Shivneri

The Shivneri fort in Junnar taluka is probably the starting point for historians studying the rise of the Maratha empire. Shivneri as the name suggests is where Jijabai gave birth to the brave Maratha warrior – Shivaji Maharaj. He was named after goddess Shivai whose temple is located on the fort.

The fort, at a distance of 105 kms from Pune is famous for being highly defensible and extremely well guarded. The journey from Pune to Junnar takes around two hours. Daily buses to Junnar are available from Swargate. You can further take a rikshaw to the fort which is at a distance of 3.6 kms away from Junnar city.

A motorable road leads to the base of the fort after which one has to climb steps to the top.

At an elevation of 3,500 feet, the climb to the top is extremely simple and takes from one hour to forty-five minutes to complete.

There are a number of places worth visiting on the fort. The fort is home to ancient caves from the times of the Satwahan dynasty. There are a number of lakes and ponds on the fort. Amongst these the ‘Badami Talaav’ is the most prominent. It is the biggest of the nine lakes on the fort and is located at the heart of the fort. There is also an Ambarkhana on the fort. This is where food grains used to be stored in the olden times. A water tank can also be found. The room in which Shivaji Maharaj was born has also been preserved and may be viewed by visitors. Kadelot Kada is a cliff on the fort from where prisoners were pushed to death as a punishment in the olden times. A small temple called the Shivkund as well as a holy shrine – the Kamini Masjid are worthy of a visit.