Mangad Fort

Overview:

Mangad Fort is situated in Borwadi, an area near Mashidwadi in Mangaon, a taluka in Raigad district in Maharashtra. The fort is made sacred by the footsteps of the founder of Hindavi Swaraj, the famous Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja. Mangaon is situated about 150 km from Mumbai.

History:

After setting up Raigad fort as the capital of Swarajya, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built a chain of forts and also strengthened other forts around Raigad for its protection and to deter the enemies’ possibility of attacks on the headquarters. The chain of forts included Mangad, Panhalghar, Songad, Chambhargad and Lingana.

In the Treaty of Purandar, “Mangad Fort” was surrendered to Aurangzeb. In 1818 when there was end of Peshwa rule, this fort was won by “Col. Prother” – a British officer.

Places to Visit on Fort:

There is a temple of Goddess Vinjhai on the plateau before entering the fort. Behind the temple one can find stairs built in rock which lead us to the top of the fort and one enters the fort through a main door facing north. This doorway and the bastions are still in good shape whereas there is another doorway on the left which is in complete ruins. One can see a Nagshilpa (Snake carving) on the door’s dilapidated arch. Moving further from this doorway there is a cave which can be used for stay and a water tank. There is another water tank carved in the bastion itself.

One route from this doorway takes us to the summit where one can find six water tanks carved in rock. These tanks are surrounded by thick grass and one should exercise caution while going towards it. Back to the doorway one can reach the citadel by walking alongside the fortified wall. Here one can find a mansion on a raised platform along with a temple which is in ruins. Behind this on a lower elevation there is a water tank and there are two more water tanks on the top most part of the fort which have potable water. Raigad fort can be seen from the top in fair weather.

How to reach:

From Mumbai- (112 km by road), regaular State transport buses operate from Mumbai central/Dadar/ Thane to the Mangaon ( Taluka Place). One has to take other bus/rickshaw to reach Nizampur ( 12 km from Mangaon) from where again a rickshaw will reach you to Borwadi ( 4 km from Nizampur).

From Borwadi it is a walk of 1 hr. to reach the Mangad fort. From the village Borwadi the fort is seen easily towards East. It is also approachable from Villages Mashidwadi and Chach. If the sky is clear, Sudhagad fort, Tala Fort, and the Arabian Sea are clearly visible.

Related Video (Mangad Fort):

Best time to visit:

Best time to visit is during the winter and rainy season. The water in the tanks is potable.