The Beautiful Pictures And Story Of Prabalgad Fort In India
Prabalgad Fort, also known as Kalavantin Durg (Kalavantin's Fort) can be found between Matheran and Panvel in the Indian state of Maharashtra, 2,300 feet above the ground in the Western Ghats.
It was constructed on top of a rocky plateau, near Matheran. In the past, the fort used to be called Muranjan until it was taken over and renamed by the Maratha army under Shivaji's command. To reach the fort, you need to climb an extremely steep hill.
The steps you need to take are cut into the rock of the hill. You won't find any safety rails on the edge and there are no ropes on the wall to grab onto. But the most challenging part is the descent, especially you are suffering from vertigo.
The legend about the fort says that it was constructed for a queen named Kalavantin, but apparently, nobody knows further than this.
Around 1458 Malik Ahmad who was the prime minister of the kingdom of Ahmednagar, took over the fort while he was trying to conquer Konkan.
The Mughals took control of the fort and they also took control of Kalyan, Mahuli, Karnala, and a couple of other forts after Sambhaji's death.
The fort was taken over by Shivaji from the Mughals in 1657 after he managed to make a name for himself in the Kalyan-Bhivandi area.
At the time of the attack, the fort was ruled by Kesar Singh, a Mughal Sardar, and was the only fort that retaliated strongly to the attack.
When they realized the defeat was inevitable, the women in the fort performed Jauhar, a traditional way of committing suicide to ensure an honorable and respectful death. Singh was killed during the battle in October 1657, Shivaji in an act of mercy allowed Singh's mother and her grandchild a safe passage out.
