Torna Fort: A Maratha Hill Fort in Maharashtra
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Very High
- Country
- India
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Maratha
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page8 sections
History
Torna Fort is a hill fort in Pune district, Maharashtra, India, believed to have been built in the thirteenth century by followers of Shaivism, a Hindu tradition centered on the worship of Shiva. It later became one of the earliest forts incorporated into the Maratha Empire.
Early history
The fort is also known as Prachandagad, a name derived from Marathi words meaning “huge” or “massive” and “fort.”
Capture by Shivaji
In 1646, at the age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj captured Torna. It was the first fort he took and became one of the earliest strongholds incorporated into the Maratha Empire, the kingdom he established. Shivaji renamed the fort and built several monuments and towers within it.
During repairs and the digging of ruins after the capture, workers uncovered large quantities of gold buried at an unknown date. Shivaji used the gold to build Rajgarh Fort and fund other works.
Mughal control and return
In the eighteenth century, the Mughal Empire, a major South Asian empire, briefly took control after Sambhaji, Shivaji’s son and successor, was assassinated. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb renamed the fort Futulgaib, a name that recognized the difficulty Mughal forces had faced in capturing it. Under the Treaty of Purandar, the fort later returned to the Maratha Confederacy, a later form of Maratha political power.
Remains
Torna is a large hill fort in the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats. Its summit rises to 1,403 m (4,603 ft), making it the highest fort in Pune district; the village of Velhe lies at its base. The recorded features include a fortification and a temple near the entrance.
Fortifications and temple
Zunjar Machi
The fortification known as Zunjar Machi is associated with Torna. A machi is a fortified spur or plateau on a hill fort.
Menghai Devi Temple
The Menghai Devi Temple, also called the Tornaji Temple, is near the fort entrance. Devi is a title for a goddess in Hindu traditions.
