The Gazetteers Department

Mahipatgad Fort (Khed T.; 15� 50' N, 74� 20' E; p. 6477), about 19 miles from Khed, facing the Harlot pass and Makrandgad, the Mahabaleshvar ' Saddle back' stands at the head of a high spur, and running parallel to the Sahyadris is crowned by the three forts of Mahipatgad, Sumargad, and Rasalgad. Reached by a very narrow difficult pass six miles long, [The most direct practicable route from the northward is by the main road as far as the Government bungalow at Poladpur, whence to the left a path leads over broken ground, and after sighting the fort, winds among and over steep hills. Pursuing this pathway southwards, it is necessary to pass, at a distance of one and a half miles, along the whole west side of the fort. Reaching the valley, the ascent is gained over projecting spurs on the west and leading over the south continuation of the range the path winds over spurs on the eastern side of it, and reaches two hamlets, whence a steep pathway leads to the top. It is about four miles from the beginning of the ascent on the west to the interior of the fort. Report on Mahipatgad, 1854.] in 1880, Mahipatgad was a table-land 120 acres in area, with no surrounding wall, but with well-built battlements and gateways in six places where the approach was easy. The defences were in bad repair, the wood work had gone, and in many places the stone work was in ruins. On all sides the table-land was surrounded by the village of Beldarvadi [Beldarvadi, bricklayers' suburb, is a strip of rugged land said to have been assigned to certain bricklayers brought by Shivaji to build the fort.]. There were six gates, to the north, the Kotval gate formed by two battlements one on each side and joined with parts of the ramparts; to the north-east the Red gate, Lal Devdi; to the east the Pusati gate formerly entered by a ladder; to the south-east the Yeshvant gate and a thirty feet high battlement; to the south the Khed gate with traces of the path by which the garrison used to receive its supplies; and to the west the Shivganga gate called after a ling at the source of a rivulet. At the entrance of the south or Khed gate, was the foundation of a temple of Maruti and Ganapati, its walls half standing, half fallen. Here according to one account, there were 360, and according to another 700 stables [Foundations of this sort are found all over the fort.]. Further on was a stone house forty-five feet long by fifty-four broad, and a temple of Pareshvar, a very strong building about twenty feet long by thirty-eight broad. The six gates and the battlements have come down. There are cracks on the walls, due to heavy rainfall. It enjoys a yearly grant of Rs. 15. In the temple enclosure, are two ponds, with, on their banks, some engraved stones. The local story that the fort was begun and left half finished by Shivaji is supported by the heaps of mortar piled in several parts of the enclosure. The rough and uneven ground within the fort is over-grown with thorn bushes and other brushwood.

At present (1960), some Christians inhabit the fort area and there are to be seen a number of Christian tombs. From the fort one gets a good view of the red tiled steep roofed bungalows of Mahabaleshvar in the day time and twinkling lights on the slopes of Mahabaleshvar hills in the night. The village of Beldarvadi surrounding, the table-land is also clearly visible. Some of the villages on the border of Satara and Kolaba districts are easy to locate.

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