Overview:
| Type: | Land Fort |
| Location: | In the Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district |
| District: | Ahmednagar |
Jamgaon is a village in Parner taluka in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. This village has a fort of great administrator and one of the chief of Army of Peshwa, Mahadaji Shinde, who got this area as a gift for their bravery called as a ‘Jagir’. The fort is gifted to Rayat Shikshan Sanstha by Mahadji shinde’s decedent.
History:
Mahadaji Shinde was the 5th son of Ranoji Shinde (trusted associate of the great Bajiro Pewhwa). Mahadji Shinde was a great warrior and established Marathi rule in Uttar Pradesh as well as in Delhi.
Wounded in the bloodshed at Panipat, he inherited the throne. He brought in new methods of warfare. He was a part of the Maratha Army that conquered the Red Fort in 1769.
By 1792 Sindhias triumph was complete. His hold over the Maratha Empire in the name of the Peshwa was sealed and de facto over the nominal empire of the Mughals. His name and fame had brought the once proud Mughals and Afghans to their knees and humbled the power of the otherwise victorious British Empire. He had to leave this world in 1795 at a considerably young age.
Places to Visit on Fort:
Jamgaon is very famous for the temples; ‘Rameshwar’ and ‘Malganga’ are the main God and Goddesses of the village.
This fort has the background landscape of a small hill and its fortified wall stands to both the hill ends. No signs are visible for the security and protection of the hill though. The fortified wall which is spread across 83 acres has 20 bastions.
A door of this fort stands in front of the Malganga temple on Jamgaon-Parner road.Two bastions and fortification wall besides this door are still in good condition.
Proceeding further by this door there is an eastward facing door and a temple of Lord hanuman across the street opposite to it. There is a dual fortification when we enter the fort form here whereby we come across the residence mansion of Mahadji Shinde.
Take the left from here to reach a temple of Lord Ram traced back to the Peshwa era and a temple of Lord Hanuman in front of it. There is another temple of Vitthal Rakhumai.
Few yards from here towards the backside there is a main door of the fort which is closed now. While proceeding back towards the mansion we can see the remnants of many structures which were the houses in the ancient era as the Jamgaon village was nested inside the fort premises. Later as the population increased, people moved out.
There is a Mosque with three arcs on the way to the right and a dilapidated brick structure to the left. A strong fortification can be seen as we move ahead. To protect the mansion is has been secured by dual fortified wall. Crossing this wall we come across a small door. This fortification wall has six bastions.
After entering from the door there is a horse stable to the left and eight stairs in front which gives access in the front of the mansion. There is a huge well in front of the two storied mansion. The college authority which runs in this mansion has made some structural changes to this mansion. There are small porches in the mansion walls.
How to reach:
On Kalyan-Nagar route, a road from Takli Dhokeshwar village (33 kms) goes to Parner from where Jamgaon fort is at 12 kms. Kalyan to Jamgaon fort distance is about 203 kms on the Parner-Jamgaon road.
Related Video (Jamgaon Fort):
Best time to visit:
Of the four doors, only one door is open for access and as the fort now hosts a college inside it can be visited only during holidays. Best season to visit is between July to March.
