A Memorable Trip to Panhala Fort

Panhala Fort is one of the important historic sites of Maharashtra.
The fort is situated in Pahhala, at a distance of about 20 km towards northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. This fort has been strategically structured over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range, which in the ancient times, was a chief trade route from Bijapur in to the interior coastal areas of Maharashtra. Due to the strategic location of this fort, it was ruled under various different rulers like the Marathas, Mughals and finally the British. The fort was given its name by Shivaji during his rule.

  

One entire day is enough to explore the entire Panhala and it can be easily done while walking on foot. On reaching this place, the first thing we did was to hire a local guide in order to get better information of the historical spots in this area. We did not want to miss any information about the monuments of this place, as each and every monument of this place has a story of its own to tell about the bygone era. On reaching the fort we noticed that the one half of the fort is protected by a long and steep slope, which is further fortified by high parapets. 

The other half of the fort is protected by a wall of huge and strong stones. The guide informed us that in its early period, the fort had three strong double walled entrances, out of which two still remains intact. The Char Darwaza, located on the eastern side of the fort was destroyed during the British attacks. The Teen Darwaza is located in the western side of the fort and on it we could see many scars of the historical attacks that this fort withstood.

After crossing the Teen Darwaza, we entered Andhara Bavai, which is a steep well. On entering this well, our guide informed us that when an enemy army enters the fort, their first aim is to poison the main source of water of the fort. In order to counter this, Adil Shah had built Andhara Bavai, which is a hidden well. It is a three storey structure with winding staircases that hides the well and protects the main source of water of the fort. There are several places in the wall of this well where the soldiers can be permanently stationed in order to protect it from any enemy entrance. On exploring the Andhata Bavai, we also came across several escape routes that led outside the fort.

Among the three entrances, the second one which is still intact is Wagh Darwaza. It is the easiest way to enter the fort and hence was guarded by a tiger according to the guard. Thus the name Wagh is given to this entrance, which means tiger in Marathi.

On the eastern side of the fort, is another one storey structure called Sajja Kothi. Our guide informed us that such a name was given to this building, as Shivaji’s son Sambhaji was kept on house arrest at this place. One can also enjoy a scenic view of the Kolhapur valley from this place. Close to this Kothi is another kothi called Daru Kothi, where weapons were stored during the early times.

Another kothi in this fort is Dharma Kothi, which was an additional place to store grains. This kothi has been given such a name because the kings use to offer free grains to the fakirs and the beggars from this place. At present, Panhala police station has been installed at this building.

  

Ambar Khana is another granary of the fort, which is located at the center of the place. There are three other granaries, which are called Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. These granaries were structured to survive long attacks by the enemies. These three granaries could stock up to 50,000 tons of rice, jowar and bajra, respectively.

Finally our trip to this fantastic historical fort ended in the colorful botanical garden. This beautiful garden gave us a good opportunity to rest our tired legs amid the colorful species of flowers blossoming at this place. We then decided to head towards our home after observing a romantic view of sunset at the sunset point, Pusati Buruj.

Best Time to Visit

As the region experiences pleasant climate throughout the year, there is no specific time to visit the fort.

Accommodation

Panhala has very few options for accommodation with limited budget hotels and lodges. If you want better places to stay, Kolhapur is the best option, located close to this place, which is dotted with numerous budget as well as luxury hotels.  

How to Reach

By Road: The fort can be easily accessed through road by regular bus services from Kolhapur to Panhala. One can also opt to hire rickshaws to Panhala from Kolhapur. Another nearest place to Panhala is Sangli, which is located at a distance of about 55 km and from where you will get taxis, private vehicles, as well as public and private buses to this place.

By Air: The nearest airport to this fort is Ujalaiwadi airport in Kolhapur, located at a distance of about 31 km from Panhala.

By Rail: The nearest railway station to this fort is Kolhapur railway station, located at a distance of about 21 km from Panhala.