Mahipatgad

Mahipatgad is a hill fort situated to the east of Khed in Ratnagiri District. Mahipatgad, Sumargad and Rasalgad are all located on the same 8-km-long spur that runs parallel to the Western Ghats. Mahitpadgad is situated on the northernmost end of this spur and is one the largest forts in Maharashtra, with an area of about 120 acres.

Mahipatgad is set at a height of about 3,090 feet above sea level. The fort dates back to the 15^th century and was built by Adil Shah of Bijapur. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took over the fort in 1661. Later it came under the rule of the Peshwas and was eventually captured by the British in 1818.

The base village of Mahipatgad is called Wadi Beldar. However, one has to trek for about 2 hours to from Wadi Jaitapur to reach Wadi Beldar. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the top of Mahipatgad from Wadi Beldar. Mahipatgad is densely covered in a variety of trees including Jamun, Pisa, etc. Leopards, wild pigs and barking deer are said to present in the forested area around Mahipatgad.

Mahipatgad is a tableland with six battlements and six gateways. The six entrances are in a ruined state today. The Laldevdi entrance is on the north-eastern side, the Pusati entrance is on the eastern side, Yeshwant is on the south-eastern side, Khed is towards the south, Shivganga is on the western side and Kotwal is on the northern side. There is a Shiv Linga near the Shivganga entrance and a Lord Hanuman Temple near the Kotwal entrance. The Lord Pareshwar Temple atop the fort is quite big and can accommodate 20 to 30 people. The two wells on the fort contain potable water.