Why in News?
The Maharashtra Government has sanctioned ₹1 crore for the first phase of a grand memorial dedicated to the Maratha warrior Veer Jivaji Mahale at the foothills of the historic Pratapgad Fort.
Geographical Overview
- Location: Located in the Satara district of Maharashtra, India.
- Proximity: Situated roughly 24 kilometres west of the popular hill station, Mahabaleshwar.
- Altitude: Stands tall at 1,080 metres (3,543 feet) above sea level in the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats.
- Strategic View: Built over a mountain spur, the fortification looks directly over the historical trade paths of the Par Pass and the banks of the Nira and Koyna rivers.
Historical Significance
- Origin: Commissioned by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and built under the oversight of his Prime Minister, Moropant Trimbak Pingle, the fort was completed in 1656.
- The Battle of Pratapgad: The fort served as the backdrop for the definitive Battle of Pratapgad on 10th November 1659. It was here that Shivaji Maharaj outmanoeuvred and killed Afzal Khan, the powerful general of the Bijapur Sultanate.
- Maratha Empire Rise: This victory served as a turning point that established the Marathas as an independent and formidable force in the Deccan region.
- Later Succession: Control of the fort passed over to the British East India Company in 1818 following the Maratha defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Architectural Features
- Dual Fortification: The stronghold is structurally divided into two separate zones: the Upper Fort and the Lower Fort.
- The Upper Fort: Built on the flat crest of the hill, this section forms a rough square roughly 180 metres long on each side and features a Mahadev Temple.
- The Lower Fort: Located on the southeastern slopes, it spans 320 metres in length and is protected by massive defensive bastions and walls scaling 10–12 metres high.
- Bhavani Mata Temple: Positioned on the eastern side of the lower fort, it houses an eight-handed (Ashtbhuja) idol of Goddess Bhawani.
- Modern Landmark: A prominent 17-foot bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stands inside the complex, which was inaugurated by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1957.
- Afzal Tower & Tomb: Located just outside the primary walls is the Afzal Buruj (tower) and the nearby tomb of Afzal Khan.
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