Kalyangad Fort

Dhumalwadi, Maharashtra, India

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Kalyangad Fort, also known as Nandgiri, is a historic hill fort near the base village of Dhumalwadi (locally called Nandgiri) in Koregaon taluka of Satara district, Maharashtra, standing about 3,500–3,540 feet above sea level at the end of a spur of the Mahadev range.

It was originally built by Silahara king Bhoj II between 1178 and 1209, and later came under Shivaji Maharaj in 1673, then his Pratinidhi representatives, followed by the Peshwas, before falling to British forces in April 1818 during the final Maratha war.

The fort has two main gateways facing north and east, a deep entrance pond supported by carved pillars, and inside only a few structures remain intact, notably a Maruti (Hanuman) temple that was renovated by Dahanebuva of Ninapadali, along with ruined Ganesha temples, a memorial to Kalyan Swami, and ancient Jain cave temples with statues of Parshvanath and Ditta from the Silahara period.

Today Kalyangad is considered an easy, 45‑minute trek from Dhumalwadi, offers panoramic views of nearby forts such as Ajinkyatara, Yavateshwar, and Chandan‑Vandan, and is used mainly for trekking, hiking and rock climbing, with water available on the fort and the best visiting season generally from November to February.