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There are many forts in India that are marvelously built and have been appreciated by many for their architectural abundance but none is built of height as great as that of kalavantin Durg. Durg means the fort. This fort that has been built on a mountain at a height of 2000 feet above sea level is one of the most beautiful forts as well as dangerous ones too. It is said that this fort was built for a queen named Kalavantin but there is nothing more documented about this fort.
Kalavantin Durg – A Beautiful Abandoned Fort
The other name of this fort by which it is known by is Prabalgad fort and is located between Matheran and Panvel in Maharashtra. This mountain fort is at an exact elevation of 2,300 feet on one of the mountains of the Western Ghats.
This fort was known by the name of Muranjan but later the Marathas took it over and renamed it as Prabalgad fort. This fort was rightly renamed as access to this fort is very difficult and in those times when the means of transportation were limited it would have been a herculean task. There are steps that are cut in the rocks of the mountain to reach the fort. The stairs are built at very steep angle making it a difficult task to climb.
This fort must have been abandoned due to the inaccessibility it poses to everybody. However, the tourists generally come to this place and climb these stairs to reach the fort. The climbing is extremely challenging due to no safety measures. There are no rails or ropes for the protection of those who limb. The stairs appear all the scarier while coming down.
This fort is believed to be built around the tie when Gautam Buddha was present on this planet around 500 BCE or even before that. Since there is nothing documented about this fort, nothing is conclusive about the history of the fort.
This fort though, has been abandoned and is not used anymore for the purpose it was built for but more often than not the tourists and locals do visit this fort to spend some time there. The tribal people from Machi-Prabal village perform a ritual on the top of this fort by dancing on the day of Shimga- a festival celebrated by these villagers on the day the entire country celebrates Holi. They believe that this fort has been a part of their culture for centuries.
If you want to visit this fort and get the feel of how the hiking here feels like then you can go by Mumbai- Pune Expressway from where it is easily accessible.
This fort is an example of amazing feat the architects of ancient India had achieved. The courage and the efforts that have been put in to make this fort on the top of the mountain are just incredible. But one must also appreciate the courage of Marathas who conquered this fort even though it is so difficult to reach. The land of India is full of such out of the world stories that one cannot but remain amazed.
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