Sinhagad Sinhagad , Sinhgarh , or Sinhgad ( Marathi : सिंहगड , " The Lion ' s Fort " ) , is a fortress located roughly 30 kilometres southwest of the city of Pune , India . Previously called Kondhana ( Marathi : कोंढाणा ) , the fort has been the site of many important battles , most notably the battle of Sinhagad in 1670 . It was also strategically located at the centre of a string of other forts such as Rajgad , Purandar and Torna . Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range of the Sahyadri Mountains , it is situated on a hill rising 1312 metres above sea level . Given natural protection by its very steep slopes , the walls and bastions were constructed at only key places ; it has two gates – the Kalyan Darwaza in the south - east and the Pune Darwaza in the north - east . History . This fort has had quite a long history , It was called ' Kondana ' after the sage Kaundinya . The Kaundinyeshwar temple , the caves and the carvings indicate that this fort had probably been built two thousand years back . It was captured from the Koli tribal chieftain , Nag Naik , by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1328 AD . Shahaji Bhosale , as the commander of Ibrahim Adil Shah I , was entrusted with the control of the Pune region . His son Shivaji , however , refused to accept the Adilshahi and initiated the task of setting up Swarajya . He gained control of Kondana in 1647 by convincing Siddi Amber , the Adilshahi Sardar who controlled the fort . Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande played key role in this activity . In 1649 , it had to be handed over to Adil Shah for Shahaji Maharaj ' s release . Shivaji Maharaj recaptured it back in 1656 again with the help of Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande , who convinced Fort commander by giving land in newly created Shivapur village and peacefully gained control of fort . This Fort saw attacks of Mughals on 1662 , 1663 and 1665 . In 1664 , Shahistekhan - mughal general even tried to bribe people of fort to hand over the fort to him but he was unsuccessful . In Purandar Pact it went into the hands of the Mughal army chief Mirzaraje Jaysingh , in the year 1665 . In 1670 , Shivaji Maharaj re - conquered this fort and then it stayed under Maratha rule till 1689 . After the death of Sambhaji , the Mughals regained control over . Again in 1693 the Marathas recaptured it headed by Sardar Balkawade . Chatrapati Rajaram took asylum on this fort during Mogul raid on Satara but Rajaram died on Sinhagad on the 3rd of March 1700 & in 1703 Aurangzeb conquered the fort . In 1706 , it once again went into the hands of the Marathas . Pantaji Shivdev of Sangola and the Pant Pratinidhis played key role in this battle . Then this fort remained with Marathas till 1818 , when the British conquered it . British however took three months to capture this fort , which was longest it took them to win any fort in Maharastra . Battle of Sinhgad . One of the most famous battles for Sinhgad was fought to recapture the fort by Tanaji Malusare , a general of Shivaji in March 1670 . A steep cliff leading to the fort was scaled with the help of a monitor lizard named yashwanti , colloquially known as a ghorpad . Thereafter , there ensued fierce battles between Tanaji and his men , and the mughal army that had the fort at the time . Tanaji lost his life , but his brother Suryaji took over and captured Kondana . There is an anecdote that upon hearing of Tanaji ' s death , Shivaji expressed his remorse with the words : " Gad aala pan sinha gela " - " We gained the fort , but lost the lion " . The name Sinhgad , though , pre - dates this event , and can be seen in written communiques from the era . A bust of Tanaji has been established on the fort in memory of his contribution to the battle . It remains to this day a grand symbol of a great Maratha victory . Other details . Pune is well known for its forts and its hilly areas , which attract trek lovers in huge numbers . It has also been one of the eminent tourist spots in the state of Maharashtra . Holding historical structures like Shivneri Fort , Janjira Fort which is a unique fort covered with sea from all sides , Sinhagad Fort etc . Pune is also known as the cultural capital of the state . Sinhagad Fort is located to the southwest of Pune at a distance of 25 km . Trekking is the major attraction of the fort . The fort forms the centre of all other forts Rajgad , Purandar and Torna surrounding it . The walls , the bastions and the slopes of the fort are built with tremendous idea providing natural protection and have been built at only some of the key points . The Fort has only two gates to enter the structure , the Kalyan Darwaza and Pune Darwaza which are positioned at the south east and north - east ends respectively . Some of the information available at this fort portrays that the fort could have been built 2000 years ago . The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand as proofs for the same . In 1328 AD , Muhammad bin Tughlaq captured the fort from Nag Naik , Koli tribal chief . Since this time , many rulers attempted to capture the fort and it went into the hands in regular intervals . Shivaji , the ruler of Marathas took over the fort in 1647 . Mughals gave a tough fight in capturing the fort , but Marathas never let the fort stay under any one for a long time . The fort was captured by other rulers and recaptured by Marathas at regular intervals , until the British finally captured it in 1818 . The fort is also significant for holding the memorials of Tanaji Malusare and Rajaram , younger son of Shivaji . Tanaji was a general of Shivaji who lost his life in the Battle of Sinhagad . Twentieth Century history reveals that one of the renowned Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak erected a bungalow above the fort . Currently the fort serves as a training centre at National Defence Academy , Khadakwasla . And is the picnic spot for the Pune locals and trekking enthusiasts . Present day . Parts of the once extensive fortification are now in ruins , but visitors still sense how the fort acted as an active military outpost . It is a popular weekend destination for many residents of Pune , with some enthusiasts trekking to the top of the fort from the base near Sinhgad village . The site also houses a memorial to Tanaji as well as the tomb of Rajaram , Shivaji ' s younger son , who also died here . Visitors can see the military stables , brewery and a Kali ( goddess ) temple along with a Hanuman statue much to the right side of the temple , as well as the historic gates . The fort is also part of training at National Defence Academy , Khadakwasla . Cadets from the academy are regularly sent on a hikes and runs from NDA to Sinhagad in full battle gear to build endurance and stamina . The fort also houses a television tower for broadcasting local TV signals . Transportation . There is a steep and narrow two lane road from the base of the fort to the top . The local municipal transport service , the PMPML runs buses every hour from Shaniwarwada and Swargate to the Sinhgad foothills . The climbing route from either side of the fort can be covered in around an hour , however it gets slippery in the rainy season . Shared taxi services to the base as well as the top of the mountain are also available . References . 5 . http : / / www . punerealestate . com / sinhagad - fort / default . htm