Surgad

Maharashtra, India

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Surgad Fort, also known as "God's Fort," is a hill fort located near Roha in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, nestled in the Sahyadri mountain range.

Believed to have been originally built by the Shilahara kings, it later came under the control of the Nizam of Ahmednagar. The great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj reconstructed the fort, which played a key role in guarding the trade route along the Kundalika river from Sudhagad to Revdanda.

During the rule of Rajaram, it was seized from the Siddi of Janjira by Shankarji Narayan Sachiv, and later, Bajirao I recaptured it in 1733. The Peshwas used the fort as a prison to hold prisoners. The fort’s architecture is ancient, built when artillery was not in use. It features granite inscriptions in Persian and Devnagari, and water tanks and old temples remain within its ruins.

Surgad was captured by the British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The fort offers scenic views over the nearby Kundalika river valley and is a favored trekking destination for beginners and nature lovers due to its moderate climb and rich history.