Sitabuldi Fort Sitabuldi Fort , site of the Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817 , is located atop a hillock in central Nagpur , Maharashtra , India . The fort was built by Mudhoji II Bhonsle , also known as Appa Sahib Bhosle , of the Kingdom of Nagpur , just before he fought against the British East India Company during the Third Anglo - Maratha War . The area surrounding the hillock , now known as Sitabuldi , is an important commercial hub for Nagpur . To the south is Nagpur Railway Station and behind it is " Tekdi Ganapati " , a temple of Ganesha . The fort is now home to the Indian Army ' s 118th infantry battalion . Battle of Sitabuldi . Sitabuldi Fort , a major tourist attractions in Nagpur , is situated on two hillocks : " Badi Tekri " , literally meaning " big hill " , and " Choti Tekri " , meaning " small hill " in Hindi . The Sitabuldi hills , though then barren and rocky , were not entirely unoccupied . Tradition holds that Sitabuldi got its name from two Yaduvanshi brothers – Shitlaprasad and Badriprasad Gawali , who ruled the area in the 17th century . The place came to be known as " Shitlabadri " , which during British rule became " Seetabuldee " , and later assumed its current form , " Sitabardi " or " Sitabuldi " . The Battle of Sitabuldi was fought in November 1817 on these hillocks between the forces of Appa Saheb Bhonsle of Nagpur and the British . After the death of Shivaji on 3 April 1680 , the Maratha Empire broke up into segments ruled by five families : the Peshwas of Satara , the Gaekwad s of Baroda , the Holkars of Indore , the Scindia s of Gwalior , and the Bhonsles of Nagpur . The Maratha confederacy , as the five families were known , was still a formidable force . During the 18th and 19th centuries , the Marathas tried to overcome the gradual supremacy of the East India Company , while the British prepared to suppress the Marathas . At the beginning of the 19th century , during the Second Anglo - Maratha War , the victorious British annexed territories of the Marathas . Mudhoji II Bhonsle , also known as Appa Sahib , ascended the throne of Nagpur in 1816 . On 23 November 1817 , he told the British resident that he intended to receive a Khilat sent to him by the Peshwa which would make him Senapati of the Marathas . He requested that the resident should honour the occasion by his presence and that a salute should be fired in the British Cantonment . The British resident at Nagpur declined the request , and commented that as the British were then at war with the Peshwa , the request was highly offensive to the British government . On 24 November 1817 , Appa Sahib publicly received the Khilat and accepted the commission appointing him Senapati of the Maratha armies . He then mounted his elephant and addressed his principal Sardar s . Surrounded by his troops , he proceeded to the camp at Sukhardara . The royal standard was displayed , the army drawn up , salutes fired from artillery stations , and nothing was omitted which could add to the pomp of the ceremony . On the morning of 25 November 1817 , communication between the residency and the city was prohibited . The resident Harakars were refused permission to carry a letter to the darbar and the markets were closed to English troops . The resident decided to delay taking any decisive measures . Towards noon of 25 November , a group of 2 , 000 Bhosla cavalry left their camp at Bokur , five miles north - east of the city , and approached the residency . The alarm had now spread to the market frequented by the people of the residency , which soon became almost deserted . All classes , both rich and poor , removed their families and property from the vicinity of Sitabuldi . The resident now knew that an attack on the residency was imminent . He sent orders to Lieutenant Colonel Scott at about 2 : 00 pm to march immediately from his cantonment at Telankheri . The force arrived near the residency and occupied the twin hills of Sitabuldi . This movement was executed only just in time , as a large group of Arabs , hired as mercenaries by the Maratha army , were awaiting final orders to secure this position . A message was also sent to General Doveton to come immediately with the Second Division of the Army from Berar . Battleground . The high ground of Sitabuldi is rocky and devoid of trees , so it was not possible to dig any entrenchments on the two hills in the available time . Choti Tekri , the northernmost of the two hilocks , is lower in height , but was within musket range of Badi Tekri , so securing that ground was considered essential . The suburbs of the city came close to Choti Tekri . Battle . Badi Tekri was occupied by about 800 men under Lieutenant Colonel Scott . About 300 men of the 24th Regiment under Captain Saddle were posted on Choti Tekri with one 6 - pounder gun . On the other side of the hill , the suburbs gave cover to the Maratha troops , especially the Arabs , who throughout the day on 26 November were gathering in large numbers . The Arabs began the battle in the evening by opening fire on Choti Tekri . The engagement lasted until the early hours of the morning , when it slackened somewhat . Several times during the night the Arabs tried to capture the hill . Although they were repulsed , they inflicted heavy casualties . Captain Saddle shot and killed . As the ranks of 24th Regiment were thinned , reinforcements were sent down from the 20th Regiment , who were occupying the upper hill . At dawn on 27 November , the British troops were still holding on in an isolated position . At 5 : 00 am , the few remaining men of the 24th Regiment , being utterly exhausted , were withdrawn . Their place was taken by the Residents Escorts , with orders to confine their defence to the summit of the lower hill . The fight continued until 9 : 00 the next morning , when the Arabs charged and captured the hill . They turned the captured gun against the higher hill position . The Maratha Cavalry and Infantry closed in from all sides and prepared for a general assault . The Arabs broke into the huts of the English troops and ransacked them . Some Maratha cavalry entered the residency compound . Captain Fitzgerald , in command of three troops of Bengal Cavalry and some horsemen of the resident escorts , had been requesting permission to charge , but his request was repeatedly turned down . Seeing the impending destruction , he made a last request . " Tell him to charge at his peril " , Colonel Scott replied . " At my peril be it " , said Captain Fitzgerald . He and his troops then charged some of the enemy cavalry , killed some of their supporting infantry , and captured their two guns . When the infantry posted on the hill witnessed this exploit , they became freshly animated . Just then an explosion of ammunition took place amongst the Arabs on the lower hill . The British troops rushed forward and pursued the Arabs down the hill , took two of their guns , and returned to their position . The Arabs rallied with the intention of attempting to recover the lost ground . As they were getting ready to come up , a troop of cavalry under Colonel Smith charged around the base of the hill , attacked the Arabs in the flank , and dispersed them . The British troops now advanced from the hill , drove the infantry from the adjoining hills , and by noon the conflict was over . The British lost 367 killed and wounded , including 16 officers . During the British Raj . British soldiers who died in the battle of Sitabuldi were buried in graves in the fort . After their defeat in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , Tipu Sultan ' s grandson , Nawab Kadar Ali , and eight of his associates were hanged on the ramparts of Sitabuldi fort . A mosque is maintained in the fort to mark the location of the hangings . The graves and mosque are maintained by the Indian Army as a mark of respect for the gallantry of all who died . A separate memorial has also been constructed to the soldiers who fell during the colonial period . Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned in the fort from 10 April to 15 May 1923 . King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom gave audience to the people of Nagpur from the fort during their visit to British India . A pillar to commemorate the event stands in the fort . The royals were greeted by a huge crowd gathered at the area towards the present Nagpur Railway Station . Current status . The fort is now home to the Indian Army ' s 118th infantry battalion ( Territorial Army ) Grenadiers . The fort is opened for public on three days of the year : 26 January , 1 May ( Maharashtra Day ) , and 15 August .