Sudhagad, Hill fort in Raigad district, India

Sudhagad is a hill fort in Raigad district, about 53 km west of Pune, whose summit stands 620 m above sea level. Its stone stairways climb between high rock walls, and the summit plateau holds two lakes, a granary, a Pantsachiv wada and the Bhoraidevi temple.

The fort's origin is dated to the 2nd century BC, the same age as the nearby Thanale and Khadsamble caves, when it was called Bhorapgad after the goddess Bhoraidevi. The Bahamani Sultan captured it in 1436. In 1657 the Marathas took it and renamed it Sudhagad; Shivaji Maharaj surveyed it as a possible capital but chose Raigad instead. Under the Peshwas the Pantsachivas of Bhor became its custodians, and after the 1950 annexation of princely states it was left without patrons.

The fort's older name, Bhorapgad, came from the goddess Bhoraidevi, whose well-kept temple stands on the summit. The Pantsachiv wada beside it and the Bhoraidevi temple serve as night halts for trekkers. Behind the temple are several tombs with fine carved ornament.

The route to the fort starts from Thakurwadi village, and the climb takes approximately two hours of moderate hiking. Bring sturdy footwear and water, as the paths are steep and exposed to the sun.

The fort escaped destruction by the British, so its ruins survive from Maratha and Peshwa times rather than from a later rebuilding. The Pantsachivas of Bhor acted as custodians of Sudhagad during Peshwa rule, and their wada on the summit still gives shelter for a night halt.