Shivaji Maharaj, the legendary  Maratha King commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle, his prime minister, to undertake the construction of the Pratapgad fort in order to defend the banks of the Nira and the Koyna rivers, and to defend the Par pass.

Built in 1656, the foot of the hill was the scene of Shivaji’s famous encounter with the Bijapur general Afzal Khan and of Afzal Khan’s death. In the monsoon of 1661, Chhatrapati Shivaji, unable to visit the famous temple of Bhavani at Tuljapur, dedicated a temple to Bhavani on Pratapgad fort.

Pratapgad is 3543 feet above sea level, and a 17-foot high equestrian bronze statue of Shivaji was unveiled by Javaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, on the 30th November 1957, the same year when a road was constructed by the Public Works Department from Kumbhrosi village up to fort. The fort is currently owned by Udayan Raje Bhosale, the heir of the Satara princely state

The fort can be divided into the lower fort and upper fort. The upper fort built upon the crest of the hill is roughly square, 180m long on each side. It has several permanent buildings, including a temple to the god Mahadev. It is located at the northwest of the fort, and is surrounded by sheer cliffs with drops of up to 250m.The lower fort is around 320m long and 110m wide. It is located at the southeast of the fort, and is defended by towers and bastions ten to twelve meters high.

The Afzal tower extends out from the fort proper and defends the approach to the fort. It is said to have been constructed after the Battle of Pratapgad, and Afzal Khan’s head is said to be buried under the tower. There are 4 lakes in the fort.  The rocks and stones excavated from these lakes have been used for building the fort and its architecture. On the borders of the fort at many points we can see windows like structures known as “Janga” which served the purpose of spotting any enemies who managed to come near the entrance of the main door to the fort. It was a good place to aim a canon at the enemy or shoot them through these jangas.
Getting there:
From Mahabaleshwar: 24 km. Pratapgad is just a day trip from Mahabaleshwar.

Air: Pune  is the nearest airport, 120-km away.

Rail: Satara Road is the closest railway station, but Pune / Mumbai is the normal departure point for Mahabaleshwar.

Road: State transport buses run from Pune and Mumbai. There are also MTDC / private luxury buses, that plies daily in either direction between Mumbai and Mahabaleshwar.

Best time to visit: Monsoon or winter.