Kulang Fort
Name : Kulang
Elevation : 1470 m
Type : Giridurg
Climbing Range : Difficult
Venue : Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
Nearby Villages : Igatpuri, Kurangwadi, Ambewadi
Mountain Range : Kalsubai Range
Current Status : OK
Geographic location :
The Mumbai-Agra National Highway passes through Kasara Ghat. Igatpuri village is on this highway. Igatpuri is a taluka village on the Mumbai-Nashik railway line. Belag mountain range is a range of Kalsubai of Sahyadri to the south of Igatpuri. On this east-west range is the peak of Kalsubai. Kalsubai is the highest peak in Sahyadri. To the west of this Kalsubai peak is Kulang fort. This line starts from Kulanggada.
How to go :
At the northern foot of Kulanggad is a village called Kurangwadi. One could reach there from Igatpuri via Pimpri Sadrudhin. After descending from Wari Ghat at the foot of Kalsubai, Ambewadi can be reached via Indore. The base of Kulanggad can also be reached from Ambewadi.
Kalsubai's line is higher than other lines and is surrounded by rocks. Therefore, the forts in this range are inaccessible and their ascent is difficult. To reach Kulanggad at an altitude of 1470 m above sea level, one has to reach the lower level first. To reach Padar, one has to walk for two hours from Kurangwadi. When he comes to power, Madangad and its adjacent cones and Kulang's cliff are shocking to the mind.
Madangad can be seen on the left if you place the corner of Kulang in front. Then we see a hill coming down on the right side of Kulang. Kulang climbs from this hill. After climbing this breathtaking path, a man encounters a cliff. The bridge has steep steps. Climb these steps and enter the fort through the door. The top of the fort is very wide.
Places to see on the fort :
There are stone carved stairs to reach the fort. Some stairs are in good condition and some are broken. Going up these stairs leads to a stone arch. There are caves carved out of stone in this place. They should be the gatekeepers of the soldiers. Going up through this arch, one gets a gomukhi door. This is the entrance gate of the fort.
Reaching the fort from here, one goes down to the east and takes several water tanks. The water in some of these tanks is potable. From here onwards there is a large hill. This is the highest point of the fort. There is a waterfall on its side and a stone embankment is built on it. There are two water tanks carved next to it and this part is very nice to see. There is a window on the stone embankment and a sculpture in a broken state on the outside. Perhaps it should be a gomukh, this part is a great example of water management on the fort.
Going west through the main gate is a large cave. It is flanked by steps carved out of stone and the remains of many structures can be seen on the way up. This should be the stronghold of the fort. A large structure is found here. This should be the main fort on the fort. The entrance to the castle is on the north side and there is an awning in the middle. This awning divides the castle into two parts. Going further from here, there is a machi on the lower side. This Machi looks like a scorpion Machi of Lohgad. Many historical monuments on this fort are still in good condition.
History :
The fort was conquered in 1672 by Moropant, the Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This was a big blow for the Mughals. After the last Anglo-Maratha war of 1818, there are some mentions that there are four big guns on this fort. His names were Fattelashkar, Ramprasad, Shivprasad and Markandey. It is known that the last cannon was melted by the British, but it is not known what happened to the other three cannons.
After the last war, like many other forts in Maharashtra, this fort is in a state of disrepair. The two neighboring forts, Mora and Hargad, are in the same condition. Thtas why in now a days it is difficult to go to Hargad, because the way to climb the fort is closed.
Water supply on the fort :
The water tank at Kulanggad is abundant and the water is clean and drinkable. An amazing view of the Kalsubai Range can be seen from the eastern ridge of Kulang-Patalveri ridge.
Photos of Kulang Fort :
