Mulher Fort

No account yet? Register

Mulher Fort, also known as Mayurgad, a hill fort that will leave you breathless, quite literally since it’s at an elevation of 4200 feet from the ground.

Mulher is full of surprises. There are water cisterns, a temple, and a water tank that contains crystal-clear water beneath a layer of fluorescent algae. It’s like swimming in a psychedelic dream!

The Ganesha temple on the lower part of the fort is ornately decorated, and there’s even a temple dedicated to Shiva, Ram, Laxman, among others. The remnants of an erstwhile palace can also be found in this lower part, adjacent to the Ram-Laxman temple. It’s like stepping into a time machine and going back in history.

If you’re a nature lover, you’ll be happy to know that Mulher has nine water tanks within the fortifications, and the top of the fort presents a clear view of Tungi an Mangi hills to the north and Dhodap and Saptashringi to the East, among others. It’s like being on top of the world, with a 360-degree view of the surrounding hills.

Now, there are two ways to reach the fort, both starting from the base village of Mulher. After walking for around 25 minutes, you’ll see a house and a banyan tree. Move ahead of the tree to reach Dhangadwadi, after a brisk walk. After a further walk of about 45 minutes, two routes emerge. The route that goes straight is the simpler one, leading to a Ganesha temple on the lower part of the fort in about 20 minutes. Take a right from the lake beside the temple to reach a flight of broken steps. These set of stairs will lead us to the fort, eventually. The second route is a bit longer, with three crumbling entrance doors spotted along the way. But don’t worry, you won’t be bored because the scenery is breathtaking. After a while, there will be a diversion. Take the one on the right, and it will guide to the top of the fort.

Baglan came under the control of the Mughals. In 1664 and 1670, Shivaji Maharaj traveled through Baglan to reach Surat during two separate Surat ransacks. During the first ransack, the Mughals controlled the entire region between Pune and Surat, while during the second ransack, they mainly controlled Baglan. After the second ransack, the Mughals pursued Shivaji Raje on his return journey, but they were defeated in the Kanchana Pass. Subsequently, Shivaji Maharaj launched a campaign in the region. In January 1671, the Marathas captured the Salher fort in their first assault. They then attempted to attack the Mulher fort, but the Mughal Killedar successfully repulsed the attack. Nevertheless, the Marathas were able to capture the Chaulher fort. In October 1671, the Mughals besieged the Salher fort, but Shivaji sent Moropant and Prataprao to break the siege. Not only did they lift the siege of Salher, but they also attacked Mulher and captured it in February 1672. This achievement led to the assimilation of the entire Baglan region into Swarajya.

Popularity Rating

★★★★★