Torna Fort Maharashtra
Torna Fort
Maharashtra
The Torna fort or the
Prachandagad, situated in the southwest of the Pune district of the western
part of the Maharashtra state, is a the major tourist attraction of Maharashtra
tourism. The village base of Velhe is situated 50 km. from the city of Pune.
This was the first fort to be captured by the Shivaji Maharaj in the year 1643,
when he was just 16 years old and this formed the nucleus of Maratha Empire.
This fort is perched at a height of 1403 meters above the sea level. The name
of the fort is derived from the words, Prachanda, which means huge and gad,
which means fort in Marathi. This hill fort Torna is known as the highest fort
perched on a hill top in the district of the Puna Satara Highway at Nasarapur.
Traveller need to take the road Nasarapur to reach the Torna Fort. It takes
about 2 hours to see the fort properly. Various places can be seen around the
fort, such as Budhla Machi, Zunjar Machi, Kothi Darwaja, Kokan darwaja, Menghai
Goddess temple, Bini Darwaja, Sadar, Toranjai Goddess temple etc. This fort is
now a heritage site.
Trekkers should avoid trekking
in this region during the rainy season. The ideal time to trek here are the
winter months. This is a popular camping ground for the trekkers, who carry
their own camp equipment while going for camping there. The Mengai temple is a
good place for staying inside the fort.
HISTORY OF THE ATTRACTION
This fort is of considerable
historical importance as it was the first fort to be won by the Maratha ruler
Shivaji at the age of just 16 years. This Torna fort was captured by the
Mughals in the 18th century after assassinating the great Naratha warrior,Shivaji’s
son Shambhaji. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb renamed the fort as Futulgaib. By
the “Treaty of Purandar” this fort was given to the Maratha confederacy. This
Torna fort is an architectural marvel with a host of towers and monuments built
inside the fort. It is a popular attraction of a Maharashtra tour.
GETTING THERE
The Torna fort is about 50 km
from Pune and 220 km from the state of Maharashtra. Tourists can take a train
or flight to Pune or Mumbai as these cities are well connected to major cities all
over India. The trekkers can follow two routes to reach the Torna fort, such as
the Torna trek from the Velhe that is return on the same day after a one day
trek. The other trekking route is from the Rajgad fort, which is a 2 day trek
and requires camping overnight.
OPENING/CLOSING TIMINGS AND DAYS
The fort is open all year
round.
ENTRY FEES
The entry to the fort is free.
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND
Some of the best places for
sightseeing near the Torna fort are Toranjai Temple, Mangai Temple, Balekilla
of Torna fort, Devi Kadjai Mandir, Maruti Mandir, Somgai Mandir, Rajgarh Fort,
Rajgad Fort, Kalubai Temple, Ram Mandir, Bhairavnath Mandir, Madhe Ghat, Ajmai
Lake. These are some of the best places to visit around the awe-evoking Torna
Fort.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best time to trek is in the
winter months from September-March. Tourists can enjoy winter holidays trekking
in this region.
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