The present day
Sinhagad Fort was known as Kondhana Fort, when it was first constructed in the 14th century. While the fort had been of great strategic importance right form the date it was built, it is now best known in Indian history as well as folk lore, for the “Battle of Sinhagad”.
Located high on Sahyadri mountain range (keep watching the photo stream for images), Sinhagad Fort is on the outskirts of the present day city of Pune.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Shivaji Bhonsale, born April, 1627) was the founder of the great Maratha Empire. Shivaji is as much history as folk lore. The greatest guerilla fighter of his days, Shivaji formed an empire by winning over territory from his enemies, who always outnumbered his forces by at least five to one!!!
Kondhana was in “enemy” hands in 1670, and Shivaji’s mother, Jijabai, invited, and then defeated Shivaji in a game of chess, and asked for the fort as “the bet”. She did this, realizing the importance of control of this fort, in his son’s larger game plan.
Shivaji contacted his trusted lieutenant, Tanaji Malusare (Tanaji) for meeting his mother’s demand. Tanaji left his son’s marriage ceremony in March, 1670, and stormed Kandhana with a force of 300 Malwas (local Maratha soldiers), who were pitted against more than 1500 Rajput soldiers, who were led by Raja Udai Bhan, and owed allegiance to Mirza Raja Jai Singh. The audacious attack on the seemingly impregnable fort took place on a moonless night, and Tanaji chose to storm the fort from the side which was most difficult to approach, and hence, least guarded.
The side which Tanaji chose to attack the fort from, presented a sheer rock face of more than 150 metres high, and Tanaji used the services of a pet giant monitor lizard, to haul him along, to climb this sheer cliff, and then drop rope ladders to bring his forces up into the fort.
Tanaji’s forces overcame the stiff resistance presented by the inmates of the fort (leaders of whom were reportedly enjoying a gala party, at the time when Tanaji was climbing the cliffs with help from the pet monitor lizard, called Jashyawanti) at great cost. Tanaji lost his life in the process, but Kondhana was under the control of Shivaji once more.
On receipt of information about the fort falling to his forces, and the loss of one of his greatest lieutenant, Shivaji lamented “Gad aala, pan singh gelaa”, meaning, “We have got the fort, but lost the lion”. Since that day, the fort came to be known as Sinhagad (The Lion’s Fort).
History of Fort Sinhgad
1.Fort Kondhana :
Kondhana fort existed for about 900 years to watch cluster of villages around Kalyan village (District Pune). But the fort came into limelight after it was assigned to Subhedar Dadoji Konddev - teacher of King Shivaji. Shivaji's mother Jijabai came in Pune to mold Shivaji's childhood and Sinhgad was like a daily ritual for Shivaji.
2.Shivaji and Sinhgad
This was one of the initial forts that formed Shivaji's independent kingdom called 'swarajya' Along with Rajgad, torrna, Purandar, this fort also played equally important role in guarding borders of that initial small kingdom.(around 1640)
3.Mughal Sardar Mirza Raje Jaysingh :
Sinhgad was surrendered to Mogul Lord Mirza Raje Jaysingh as part of treaty to surrender 23 forts of swarajya not to destroy the villages and people here
4.Gad Aala pan Sinh Gela (Lion like fort was won but the true lion is lost)
To win the fort back, Tanaji Malusare climbed the fort with his soldiers and fought a brutal war up on the fort. Both he and the mughal subhedar Udaybhan died in the war. When the message of victory was conveyed to Shivaji, he said Gad Aala pan Sinh Gela Note that the fort name was Sinhgad where 'sinh' in Marathi means lion. He meant they won one lion but lost another. After Shivaji's death, Martha Kingdom was passing through a unstable stage where forts were being lost slowly against Mogul emperor Aurangzeb. In 1693, Lakhamaji Balkavde again won the fort back and then Maratha Kingdom never lose the fort.
POINTS TO SEE ON THE FORT :
1.View of Sinhgad :
On reaching Sinhgad, first you will see is the parking place on a huge plateau before entering the fort. From here you will see two huge TV towers - a peculiar mark of Sinhgad now a days
Up high on the tower to the right in that picture there is an elephant gargoyle (not sure if it is "just" an elephant or if it is intended to represent Ganesha):
2.Devtakee
Devtake means water tank of God. Taste of its water is considered to be the naturally sweetest and purest in Maharashtra. The water is cool like from refrigerator and has been properly maintained for purity.
3.Tanaji Malusare Memorial
Now come back to the Devtake and take a left turn to go towards Khadakwasla. On the way lies Tanaji Malusare Memorial who fought and sacrificed to in the fort. Refer to Gad Aala pan Sinh Gela section of History of Sinhgad above.
Kalyan Darwaja:
This is Official entrance of Sinhgad fort, through which an elephant can also enter. The entrance is hidden as usual but the specialty of this door is a huge 50 feet unusually tall bastion. The steps from the door take you down to Kalyan village from where you can reach Rajgad. The bastions here are worth photography.
Tanaji Kadaa
Now walk over to the edge and you will see huge fortification on the way to Tanaji Kadaa. Tanaji Kadaa is the place from where Tanaji Malusare and his men had climbed the fort with the help of rope and a huge pet lizard
-called as 'Ghorpad' in Marathi - to hold and tie the rope.
Pune Darwaja
-On entering the fort through Pune Darwaja, don't forget to read the marble board behind the Pune Darwaja, telling Tanaji Malusre and Rajaram Maharaj
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