Paranda Fort

Paranda Fort is a 15th-century medieval land fort located in Paranda town, Dharashiv district, Maharashtra. Attributed to Mahmud Gawan of the Bahmani Sultanate, it served as a strategic stronghold for the Ahmadnagar Sultanate and later the Mughals. The fort features double-fortified walls with 26 bastions, a protective moat, and historic cannons cast by Dutch craftsmen. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India and exemplifies Deccan military architecture.

Visitors can explore a well-preserved medieval land fort featuring double-layered ramparts, 26 rounded bastions, and a surrounding moat connected by a drawbridge. The site displays historic artillery, including large cannons inscribed with names of Arab and Dutch engineers, and approximately 300 round shots stored within. Architectural elements include a Jami Masjid with three entrances and various internal structures. Panoramic views of the surrounding countryside are available from the ramparts.

Constructed in the 15th century, possibly by Mahmud Gawan, Prime Minister of the Bahmani Sultanate, or by Murtaza Nizam Shah II in the early 1600s. It served as the last capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate after the fall of Ahmadnagar to the Mughals. The fort was unsuccessfully besieged twice by Mughal forces under Shah Jahan (1631 and 1634) before being ceded to Aurangzeb without resistance. Under Mughal rule, it functioned as a mint town.

The fort is mentioned in ancient inscriptions including the Honnati inscription of Baka 1045 (AD 1924), Kalyan Chalukyan copper plates, and Yadava epigraphs where it is referred to as Pallyanda Pratyandaka. It represents a significant specimen of medieval Deccan military architecture and engineering.