Pratapgad - Maharashtra - India

Pratapgad is situated in Satara district, Maharashtra, India and is 25 km from Mahabaleshwar. The fort is considered to be the highest point of the range with a full view of the surrounding places. 

The main purpose of construction of the Pratapgad fort was to defend the banks of the Nira and the Koyna rivers, and to defend the Par pass by Shivaji. Construction of the fort was completed in 1656.

From a distance, the fort looks like a round tipped hill with the walls of the lower fort giving the impression of the fort being a crown on the hill. Further fortification of the fort was later authorized by Shivaji and done by Moropant Pingale, the first Peshwa or the chief minister of the Maratha Empire

The fort can be divided in to two parts, upper fort and lower fort. The upper fort was built on the summit of the hill. The layout of the fort forms a crude square and the walls stretch for approximately 590 sq ft on all sides. You can get stunning views of the Raigarh Fort and coastal Konkan from the top of the Pratapgad Fort.

Revering the valour of the warrior Shivaji, a 17-foot high equestrian bronze statue of Shivaji was unveiled by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India in 1957. This statue of Shivaji can still be seen while climbing to the Pratapgad at the beginning. The fort is currently owned by Uday Raje Bhosale, the heir of the Satara princely state.

You can plan a trip to Pratapgad any time of the year but monsoons are the ideal time to visit the Pratapgad fort to experience the real greenery of the place.

How to Reach 

Mahabaleshwar is located in Satara district and is almost a converging point from 3 main cities of Maharashtra - Mumbai Pune and Kolhapur making mahabaleshwar a very busy hillstation in Maharashtra! Being a hillstation there is no rail head in Mahabaleshwar and the best way to travel to Mahabaleshwar is roadways.

Best Route from Kolhapur to Mahabaleshwar

Kolhapur - Karad - Satara - Wai - Panchgani - Mahabaleshwar

Best Route from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar

Panvel - Mahad - Poladpur - Pratapgad - Mahabaleshwar

Best Route from Pune to Mahabaleshwar

Pune - Surur - Wai - Panchgani - Mahabaleshwar

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