Laling Fort, Military fort in Dhule district, India

Laling Fort is a ruined hill fort on Laling Hill, about 9.65 km south of Dhule. Its walls are built of rough black, grey and brown stone blocks on a raised earthen bank, with a grass-capped dome-like roof on the upper right and a large rectangular masonry wall below it. The wall steps down unevenly toward a dark opening on the left; a low wall with three rounded arches stands on flat ground behind.

Laling Fort was likely built under the first Faruqi king, and Malik Raja (1370–1399) granted it to his eldest son, indicating it was his chief fort. In 1437, Nasir Khan and Miran Adil Khan were besieged here by a Bahamani general until relieved by an army from Gujarat. In 1752, after the Battle of Bhalki, the fort came under Malhar Rao Holkar I, who repaired and rebuilt it; it remained with the Holkars until 1818, when the British took it.

The fort's name comes from Laling village at its foot, whose 1,549 residents (1961) farm and graze below the hill. Shepherds regularly climb to the plateau, watering their animals at a rock-cut trough beside the cisterns. A small shrine of Durga Mata on the plateau can shelter two people overnight, and a Lilitamata temple stands at the summit.

The fort is accessible daily with recently built steps making the climb easier, though sturdy footwear is recommended for the ascent. Be aware that the hilltop can be quite windy and the sun exposure is significant during midday hours.

Multiple rock-cut water cisterns within the fort provided a reliable water supply system for the military personnel stationed at this elevated location. This engineering solution demonstrates how fortress builders addressed the challenge of sustaining water access at hilltop positions.