Vishalgad, State Protected Monument in Kolhapur district, India.
Vishalgad is a protected fort in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. The structure sits on a ridge at 1130 meters (3707 feet) elevation between two mountain passes, overlooking valleys and trade routes below.
Vishalgad was built by the last Shilahara ruler Bhoja II between 1178 and 1209 CE, and in 1216 the Yadava king Simhana II took it after defeating the Shilahara forces. In 1471 the Bahmani general Mahmud Gawan besieged it and forced the Surves to surrender. Shivaji Maharaj captured Khelna on 28 November 1659 and renamed it Vishalgad; in 1660 he reached it after breaking the siege of Panhala, while Baji Prabhu held the pursuers at Pavan Khind.
The fort is also called Khelna, and Shivaji renamed it Vishalgad after capturing it on 28 November 1659. A dargah on the fort is linked by a Persian inscription to Malik Rehan, the Bahmani commander who took Khelna on his seventh attempt after a nine-month siege. Visitors can also see the small white number "9" and Devanagari characters painted on the left pillar of the stone archway.
The climb to the fort requires moderate fitness and follows mountain paths that can become slippery during monsoon rains. Several roads from Kolhapur lead to the base, where visitors must continue on foot for the final stretch.
The fort holds a tomb said to be that of Malik Rehan, the Bahmani commander who took Khelna on his seventh attempt after a nine-month siege. A Persian inscription on the fort records this. The Baji Prabhu fight took place at Pavan Khind, not here.
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