Pratapgad fort is in the Satara district of Maharashtra, India. While I had not heard about this fort before, it is a popular destination for anyone who is visiting Mahableshwar or Panchgani, both of which are popular hill stations in Maharashtra.
Since we were in the vicinity we decided to head out and see the Pratapgad fort. In retrospect I’m glad that we made the decision. We spent a relatively quiet day exploring the intriguing structure. When I say quiet, I’m referring to the part when we escaped the crowds.
Plus, there is nothing like scaling up to the peaks of the western ghats to take in the view. Till date, I will always say that Maharashtra has some of the best forts in the country. Then again, I may be biased. I spent over eight years in the state.
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Looking for a great place to stay when visiting Pratapgad fort? I would recommend staying at the Courtyard By Marriott Mahableshwar. It is luxurious and has a great view from all the rooms.
Best Places To Stay When Visiting Pratapgad Fort
If you are visiting Pratapgad fort, you will find that one of the best places to stay is in Mahableshwar. Here are a few properties that are really worth spending the night at!
Courtyard By Marriott Mahableshwar
⭐️ Rating: 8.5/10 (229 Reviews) Price: $157 per night 📍Location: 19/B Metgutad, Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar Road, Mahabaleshwar-Bhose Road, Mahabaleshwar Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Courtyard By Marriott Mahableshwar is one of the best luxury accommodation near Pratapgad fort.
It has huge rooms that extremely neat and come with all the bells and whistles. Think of luxurious baths, spas and rooms with a view of rolling hills.
The rooms also come with a free breakfast buffet. The restaurant also serves a variety of Indian, Chinese, and Italian cuisine and the food is delicious.
“Everything from the rooms, facilities, food, staff, it was all great. Location between the valleys is amazing.
Any room you take will have a valley view. Even in the peak summers of early May, it was extremely pleasant and in fact the night were cold.”
Arwa (read more reviews now!)
Oh and if you need a special diet, don’t worry! They also offer vegetarian, vegan and dairy free options. You would have to let them know in advance if you have any other requirements.
The Courtyard also has free bicycles and free parking.
Evershine Resort & Spa
⭐️ Rating: 8.3/10 ( Reviews) Price: $100 per night 📍Location: C.T.S No 182, Gautam Road, Mahabaleshwar Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Evershine Resort & Spa is located in a valley and is surrounded by strawberry fields. It has lovely elegant rooms and you will find yourself surrounded by greenery on all sides.
It even has a fitness center, a pool and 2 restaurants that you can pick from.
“Breakfast buffet was great. Food was delicious and variety was admirable. Staff was attentive and polite. Loved the dosas made by Mr Shankar.”
Sneha (read more reviews now!)
The rooms have everything you could possibly need. From a flat screen tv to a bathroom with all the amenities. Plus if you don’t feel like heading out to explore the area, you can just spend the day wandering around the complex itself.
Getting To Pratapgad Fort
One of the view points of Pratapgad for in Maharashtra.
Pratapgad fort is a drive away from Mahableshwar. If you have a vehicle then getting there is no problem at all. If you don’t then most of the hotels/accommodations provide transport to the different sights around for a fee.
We were on a road trip, so we decided that it made the best sense to take our own vehicle and we were so glad that we did. Keep in mind that you must pay a fee when you enter the National Park. Make sure you keep the receipts safe or you will have to pay the fee again.
The History Behind Pratapgad Fort
A view of the upper fort from the lower Pratapgad fort
Pratapgad fort was built by a famous Indian king called Shivaji. It was built to defend three parts of his kingdom: the Parr pass and the banks of river Nira and Koyna. Pratapgad fort was completed in 1656. There is a small museum and a documentary which tells you about the structure and the history of fort.
The documentary is in the local language i.e. Marathi. Luckily for us we could speak and understand the language. The museum holds some old artefacts including the vessels and religious articles belonging to that time.
What Is Special About Pratapgad Fort?
Pratapgad fort is iconic because it was the fort at which a major battle was fought. If you literally translate the name of the fort, it means ‘Fort of Valor’. When Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (king) built the fort in 1656, he was still a young king.
However, his decision was a wise one because just 3 years later in Afzal Khan tried to take over his territory. The battle was fought and Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj won. In fact, this battle gave rise to the Maratha empire.
Pratapgad Fort Timings
Pratapgad fort is open every day from 6 am to 7 pm. It is highly recommended to visit either early morning or later in the evening because you can avoid the crowds. Generally speaking the climate is mild and not too hot because it is in the hill stations. It can get pretty wet in the monsoons.
The Lower Fort
A glass of Chaas and the interesting Chaas machine at Pratapgad fort.
The fort is divided into the lower fort and the upper fort. The lower fort doesn’t require much leg work (read climbing). The large archway welcomes you into Pratapgad fort.
A number of vendors selling local produce will pitch their wares as you pass them by. We bought a few fruits and they were delicious. A few monkeys may even try to take your belongings away, so it is wise to be vigilant.
The lower fort extends straight ahead and gives you a view into the valley below. There are a couple of cool places to click a few photographs. A lot of people just stop here and carry on because they have many places on their checklist to cover. We however wanted to explore so we headed on towards the upper fort.
The Upper Fort
The isolated part of the upper Pratapgad fort.
The path towards the Upper fort is well defined. Vendors selling different local drinks have their stalls at different parts of the way.
Since we were very thirsty we stopped for a glass of chaas/taak. It is a yogurt based drink that is popularly known as buttermilk in India. Unlike yogurt the consistency is thin and more liquid. It is drunk on hot days and is said to help prevent dehydration. We love it and it was refreshing. It is one of the best street food in India.
At the top of the fort we decided to take the path less trodden and had a little adventure of our own. We followed the fort wall all round. In some places the path did get a bit tricky. We had to push through shrubs and bushes, but it was so much fun. Once the sun started to get to hot to handle, we headed back to the old path.
Lunch At Pratapgad Fort
Lunch at Pratapgad fort was a simple and delicious.
Lunch at Pratapgad fort was a simple affair that I enjoyed immensely. We sat on the ground and enjoyed lunch sitting cross-legged on the floor. It was something that I hadn’t done for a long time.
Food was a simple meal of ‘bakhri’ (unleavened bread) and a vegetable. It was homemade food and served with love. Ingredients that make any meal special.
The Temple
The glittering top of the Pratapgad temple.
It is quite easy to miss the temple in Pratapgad fort. I was on the look out for a toilet when I stumbled past it. There is a small handicraft museum next to it too. We did not have much time to explore as we had other things that we wanted to see and explore. There are some guides who do explain what the temple symbolizes.
Looking for a great place to stay when visiting Pratapgad fort? I would recommend staying at the Courtyard By Marriott Mahableshwar. It is luxurious and has a great view from all the rooms.
Our road trip through Maharashtra was all about winging it. Visiting Pratapgad fort was a spur of the moment decision and I am so glad that we did. It was an enriching experience. We took our time to explore which made it so special too us.
Would we go there again? I would like but we probably would not. Largely because there are so many other forts to explore in Maharashtra!!
Have you been to Pratapgad fort or any other forts in Maharashtra? What was your experience like? Which ones would you suggest that we should visit next?
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Nikhil Bagde
Sunday 10th of January 2021
Nice post. Loved the photos. You might want to check about the protection piece, where you have mentioned about Nira river. But the river originates and flows through a large part of Pune district, which is considerably far from Pratapgad.