Ratangad 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 ...

in Ratanwadi,

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 ...

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 ...

, overlooking the locale of Bhandardara, one of the oldest artificial catchment area. This fort is located in the

Ahmadnagar 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 imp ...

district of

. It is on the boundary of Ahmadnagar and Thane districts. The fort is about 400 years old. This fort is often covered with flowering plants in November. Ratangad is also called Jewel of the Sahyadris.

Places to see

Ratangad has a natural rock peak with a cavity in it at the top which is called 'Nedhe' or 'Eye of the Needle'. The fort has four gates Ganesh, Hanuman, Konkan and Trimbak. The sculptures of Lord Ganesh and Hanuman are seen on the main gate. It also has many wells on the top. The main attraction at Ratanwadi is the

Amruteshwar Temple Amruteshwar Temple is an intricately carved Shiva temple in Ratanwadi. It is over 1200 years old and was built by the rulers of Shilahara dynasty in the 9th century CE. This is one of twelve Shiva temples built by King Jhanjha. It measures 61m ...

, famous for its carvings, dating back to the

Hemadpant Hemādri Paṇḍita, popularly known as Hemāḍapanta, was a polymath and a prime minister from 1259 to 1274 CE during the reign of Samrat Mahādeva (1259–1271) and samrat Ramachandra (1271–1309) of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty, which rul ...

Era - roughly from the eighth century. The fort is origin for the river Pravara/Amrutvahini. The Bhandardara dam (Arthar dam) is built on this river. From the top of the fort neighbouring forts like Alang, kulang, Madan gad, Harishchandragad, Patta are seen easily. The view of entire Bhandardara dam( Lake Arthur) gives sheer pleasure. There are many rock cut water cisterns on the fort. Some of them store potable water throughout the year. There is a natural hole in the mountain top probably caused by wind erosion. It is 10 feet high and 60 feet wide. Due to its shape it is called Nedhe (or ''eye of the needle'' in Marathi).On the eastern side of the fort there are two caves, which can be used for overnight stay. This fort can be visited in any part of the year however the beast season is from October–February when the temperature is cool and the vegetation has not dried up..

History

The fort is 400 years old. Ratangad was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle. The fort is named after Ratnabai Tandal, who has a small temple inside the cave on the fort. She was one of the three sisters : Ratnabai,

Kalsubai Kalsubai () is a mountain in the Western Ghats, located in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra. Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra and is located in Ahilyanagar district in Akole Taluka. Its summit, si ...

and Katrabai.

How to reach

There are two main routes to reach the fort. One route starts from village Samrad and the other from village Ratanwadi. The base village Ratanwadi is approached by boat from Bhandardara or by road from Ghoti- Bhandardara road. By boat, it is a 6 km journey and further it is a 4 km walk till Ratanwadi. The trek route from Ratanwadi is the simplest one, it passes through dense forest along the northern bank of the

Pravara river The Pravara is the smallest of the major tributaries of Godavari river located in Maharashtra, India. Among the 7 major tributaries, it is the only tributary which originates in the Western Ghats akin to Godavari. Also, it is the only major tri ...

, till it reaches a scarp. The final climb is made easy by the iron ladders constructed by the forest department. The local villagers on weekends, erect small shacks on the way to provide tea and snacks for the trekkers. Some villagers provide food and snacks on the fort cave also. The trek route from village Samrad is quite difficult one, it passes over the narrow spur and finally reaches the Trymbak darwaja. The entire fort can be seen by taking a path which moves around the ridge of the fort. A small group of people can make an overnight stay in the cave on the fort.

Image gallery

Image:Ladder Trail.jpg, The two ladders that have to be crossed to reach the main fort area Image:The Nedhe.jpg, Nedhe (or ''eye of the needle'') Image:Tryambak darwaza.jpg, Tryambak Darwaza - The main entrance to Ratangad fort Image:The way down.jpg, The way down from the Tryambak Darwaza Image:Ratangad entrance.jpg, Another entrance to Ratangad Fort Image:Chor Darwaza.jpg, The remains of a smaller entrance to the fort - the Thieves entrance or ''Chor Darwaza'' Image:Amriteshwar_temple.jpg, Amruteshwar temple, Ratangad built in the

Hemadpanthi Hemadpanti architecture (also spelled Hemadpanthi) is an architectural style that originated in the 13th century in the Deccan region of India, under the patronage of the Yadava dynasty. Named after Hemadri Pandit (also known as Hemadpant), the pr ...

style Clic
here
to see its photosphere Image:Tank in Amruteshwar temple.jpg, Vishnutirth Image:Fort sentry.jpg, An old structure at the fort Image:Ratangad nedhe.jpg, Ratangad with Ratangad peak(Khutta) at right Image:Ratangad Flowers.jpg, Strobilanthe callosa—Karavy Image:Ratangad Flowers1.jpg, Impatiens balsamina—Terada Image:Ratangad Flowers2.jpg, Smithia purpurea—Barka Image:Ratangad Flowers3.jpg, Senecio bombayensis---Sonki Image:Ratangad Flowers4.jpg, Walking along eastern ridge

References

External links