TORANAGAD- PUNE , MAHARASHTRA
TORANA FORT OR PRACHANDGAD IS A LARGE FORT LOCATED IN PUNE DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA,INDIA.IT IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST FORT CAPTURED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ IN 1643,AT THE AGE OF 16 FORMING THE NUCLEUS OF THE MARATHA EMPIRE AND THEREBY DECLARED HIS REVOLT AGAINST THE TYRANNICAL MUGHAL EMPIRE.THE HILL HAS AN ELEVATION OF OF 1,403 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL,MAKING IT THE HIGHEST HILL-FORT IN DISTRICT.THE NAME PRACHANDAGAD DERIVES FROM PRACHANDA (MEANS HUGE OR MASSIVE) AND GAD (MEANS FORT ).
HISTORY
THIS FORT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED BY THE SHAIVA PANTH,FOLLOWER OF HINDU GOD SHIVA,IN THE 13 TH CENTURY.A MENGHAI DEVI TEMPLE ALSO REFERRED TO THE TORANAJI TEMPLE IS SITUATED NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE FORT.THE FORT HAS BEEN NAMED TORANA AFTER TORANAJI DEVI.IT IS ALSO SAID THAT THE FORT WAS NAMED SO OWING TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF TORAN TREES PRESENT ON THE FORT.
IN 1643 WHEN SHIVAJI MAHARAJ CAPTURED THE FORT, HE RENAMED THE FORT AS PRACHANDGAD.HE ALSO BUILT SEVERAL TOWERS AND MONUMENTS ON THE FORT IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE DEFENSE OF THE FORT AND TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY AND THE GRANDEUR OF THE PLACE.
IN 18 TH CENTURY,THE MUGHAL EMPIRE GAINED CONTROL OF HIS FORT AFTER ASSASSINATION OF SAMBHAJI MAHARAJ .AURANGZEB THEN MUGHAL EMPEROR , RENAMED THIS FORT AS FUTULGAIB(MEANS DIVINE VICTORY), IN RECOGNITION OF DIFFICULT DEFENSE THE MUGHALS HAD TO OVERCOME TO CAPTURE THIS FORT. IT WAS RESTORED TO MARATHA CONFEDERACY BY THE SECOND TREATY OF PURANDAR.
LOCATION
THE FORT IS ABOUT 100 KM SOUTH WEST OF PUNE IN SAHYADRI MOUNTAIN RANGE.IT IS THE HIGHEST FORT IN PUNE.
TOURISM
TORANA FORT IS A POPULAR DESTINATION FOR TREKKERS ESPECIALLY AFTER MONSOON FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER.TREKKERS CAN STAY IN THE MENGHAI DEVI TEMPLE.
HOW TO REACH
VELHE APPROXIMATELY 65 KMS FROM PUNE IS THE BASE VILLAGE OF TORANA FORT.TRAVELERS FROM PUNE START IN THE EARLY MORNING FROM SWARGATE BUS STAND (7.45 AM FIRST BUS TO VELHE VILLAGE DROP YOU THEIR AROUND 9.30 AM).THE MAIN PATH TO TORANA STARTS FROM HERE.THE WAY TO THE TOP IS MODERATE TO DIFFICULT SO TAKE SOME PRECAUTION WHILE CLIMBING.IT IS A TWO TO THREE HOUR CLIMB TO THE "BINI DARWAJA", THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE FORT.
ALTERNATIVELY THERE IS A PLEASANT AND INTERESTING RIDGE WALK OF 5-6 HOURS FROM THE FORT OF RAIGAD. THIS START FROM 'ALU DARWAZA' OF RAIGAD ,NEAR THE LEFT SIDE OF 'SANJEEVANI MANHI' AND ENDS AT TORANA FORTS 'BUDHALA MACHI'.
ZUNJAR MACHI FORTIFICATION
TORANA FORT OR PRACHANDGAD IS A LARGE FORT LOCATED IN PUNE DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA,INDIA.IT IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST FORT CAPTURED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ IN 1643,AT THE AGE OF 16 FORMING THE NUCLEUS OF THE MARATHA EMPIRE AND THEREBY DECLARED HIS REVOLT AGAINST THE TYRANNICAL MUGHAL EMPIRE.THE HILL HAS AN ELEVATION OF OF 1,403 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL,MAKING IT THE HIGHEST HILL-FORT IN DISTRICT.THE NAME PRACHANDAGAD DERIVES FROM PRACHANDA (MEANS HUGE OR MASSIVE) AND GAD (MEANS FORT ).
HISTORY
THIS FORT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED BY THE SHAIVA PANTH,FOLLOWER OF HINDU GOD SHIVA,IN THE 13 TH CENTURY.A MENGHAI DEVI TEMPLE ALSO REFERRED TO THE TORANAJI TEMPLE IS SITUATED NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE FORT.THE FORT HAS BEEN NAMED TORANA AFTER TORANAJI DEVI.IT IS ALSO SAID THAT THE FORT WAS NAMED SO OWING TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF TORAN TREES PRESENT ON THE FORT.
IN 1643 WHEN SHIVAJI MAHARAJ CAPTURED THE FORT, HE RENAMED THE FORT AS PRACHANDGAD.HE ALSO BUILT SEVERAL TOWERS AND MONUMENTS ON THE FORT IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE DEFENSE OF THE FORT AND TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY AND THE GRANDEUR OF THE PLACE.
IN 18 TH CENTURY,THE MUGHAL EMPIRE GAINED CONTROL OF HIS FORT AFTER ASSASSINATION OF SAMBHAJI MAHARAJ .AURANGZEB THEN MUGHAL EMPEROR , RENAMED THIS FORT AS FUTULGAIB(MEANS DIVINE VICTORY), IN RECOGNITION OF DIFFICULT DEFENSE THE MUGHALS HAD TO OVERCOME TO CAPTURE THIS FORT. IT WAS RESTORED TO MARATHA CONFEDERACY BY THE SECOND TREATY OF PURANDAR.
LOCATION
THE FORT IS ABOUT 100 KM SOUTH WEST OF PUNE IN SAHYADRI MOUNTAIN RANGE.IT IS THE HIGHEST FORT IN PUNE.
TOURISM
TORANA FORT IS A POPULAR DESTINATION FOR TREKKERS ESPECIALLY AFTER MONSOON FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER.TREKKERS CAN STAY IN THE MENGHAI DEVI TEMPLE.
HOW TO REACH
VELHE APPROXIMATELY 65 KMS FROM PUNE IS THE BASE VILLAGE OF TORANA FORT.TRAVELERS FROM PUNE START IN THE EARLY MORNING FROM SWARGATE BUS STAND (7.45 AM FIRST BUS TO VELHE VILLAGE DROP YOU THEIR AROUND 9.30 AM).THE MAIN PATH TO TORANA STARTS FROM HERE.THE WAY TO THE TOP IS MODERATE TO DIFFICULT SO TAKE SOME PRECAUTION WHILE CLIMBING.IT IS A TWO TO THREE HOUR CLIMB TO THE "BINI DARWAJA", THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE FORT.
ALTERNATIVELY THERE IS A PLEASANT AND INTERESTING RIDGE WALK OF 5-6 HOURS FROM THE FORT OF RAIGAD. THIS START FROM 'ALU DARWAZA' OF RAIGAD ,NEAR THE LEFT SIDE OF 'SANJEEVANI MANHI' AND ENDS AT TORANA FORTS 'BUDHALA MACHI'.
ZUNJAR MACHI FORTIFICATION
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