Travel to Panhala fort

Maharashtra has many forts, and Panhala is one of them. It is a large fort near Kolhapur. Due to its easy access, it is popular with tourists. Its history spans nearly a thousand years!!

Panhala fort was on my bucket list for a long time. When we recently visited the Kolhapur Karad area, I added this place to our itinerary. We started from Belagavi, saw a few waterfalls on the way and after finishing our lunch at Kolhapur, headed to Panhala fort.

Drive to Panhala fort

It took us about half an hour from Kolhapur to reach Panhala fort. The last few km roads were circuitous and provided the joy of driving. We had to pay some fee at the entrance. I felt that we were charged more due to the outsiders’ tag. Upset at being stopped twice by police after entering Maharashtra to check my car documents, I was in a cynical mode about the local authorities. In my 18 years of car driving, it was the first time that the police had stopped me to inspect documents.

Both times, they were disappointed when I splashed documents in front of them!! Their attitude towards stopping vehicles based on the vehicle registration state was unpalatable.

Let me get back to the story. We drove further on the main road to reach a circle with a large parking area. An array of restaurants dotted the area.

Strategically located on the Sahyadri hills, the fort was constructed between 1178 and 1209 CE by the Shilahara ruler Bhoja II. The control of this fort later changed many times. Yadavas, Bahamanis, Adil Shahis, Marathas and British rules this fort during this time.

Andhar Bavadi

We started our visit to Andhar Bavadi, known as the hidden well. It was the prime source of water for the fort. The living quarters indicated that this three-storey structure was securely guarded.

It started raining when we were in Andhar Bhavi. Initially, we took the shelter of the building. Later, we decided to venture out in the rain. Anyway, we had umbrellas to cover ourselves. One should not worry about rainfall in the monsoon season.

Teen Darwaja

Near the hidden well was the Teen Darwaja. One of the three double-gateways to the fort, it is now used by two-wheelers and autos. Persian inscriptions adorned the gates indicating the rule of Bahamanis. The image of Ganesha was put later by Marathas.

We then drove to Sajja Kothi, on the other side of the fort. This viewing pavilion looking over the valley below has a clear Bijapuri style. The view was beautiful.

Tabak Udyan

Near Sajja Kothi was Tabak Udyan. Thanks to the nicely maintained garden, it can be called the “green zone” of the fort. Wagh Darwaja, one of the entrances of the fort, now serves as the entry to the garden!

Ambarkhana

From the garden, we headed to Ambarkhana, located at the centre of the fort. Bahamanis constructed these three huge granaries to withstand long sieges to this fort. Shivaji withstood the siege of this fort for five months due to the well-stocked granary. Interestingly, authorities had opened the stairs leading to the top of these granaries.

Information and tips

• It takes about 1.5 – 2 hours to see the prominent places in the fort.
• You can reach all tourist locations in the fort by car.
• We found many resorts on the way to the fort. Restaurants did not look promising though they may satiate your hunger. Kolhapur has better places to dine.
• Maharashtra tourism has no appetite to support National and International tourists. Do your research well to understand the places.
• Guides are available near the Andhar Bavadi parking area.