Manikgad Fort

Manikgad Fort is a hill fort located near Vashivali in Raigad district, Maharashtra. Built around 1700 and ceded to Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre in 1718, it served as a watchtower overseeing trade routes from Maval to coastal ports. The fort stands at an elevation of approximately 1,878 feet and currently exists in ruins. It features rock-cut cisterns, a Shiva linga, and the Ganesh gate as notable remaining structures.

Visitors can expect a moderate trek of about 5 kilometers one way from Vashivali village through forested paths to reach the fort ruins. At the summit, they will find the remains of defensive structures including the standing Ganesh gate, a large rock-cut water tank known as Darya Take, smaller cisterns, and a Shiva linga. On clear days, views of nearby forts such as Prabalgad, Chanderi, Malanggad, Irshalgad, Sondai, and Sankshi are visible from the top.

Manikgad Fort was built around 1700 and ceded to Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, admiral of the Maratha Navy, by the Peshwas in 1718. It functioned as a strategic watchtower to oversee and protect trade routes connecting the inland Maval region near Pune to coastal Konkan ports. The fort was captured by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao's forces in 1747 during intra-Maratha conflicts and later fell to British control after the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818.