Sinhagad – The Lion Fort

The beautiful fort of Sinhagad is located at about 25kms from Pune. It is arguably the most visited fort in Maharashtra as hundreds of punekars flock down to this historic monument every weekend. The fort stands tall at a height of about 800 metres and offers a great view of the surrounding forts in the region which were a part of the Maratha Empire. Known as Kondana in the 14th century, the fort was renamed as Sinhgad which literally means “The Lion Fort” by Shivaji Maharaj in memory of his brave general, Tanaji Malusare.

In the year 1670, Kondana was under the control of Uday Bhan Rathod, a brave Rajput fort keeper who led an army of 1500 Rajputs and Mughals assigned to guard the fort. Rathod kept a very strict vigil on and around the fort and hence Shivaji Maharaj had to turn to Tanaji, his senior most general to chalk out a plan to capture this strategic military fortification.

After surveying the fort for days, Tanaji decided to infiltrate the fort by scaling a steep cliff which was the least guarded point on the fort. On a moonless, Tanaji and his soldiers climbed the cliff by tying a rope around the body of a monitor lizard named ‘Jashyawanti’. Once atop Tanaji and his brother Suryaji along with their army of 300 mavlas launched a surprise attack on the Mughal army. A fierce battle ensued in which Tanaji lost his life but his Suryaji ensured that the fort was conquered. When Shivaji heard the news of Tanaji’s death he uttered the famous words, “We have won the fort, but lost the Lion” and renamed the fort in his honour.

It has been hundreds of years since Sinhagad witnessed this epic battle but people still swarm the fort all through the year to see the samadhi of the great Tanaji Malusare. Other attractions include the shrine of Rajaram (Shivaji’s younger brother) and the temple of the goddess Kali. The house of famous Indian freedom fighter, Lokmanya Tilak on the fort which is now being utilised to store the Doordarshan transponder is another popular tourist spot.

The well paved steps which run all the way to the top of the fort make Sinhagad a relatively easier fort to climb. However, the rocky path does get really slippery during the monsoon which is indeed the best time to trek the fort. If you are not much of a trekker, a drive to the foothills of the fort is also highly recommended to feast on the different varieties of Maharashtrian snacks served hot at the chai tapirs.

FAQ’s:

How to get in?

There are a number of options to get to Sinhagad. You can either take a bus from Swargate or Shanivarwada which will drop you at the foothills of the fort. After that you can start trekking and it takes nearly 45- 50 mins to reach to the top.

If you don’t want to trek then you can get down at Golewadi and then take a Jeep to the top of the fort. The charges are quite reasonable and the journey takes nearly 20-25mins.

When to go?

Monsoon, it’s the best time of the year.

Where to stay?

Staying on top of the fort is not allowed. So it is best to trek the fort during the day.

Where to eat?

If you love eating outside then you don’t need to carry any food since there are a good number of stalls and restaurants near the foothills of the fort.

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Also see:

• March 3, 2010 -- Take a divine halt at Chaturshringi Temple (0)
• February 22, 2010 -- Historical Mahatma Phule Market (Mandai) (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- Pune Zilla Parishad installs three solar lamps at Sinhagad fort (0)
• December 2, 2009 -- Kolaba Fort- The Magnificent Sea Fortress (1)
• November 9, 2009 -- 4 days on, Kavita remains missing (0)