Padargad Fort

Tungi, Maharashtra, India

---

Padargad Fort, located near Tungi in Maharashtra, India, is a small hill fort primarily used as a watchtower to keep vigilance over the Ganapati Ghat trade route connecting Karjat to Bhimashankar.

The fort’s history is not well documented, but local accounts suggest it functioned more like a lighthouse or lookout post to monitor enemy movements in the region. It is believed to have been constructed or significantly rebuilt under the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb while he was capturing nearby forts like Kothaligad.

The fort is situated on a challenging and steep terrain, featuring two prominent rock pinnacles known as "Kalavantinicha Mahal," and has minimal remaining fort structures, including caves and rock-cut water tanks that mostly dry up during the year. The fort offers spectacular views of surrounding hills and valleys but requires trekking with technical climbing skills due to its difficult approach, including chimney and rope climbs.

It remains an unexplored and less visited fort in the Sahyadri range, popular among adventure trek enthusiasts.