Jalna Fort

Jalna Fort, also known as Mastgad or Mastgarh, is a historic ground fort located on the eastern side of Jalna town near the Kundalika River in Maharashtra. Built in 1725 by Kabil Khan under the orders of Nizam ul Mulk Asaf Jah I, it served as a strategic citadel during the Hyderabad Princely State era. The fort features Persian inscriptions, surviving bastions, and houses a mosque and Sufi saint shrine within its partially ruined walls.

Visitors can explore the remnants of an 18th-century ground fort including intact fort walls, bastions overlooking the Kundalika River, and an eastern entrance gate with Persian inscriptions. The site contains a mosque, a Sufi saint's tomb, and two medium-sized cannons on a raised platform. The fort is in a state of partial ruin and neglect, offering a glimpse into historical military architecture rather than maintained tourist facilities.

Constructed in 1725 during the reign of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad Princely State. The fort was later captured by Tukoji Holkar and saw conflict during British-Maratha wars when Colonel Murray attempted to seize it in 1805. It served as the Jalna Municipal Corporation office for several years before being abandoned.

The fort holds religious importance due to the presence of a mosque and Sufi saint shrine within its walls. It represents the Indo-Islamic architectural heritage of the Marathwada region and stands as testimony to the valour of Yashwantrao Holkar who undertook restoration work during Maratha possession.