Sajjangad

Sajjangad
Satara district, Maharashtra
Shivaji Mahadarwaja entrance of Sajjangad
Sajjangad
Coordinates	17°38′58.9″N 73°54′43″E
Type	Hill fort
Height	3350 feet
Site information
Owner	ShriRamdasSwami, Sansthan. Sajjangad
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	In good condition
Site history
Materials	Stone
Difficulty	Very easy
Open All Days 5.00am - 9.00pm

Sajjangad (Marathi: सज्जनगड), meaning "Fort of Good People", is located near the city of Satara, India. It is the final resting place of Sant Ramdas in 18th century India (born 1608). His teachings and works written in books such as Dasbodh are read and followed by many people even today in the state of Maharashtra and Sajjangad is a popular place of pilgrimage.

History

Samadhi of Samarth Ramdas at Sajjangad.

The fort was built by Bahamani rulers in between (1347-1527). Later (1527-1586) it came in possession of theAdilshahi dynasty.This fort was captured by Shivaji on 2 April 1663 from Adilshah. Previously known as Parali, it was renamed to Sajjangad. Fateullahakhan's army encircled the fort on 21 April 1700 and finally captured it on 6 June 1700. After it became the part of Mughal empire, it was renamed as "Navrastara".This fort was again won by Marathas. It remained in Maratha hands until the demise of the Maratha empire by the British in 1818.

Present day

Sajjangad fortifications on the hill can be clearly seen.

Sonale talav on the fort

The maintenance of the fort and the Samadhi (final resting place) of Sadguru Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami is taken care by 'Shri Ramdas Swami Sansthan', a trust which has existed since the time of Shri Ramdas Swami. The daily routine of the trustees on the fort includes morning prayers, Abhishek and Puja, Maha Naivedya, Bhajans and reading of the manuscript Dasbodh written by Sant Ramdas. The fort is open for devotees from 5.00am to 9.00pm.(all days). Entry and exit beyond these hours is restricted. In the afternoon and at night, devotees are served free of cost food (Prasad) by Shri Ramdas Swami Sansthan. The trust also provides free of cost accommodation for devotees who wish to stay overnight on the fort. Every year during Shiv Jayanti thousands of devotees visit the shrine by walking up to it.

Transportation

It is possible to reach the top of the fort by vehicle. From there one has to climb around two hundred and thirty steps to reach the gate of the fort. It is exactly 18 km from Satara city. You can hire an autorickshaw or bus from a famous area of Satara Rajwada. It is 273 km from Mumbai via NH48 (earlier NH4) highway.

See also

• Samarth Ramdas
• Shivaji
• List of forts in Maharashtra
• Dasbodh