Sinhagarh fort, whose earlier name
was Kondana or Kondhana, stands 20kms, south-west of Pune. Perched on
an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range of the Sahyadri Mountains, its
height above sea-level is 1380 metres. Given natural protection by its
very steep slopes, the walls and bastions were constructed at only key
places; it has two gates – the Kalyan Darwaza in the south-east and the
Pun Darwaza in the north-east
Sinhagarh has a long history. It
was captured from theKoli tribal chieftain, Nag Naik, by Muhammad bin
Tughlaq in 1328 AD. Three centuries later, Shivaji wrested it away by
bribing the commander, by the Treaty of Purandar (1665 AD) had to cede
the fort to the Mughals. Sinhagarh was the scene of one of the most
daring exploits in Maratha history when, in 1670 AD, it was recaptured
by Shivjaji’s forces under Tanaji Malusare, who laid down his life in
the battle. On his death, a saddened Shivaji said, “The fort is won,
but the lion is gone!” Whereupon the fort got is new name: Sinha (lion)
gadha (fort). Finally the British seized the fort from the Peshwas in
1818 AD, destroying its almost all ancient monuments. Only the
traditional gates and broken walls remain now.
The upper surface of the fort is
undulating and retains few buildings, Ruins of temples, tombs and towers
are scattered about. Near the gorge is a monument (Samadhi)
commemorating the bravery of Tanaji. There is also a tiny tomb of
Rajaram, Shivaji’s son, who died here in 1700 AD. Also there are few
bungalows, including that of Lokamanya Tilak.
In the Maratha period Sinhagarh
played the crucial role of defending Pune. The National Defence Academy
(Kharakwalsa) trains its army cadet’s right under the shadows of
Sinhagrah.
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