HISTORY OF THE ATTRACTION
The Panhala fort was constructed between the ear of 1178 and 1209 CE. It is one of the 15 forts that include the forts of Vishalgad, Bavda, Satara and Bhudargad, all of which were constructed by Shilahara during the reign of Bhoja II. Copper plates reveal the fact that Panhala was under Bhoja II between the period of 1191 -1192 CE. The era 1209 -10 saw the defeat of Raja Bhoja by Singhana who was the most powerful monarch of Devagiri Yavadas. Soon the fort passed on to the Yavadas.
There after the fort passed on to various rulers. Finally in the year 1659 upon the death of Afzal Khan, the general of Bijapur, Shivaji Maharaj took over Panhala. In the year 1660 Adil Shah II sent his troops to Panhala to capture the fort and take it away from Shivaji Maharaj. A fierce battle followed. Finally all the resources of Shivaji was exhausted and he was on the verge of being captured by the enemy forces. Hence Shivaji had to flee. However in the year 1673 Shivaji Maharaj occupied the fort permanently.
GETTING THERE
The fort of Panhala can be accessed from different cities of Maharashtra. The fort is at a distance of 200 km away from Pune and is 450 km away from Nasik. One can avail bus from Kolhapur as well to reach Panhala Fort. In case somebody wants to avail flight then the nearest airport is at Kolhapur (25 km away from the fort). Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport is also 420 km away. The nearest railway station is again at Kolhapur which is 27km away.
OPENING/CLOSING TIMINGS AND DAYS
The fort is open on all the weekdays. The visitors are encouraged to visit the fort during the daytime. This shall ensure that they get a proper look of the place and also can move about the place in safety. It is one of the ideal places of tourism if you are on a weekend family holiday.
ENTRY FEES
There are no entry fees for getting into this fort.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
There is no as such best time to visit the Panhala Fort. However the monsoons are a time when a visit to the fort should be avoided for obvious reasons pertaining to the aspects of convenience. The winters are probably the best time to visit the fort.
List of places to visit at Panhala Fort
- Statue of Baji Prabhu Deshpande – He was one of the greatest warriors of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj army.
- Fortifications – Most of the fort walls are still intact. There is more than 7kms of tathbandi (border wall) at Panhala which is a must see.
- Andhar Bavadi – This is a well. This is a three storey structure on the fort also called as hidden well.
- Kalvanticha Mahal – The state of this building is not that good in these days
- Ambarkhana – This was the food storage area on the fort which is located at the center of Panhala and due to this storage Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj army never ran out of food supplies and withstand a 5-month obstruction by Siddhi Johar.
- Dharma Kothi – One more Storage on the fort.
- Teen Darwaja – The main entrance of the fort. There are Persian inscriptions on this gate which signify that this was built in the early ages.
- Wagh Darwaja – Another entrance of the fort. This door was used as a trap for any intruders. Intruders would get in and could easily be neutralized in the small courtyard behind this door.
- Rajdindi Bastion
- Palace of Tarabai