Sinhagad

Sinhagad is located around 30 km from Pune on a hill which is roughly 800 meters high.  This is one of the favorite day treks for the adventure lovers from Pune. For the more relaxed ones, a road leads right upto the foot of the fort. The trek from the car park upto the fort's center is light and refreshing.

The road always has a bunch of potholes with the heavy rain it receives but is still a good ride both in a four or two wheelers.

Strategically located along a line of forts Rajgad-Trona Sinhagad (formally called Kondhana) was one of the most important forts during Shivaji's reign.

Sinhagad is know for the famous battle in 1670 when Tanaji Malusare recaptured the fort from the Mughals. The Mughals had heavily fortified the fort on all sides except one very steep cliff believed to be impossible to scale. Tanaji scaled this cliff with the help of a rope tied to a ghorpad. (A Big Lizard like Reptile)  His message to his men before initiating the climb was "Dor sutala teri tondatun awaaz nai" meaning 'Not a sound even if you fall to your death'.  It takes courage to ask this of your men and a blinding faith of the men in their general to follow a command like this. And it was this courage and this faith that helped a handful of Marathas to fight against the hordes of Mughals guarding the fort and claim it for their own.  Sadly, the great warrior Tanaji was lost in this battle. Shivaji on hearing this said "Gad aala pan sinha gela" "We won the fort but lost the lion". Kondhana was renamed 'Sinhagad' as a tribute to Tanaji.