Fort : Torna

Distance	65 km	Height	1400 m
Days	1 day	Difficulty	Not Available
Base Village	Velhe
Shelter	Only in Devi Mengai Temple

Overview

Torna Fort is also known as Prachandgad. It is historically significant because it is the first fort captured by Shivaji in 1643, forming the nucleus of the Maratha empire. The name derives from Prachanda (Marathi for huge or massive) and gad (Marathi for fort). This huge fort is perched in the great Sahyadri Ranges in the district of Pune in Maharashtra state of India and boasts to be the tallest in the district with an altitude of 1405 meters from the sea level.
One of the popular forts for the trekkers. This was the fort won by Shivaji Maharaj. He found a pot containing gold coins, which he later used for building Rajgad.
One can see the temple of 'Toranaji' and 'Toraneshwar' near 'Kothi' door on the fort , but the main temple on the fort is of 'Devi Mengai'. One can have a good view of 'Rajgad' form the front of the temple. The temple is very old.
There are two machis on the fort - 'Zunjar Machi' and 'Budhala machi'. Also you can see 'Hanuman Buruj', 'Bhel Buruj' , 'Takmak Buruj' and 'Konkan Darwaja' etc. There are many forts one can see from Torana like Rajgad, Raigad, Lingana, Sinhagad and Pratapgad etc.

Places of Interest

Torna makes one of the most popular historical monuments in the district. Especially during the rainy season, the site attracts oodles of tourists. Moreover, lovers of adventure look at Torna as a paragon for trekking. The fort is undoubtedly difficult to climb up and thus stands as a challenge for the trekkers. Over the last decade the Government of Maharashtra has been trying to develop the site as a tourist spot and also to preserve the significance of the fort as a historical monument.
A number of monuments and structures erected by the Marathas on the fort have been an invitation for the lover and students of history as well as for the tourists all across the world.

Bini Darwaaza : The spectacular aerial view of the surrounding region is the main attraction of the Bini Darwaaja. If you are coming from the village Velhe which lies at the foothills of the fort Bini Darwaaza is the main entrance for you.
Kothi Darwaaza : The road from the Bini Darwaaza takes you to the Kothi Darwaaza. From here you can go to the stone carved steps that lead to the Tornaji Temple. You see beautiful idols of goddess Somjai and goddess Tornaji in this temple.
Hanuman Batsion : To the eastern part of the Kothi Darwaaza stands a sturdy bastion called Hanuman bastion. The idol of Lord Hanuman here will catch your attention.
Bhel Bastion : Zunjar Machi : Slightly ahead of the Hauman Bastion you reach the Bhel Bastion. The famous Zunzar Machi lies in the eastern part of the Bhel Bastion. This machi had remained inaccessible till a few years ago when a short rock-climbing session was successful. Later an sturdy iron ladder has been put on the wall of the fort making the access to the Zunjar Machi easier.
Budhla Machi : Yet another attraction on the Torna fort is the Budhla Machi. “Budhla” is a Marathi equivalent for English ‘vessel’. If observed minutely, the structure of this Machi looks exactly like a vessel kept upside down. From here you have a route heading towards the Sanjeevani Machi on the Rajgad. The route to Sanjeevani Machi springs through the Alu Darwaaza.

History

This fort is believed to have been constructed by the Shaiva Panth, followers of the Hindu god Shiva, in the 13th century. A Menghai Devi temple, also referred to as the Tornaji temple, is situated near the entrance of the fort.
In 1643, Shivaji captured this fort at the age of sixteen, thus making it one of the first forts in what would become the Maratha empire. Shivaji renamed the fort Prachandagad, and constructed several monuments and towers within it.
In the 18th century, the Mughal empire gained control of this fort after assassination of Shivaji's son Sambhaji. Aurangzeb, then Mughal emperor, renamed this fort Futulgaib (Language unknown: Divine victory), in recognition of the difficult defense the Mughals had to overcome to capture this fort. It was restored to the Maratha confederacy by the Treaty of Purandar. alankar honrao.

How to Reach

Travellers from Pune start in the early morning from Swargate bus stand. The relevant routes go by via Khed Shivapur, Cheladi/ Nasarapur/ Baneshwar, then Winzar, to the village of Velhe. The main path to Torna starts from here, and local people can help with directions. The way to the top is moderate to difficult, with some precautions to be taken in the rainy season. It is a two or three hour climb to the "Bini Darwaaja", the main entrance to the fort.
Alternatively, there is a pleasant and interesting ridge walk of 5–6 hours from the fort at Rajgad. This starts from "Pali Darwaaja" of Rajgad, near the left side of "Sanjeevani Machi", and ends at Torna Fort's "Budhla Machi".