An Overview of Pratapgarh Fort before we move up the hill. The fort is about five hours drive from Mumbai on the way to Mahableshwar.
A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on top of the fort. It was installed in the 1950 s by India Prime Minister Pandit Nehru.
From this point the Marathas kept watch on the approaching enemy. Extreme right you can see a small structure i.e. Afzal Khan s tomb.
A view of the inhabited area of the fort from the top.
Entrance to the fort is between two walls that were deliberately made so small, close to each other that from a distance the enemy would not know where the entrance to the fort was.
Steps to the main entrance of the fort. This was made at an angle by which it was impossible for the enemy to use elephants to break the fort door. Look at the earlier & this picture together to get a better understanding of their strategy.
Well even if you got through the fort entrance and door, you were welcome with a Cannon attack.
This is the second entrance again at an angle. If the Marathas lost gate one they would move to a higher point through gate two.
If the Marathas lost even gate two they would exit through a small underground tunnel from the fort. You can see this women entering the tunnel trying to figure it out for herself.
The tunnel opens into the ravines. They would run down this slope and get lost in these beautiful mountains.
Afzal Khan s tomb, this is the place where the famous Shivaji - Khan encounter took place. It is a five-minute drive from the fort.