Purandar Fort, Mountain fortress in Pune district, India

Purandar Fort is a mountain fortress in Pune district, Maharashtra, standing at 1,374 metres in the Western Ghats, 50 kilometres southeast of Pune. It has two levels: the lower machi, holding the Purandareshwar and Rameshwar temples and the Bini Darwaja gate, and the upper balekilla with its bastions and ramparts. The smaller twin fort of Vajragad, also called Rudramal, rises on the eastern side at 1,347 metres.

The fortress was founded in the 11th century under the Yadava dynasty and later became crucial during the rise of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. It changed hands several times and served different rulers throughout its long history.

The fort takes its name from Purandareshwar, its patron god, worshipped in a Hemadpanthi-style temple on the machi that Bajirao I had renovated. Nearby stands the Rameshwar temple, the Peshwas' private shrine, and above it the remains of Balaji Vishwanath's two-storey mansion. A statue of killedar Murarbaji Deshpande, who died defending the fort in 1665, stands on the site.

The fort is located about 40 kilometers from Pune and is open daily without entry fees. Wear sturdy shoes as the climb involves uneven stone paths, and be prepared for changing weather conditions common in the mountains.

During World War II, the British converted this medieval fortress into an internment camp for families classified as enemy aliens. This unexpected use of an ancient stronghold reveals how strategic locations remained important even in modern warfare.