Naldurg Fort, Solapur - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 48 km from Solapur, Naldurg Fort is a historic fort in Naldurg town of Osmanabad district in Maharashtra state of India. It is one of the famous places of heritage in Maharashtra, and among the top places to visit near Solapur.

Naldurg Fort is considered to be one of the strongest and impregnable forts of Deccan. There is a belief that Nalaraja (The King Nala) built this fort. Other sources said that it was built by a Hindu Raja who was a vassal of the Chalukya kings of Kalyani. It was later included in the dominions of the Bahmanis and was subsequently taken over by the Adil Shahi kings of Bijapur, from whom it passed in the hands of the Mughals in the year 1686 AD. The fort was earlier known as Yeral, when it is under the Bahamani Sultans from 1351 to 1480, before it was handed over to the Mughal Empire. Later the Adil Shahi rulers constructed the massive fortification wall in 1558.

Spread over a large area, the Naldurg Fort has the classic Indo-Islamic style of architecture, and is a township by itself. Naldurg Fort along with Murud-Janjira Sea Fort, and the Raigad Hill Fort, forms the holy trinity of forts in Maharashtra. The unique feature of the fort is that it encloses a knoll of basalt rock which juts out into the valley of the small Bori River, and is fortified on all three sides. The fort is home to 114 bastions and a highest point called Upali Buruj. The bastions of Naldurg Fort are in different shapes like Pantagonal, Hexagonal, Semicircular, and Quadrilateral or even in shape of petals of a flower.

One of the brilliant ingenuity is that the fort is built on a dam that was built with solid stone masonry in 1613 on the Bori River. The dam is 90 feet high and 31 m wide. The river runs over the crest of the dam and the water falls into the pool. During monsoons, it turns into waterfalls known as Nar and Madi (which literally means 'Male and Female' in the native language) and is a major tourist attraction. At the centre of the dam, there is a flight of steps that leads to a beautifully ornamented room called the Pani Mahal which is one of the star features of the fort. The room has an artistically designed balcony where one can view the beautiful waterfall in all its glory.

Even though the fort has several buildings, most of them are now in ruins. Visitors can explore more of the fort and check out the Rani Mahal, Taylor's house, elephants stable, Rang Mahal, a mosque, watchtower, armoury and court building. Several migratory birds are spotted near the lake, making it an ideal spot for birdwatchers.

Timings: 9 AM - 5 PM

Entry: Rs. 20 for Adults & Rs. 10 for Children