Sinhagad: The lion's fort
The Sinhagad Safarnama is a 7.6 km round trip across 6 stops, from Atkarwadi up to Kalyan Darwaja and back, part of the Sahyadri Forts Trail. See the whole trail.
Atkarwadi
Atkarwadi is the usual starting point for walking up Sinhagad. The trek is about 2.7 km one way and climbs around 600 metres.
Pune Darwaja
The Pune Darwaja is the fort's north-eastern entrance, facing the city. The fort was once called Kondhana, after the sage Kaundinya, and was taken in 1328 by Muhammad bin Tughluq's forces.
Tanaji Malusare memorial
In 1670 Tanaji Malusare led the attack that won the fort, and died in the battle. Shivaji Maharaj is remembered as saying 'Gad ala, pan Sinha gela': the fort is won, but the lion is lost. The original memorial to him was unearthed here in February 2019.
Sinhagad summit
The top of Sinhagad stands at about 1,317 metres. Up here are the Kondhaneshwar temple, the cenotaph of Rajaram I, the third Chhatrapati, and the bungalow where Lokmanya Tilak spent his summers.
Kalyan Darwaja
The Kalyan Darwaja is the fort's south-eastern entrance. Sinhagad passed to the British in 1817, during the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Back at Atkarwadi
Back at the start. Generations of Pune walkers have made this same climb on weekend mornings.