Pandavgad Fort, Panchgani - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 11 km from Wai and 23 km from Panchgani, Pandavgad Fort is one of the major tourist attractions situated in Wai Taluk of Satara district in Maharashtra. Situated at an altitude of 4177 feet, Pandavgad Fort lies on the Wai-Mandhardev Road.

Pandavgad Fort was built by King Bhoj II of the Shilahar Dynasty. This fort was formerly under the rule of Adilshahi. The fort was taken by Shivaji Maharaj in 1673 AD but in 1701, Aurangzeb captured the fort. The fort was an important line of defense in the battle between Trimbakji Dengle and the British in 1817 AD.

The fort is about six acres in extent and is a square shaped structure. Its defenses consist of a slope of forty to sixty feet high along with several strong masonry ramparts surmounted by a huge wall. The main feature of this fort is that it has the natural protection of a sharp rock which is about 6 m high. All the buildings in the fort except the temple of Pandjai Devi are in ruined state.

The fort possesses 18 ponds which used to supply water to the residents, now only three ponds possess water. On the top a large pond on the eastern part is blocked with silt. To the north of the main gate, down the shoulder of the hill is a group of small rock cut water tanks which are not maintained well.

The fort can be reached by a rocky path diverting to the north from Bhogaon village which is 6 km west of Wai on Wai-Velang route. The approach to the fort is very difficult and at places the path is very narrow with the hill slopes on one side and deep valleys on the other. Though the hill is not covered with thick forest, it has considerable foliage of bushy shrubs. It is a 1.5 - 2 hours moderate trek and the last 200 m had stone cut steps.