Jivdhan

Jivdhan (or Jeevdhan) is a hill fortress situated 1 km from modern town of Ghatghar in Junnar Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, India. The fort, which rises 1,145 meters (3,757 feet) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege between 1815 and 1818.

Jivdhan is a part of the 'Famous 5' trekking destinations among trekking enthusiasts. Chavaand, Hadsar, Shivneri, and Naneghat are the other destinations in the Famous 5 trek. This is a high difficulty grade trek due to the misleading jungle tracks and the necessity and knowledge of using climbing equipment. The rock cut steps are wonderfully carved, which lead to the kalyan gate. There are hooks attached on the walls of the rock cut steps near kalyan gate, which makes it easy for regular climber.

It is said that the boy king Murtaza Nizam Shah III, last nominal ruler of Nizamshahi, was held by Shah Jahan on this fort. Shahaji maharaj rescued the boy king because he had promised that while he was alive, nothing would happen to the boy.

Text adapted from “Jivdhan” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Jivdhan ranks #5,437 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #158 of the 179 mapped in India. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Junnar, 22 km away. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗