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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Forts in Maharashtra

Forts in Maharashtra

Nowhere in the country would you encounter such a profusion of forts. And such variety. Sited on an island, as at Murud-Janjira or guarding the seas as at Bassein, or among the Sahyadri hills, as at Raigad, whose zig-zag walls and rounded bastions sit like a sceptre and crown amidst hills turned mauve.

Most of the forts in Maharashtra whether up in the hills or near the seas are associated with Shivaji --the great Maratha warrior and an equally great fort builder. Moreover, these forts were treated as mini-cities, such as Panhala, which is now a hill station. The concept of the fort-city was, however, not peculiar to Shivaji alone. The Portuguese who came to India as traders and missionaries, built within a century of their coming, Bassein, a garden city to rival many a European capital.

Pratapgarh

Pratapgarh

samadhi of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

samadhi of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Sinhagad Fort

Sinhagad Fort

Alibaug

Alibaug

Rajgad

Rajgad

Raje

Raje

ShivSamadhi

ShivSamadhi

purandar

purandar

pratapgad

Pratapgad

Lohgad

Lohgad

Janjira

Janjira

Arnala

Arnala

 

 

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