Kille Vishalgad
About 60km northwest of Panhala and 18km south from Kolhapur -Ratnagiri road Vishalgad is situated on a mountain.
It is a vast fort as the name suggests and its steep cliffs separate it from adjoining land, making it nearly impeccable to win over. Today, the fort is known to people as a place of Malik Raihan Dargah.
This picturesque fort contains the Amriteshwar Temple, Takmak Tok, Sati Vrindavan and the dargah or tomb of Hazrat Malikdhyan Baba, visited by hundreds of devotees.
The Bhunda Darwaja or a bare gate seen from the busstop shows wrong way of the entry. Actual entry is separate. Nothing is there except the ruins of old buildings.
Getting There
Vishalgad is 76 kms northwest of Kolhapur. State transport buses ply regularly from Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Belgaum.Important Dates: Vishalgad Dist: Kolhapur, Height: 1100 metre / 3630 ft
- 13th Century: Shilhar Bhoj Raja constructed the fort.
- 1209: Sindhan Yadav defeated Shilhar and captured the fort.
- 1660: Shivaji Maharaj Panhalagad to Vishalgad in July. Baji Prabhu gave his life at Pavankhind so that Shivaji Maharaj could reach safely. His Samadhi was made at Vishalgad.
- 1818: control of fort passes to British.