Purandar Fort is one of the many historically important sites in
Pune District,
Maharashtra. The fort, for sometime in the 17th century, was the stronghold and capital of the Maratha king
Chhatrapati Shivaji. But he had to surrender it to the Mughal conqueror
Aurangzeb after being vanquished in fierce battle.
Purandar Fort is situated at an altitude of about 1,350 m above sea level, in the Western Ghats. Purandar, like any other hill fort, was defended by curtain walls, 26 miles in circuit, with six bastions to guard the three main gates reached by a steep, misty cliff path, often covered by thick shrubby terrain. This place provides plenty of opportunities for rock climbing.
Legend is that the fort have been built by Lord Indra, the king of the gods.
The holy town Narayanpur is situated at the bottom of the fort. Kedareshwar and Wajrangad are two other sites of interest near the fort.
Purandar is about 40 km south of Pune. One can get buses from Pune Bus Station up to Saswad and sometimes even up to the top of the fort.
