Pratapgad
Pratapgad is at 15 km from Poladpur and west of Mahabaleshwar, a well-known hill station. The fort is at 3,540 ft, built on a spur that overlooks the road in between the villages of Par and Kinesvar.
Raje Shivaji commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle as his PM, who undertook the construction to defend. On, 1656, it got completed. Raje Shivaji fought Afzal Khan around Pratapgad on November 10, 1659. This is the first major test of the kingdom’s army which set a stage for the establishment of Kingdom.
Pratapgad occupied a spot in regional politics. In 1778, Sakharam Bapu, from Pune, was confined by Nana Phadnis. Later, he got moved from fort to fort until he died at Raigad. on 1796, Nana Phadnis assembled a strong garrison in this area. Pratapgad went under foreign occupation via private negotiations in 1818. It was 3rd Anglo-Maratha War. It was a loss, fort had a huge garrison, and was a stronghold. Now, the fort is owned via Uday Raje Bhosale, the heir of Satara State.
The fort is at two segments, the upper segment is on a crest at a hill, it combines permanent fractions of the fort. A mandir is at the northwest of the fort area which is surrounded with steep cliffs with drops of almost 247 m.