Mangalgad Fort

Maharashtra, India

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Mangalgad Fort, also known as Kangori Fort, is a hill fort in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, located near the villages of Dudhanewadi and Pimpalwadi in Mahad taluka of Raigad district.

The fort stands on a steep, mostly bare spur about 2,300–2,500 feet above sea level and is reached by a fairly short but rugged trek of roughly one and a half to two hours from the base villages. Built by Chandrarao More of Jawli to guard important trade routes passing through nearby ghats, it later gained prominence when Shivaji Maharaj captured it along with other Jawli forts in the mid-17th century and renamed it Mangalgad.

During Maratha and later British times it was used as a prison for political detainees, including members of the Satara royal family and captured British officers, reflecting its strategic location close to the Maratha capital region around Raigad.

Today the fort is in ruins, with broken gateways, collapsed bastions, scattered walls and a simple plateau-like top, but it offers wide views of surrounding forts and hills such as Raigad, Pratapgad and Mahabaleshwar. Because of its moderate difficulty, relatively short approach and historical associations, Mangalgad is a quieter alternative to the more famous forts nearby and appeals to trekkers interested in both landscape and Maratha-era history.