Mahuli is an area of the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

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 ...

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 ...

, covering about 6km. It is approximately 75km north-east of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

in the 421601 postcode.

Features

Mahuli Fort, located 2815 ft above sea level, is a popular

trekking Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain hu ...

and

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

destination. The nearby pinnacles, including Vazir and Vishnu, contribute to the enduring popularity of the location. The mountain complex consists of a group of two or more hills with common cols and pinnacles. It is the highest point in

Thane District Thane district (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, �ʰaːɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a districts of Maharashtra, district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the c ...

. The forest surrounding Mahuli has been declared a sanctuary. Shahaji Maharaj, the father of

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 ...

, occupied this fortress. The fort has been declared as a protected monument. Besides an open

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

temple, there is a small perennial drinking water

cistern A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...

on top. The location also contains three caves, of which the larger one is sometimes used as overnight shelter, like on similar natural hill forts in the Maharashtrian Western Ghats (Sahyadri Range). There is a stone arch historically known as the 'Kalyan Darwaja', but the dome of the arch is now broken. The nearest railway station to Mahuli is Asangaon.

History

In 1635-36,

Shahaji Shahaji Bhonsale (; 18 March 1594 – 23 January 1664) was a 17th century Indian military leader who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a member of the Bhonsle dynas ...

, an Indian military leader of the time, moved with

Jijabai Jijabai Shahaji Bhonsale (; 12 January 1598 – 17 June 1674), referred to as Rajmata Jijabai, was the mother of Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Kingdom. She was a daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed Raja. Early life Jijabai was born ...

and

Shivaji Maharaj 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 ...

to Mahuli. When Khan Jaman attacked on the fort, Shahaji asked the Portuguese for help, who refused and Shahaji surrendered. Shivaji Maharaj took this fort from the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

s on 8 January 1658, but lost it in 1661, and later won it back. By the treaty of Purandar of 1665, the Marathas lost these forts again. In February 1670, Shivaji tried to conquer Mahuli, but failed, and Manohardas Gaud was then in charge of the fort. A thousand Marathas were killed, most being from nearby villages. Shivaji Maharaj said to his dead kadam sardar that he was our gold. So he gave the Sonare surname to this family. Manohardas Gaud soon gave up his position and Alveerdi Beg took over. On 16 June 1670, after two months,

Moropant Trimbak Pingle Moropant Trimbak Pingale (1620 - 1683), was the first ''peshwa'' of the Maratha Empire, serving under Shivaji Maharaj as a member of Ashta Pradhan (Council of Eight Ministers). Early life Moropant Trimbak Pingle was born to a Deshastha Brahmin ...

conquered the forts and Mahuli, Bhandargad and Palasgad became part of Swarajya. Until 1817, Shivaji Maharaj's dynasty owned the fort but later on it was controlled by the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

Facilities and Eco Development

The fort comes under jurisdiction of the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. To enhance responsible

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

, recently the 'Mahuli Gad Eco Development Committee' was formed under joint forest management regimes. This shall ensure the development and protection of the ecosystem as well as livelihood issues of local people. The fort is also proposed to be restored through consulting ASI. The ecotourism and fort restoration plan were prepared in 2015 by SDFO Saipun Shaikhbr>
and approved by Nagpur Forest HQ. The further follow-up required to improve ecotourism and fort restoration. In addition to the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, a women's self-help group, Mahila Bachat Gath, is also available.

References

External links

More about Mahuli Fort

Mahuli Fort Trek (via Asangaon)
{{coord, 19.4794792, 73.2382754 Forts in Maharashtra Villages in Thane district https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saipun_Shaikh