* Ajinky ...
*
Marathi People
The Marathi people (; Marathi language, Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They ...
*
List of Maratha dynasties and states
*
Maratha War of Independence
The Deccan wars were a series of military conflicts between the Mughal Empire and the descendants of the Maratha ruler Shivaji from the time of Shivaji's death in 1680 until the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figur ...
*
Battles involving the Maratha Empire
*
Maratha Army
The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Confederacy, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in the Indian subcontinent.
17th century
Shivaji, The great the founder of Maratha Kingdom, raised a small ...
*
Maratha titles
*
Military history of India
References
External links
*Click her
to see its photosphere of the peak of the Kothaligad fort.
{{MarathaEmpire
Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire
Forts in Raigad district
16th-century forts in India
Caves of Maharashtra
Tourist attractions in Pune district
Rock-cut architecture of India
Former populated places in India
Hiking trails in India