Know Maharashtra Forts Better:
Bassein: Bassein Fort is about 55km from Mumbai. Located in Vasai this Fort was built by Bahadur Shah, the then Sultan of Gujarat. The Bassein Fort is in ruins now.
Daulatabad: Daulatabad Fort was built by Bhilma Raja of the Yadava Dynasty in 1187. It was then known as Devagiri or the Hill of Gods. Daulatabad gained its modern name by Mohammad Tughlak, when he wanted to shift his capital here and named it as Daulatabad or the City of Fortunes. It’s situated atop hill, 13 km from Aurangabad.
Gavilgad: The 300 year old Gavilgad Fort is Located near Chikhaldara hill station in Amravati district of Maharashtra. It is said that this is the place from where Bhima killed Keechaka and threw him down the hill into the valley. The Gavilgad Fort is now under the Melghat Tiger Project.
Ghodbunder: Away from the busy city lives, Ghodbunder is located atop hill in the lap nature’s tranquility. The panoramic view of the Bassein is not to be missed from here.
Murud – Janjira: Situated 165 km away from Mumbai Murud – Janjira is a walled island away from shore. This is probably the only fort standing strong on the 720km coastline of Maharashtra.
Murud – Harnai: The Murud – Harnai fort is famous for its clean beach, white sands and clear water.
Panhala: This is the largest fort of all the Deccan Forts. Located 18km northwest of Kolhapur, the Panhala Fort was founded by Raja Bhoja in the late 12th century. The fort has a huge boundary wall of over 7km in length
Raigad: The Raigad Fort was built by Chhatrapari Shivaji Maharaj in the 14th century. This strategically built fort had repeatedly confronted the enemies and defeated them. Raigad was the capital of the Marathas under Shivaji and the British named it as “Gibraltar of the East”.
Sinhagad: This fort is 25km from Pune and is a favorite picnic spot for them. 700mtrs atop hill Sinhagad is a perfect destination for the trekkers.
Vijaydurg – Sindhudurg: This twin fort were in built in 1664 AD on a site personally selected by Shivaji. The Vijaydurg – Sindhudurg is located off the Malvan coast on the ocean. 4000 mounds of iron and lead were used to lay the foundation of these forts firmly.
Getting There:
Private cars, taxis, buses are all available. Package tours to these Forts are also available. Frequent train services are available from Aurangabad and Mumbai and also other cities of Maharashtra. Airports are also there in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Aurangabad.
