Thread by @History_Mystery

#PanhalaFort is located in Panhala, 20 km northwest of Kolhapur, Maharashtra .Due to its strategic location, it was centre of several skirmishes in Deccan involving the Marathas, the Mughals and the British East India Company, the most notable being Battle of Pavan Khind.

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#PanahalaFort was built between 1178 and 1209 CE by the Shilahara ruler Bhoja II. A copper plate found in Satara shows that Raja Bhoja held court at Panhala from 1191–1192 CE.

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📷1: Lotus motif on #PanhalaFort of RajaBhoj.

📷2: Sculpture of BajiPrabhu Deshpande (Trusted Commander of #ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj)

📷3: Sculpture of ShivaKashid (Look alike of ShivajiMaharaj who kept enemy engaged to aid him to leave fort easily).

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#HistoryEncyclopedia

Whenever an army besieged a fort, their first action was to poison the main water source of the fort. To counter this, Adil Shah commissioned the building of the Andhar Bavadi (Hidden Well). This is a three-storey structure[19] with winding staircases that conceal the well.

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Several hidden escape routes in Andhar Bavai lead outside the fort. With its own water source, living quarters & its own exit routes, likely this structure was designed like a fort within a fort with intention of making it an emergency shelter in case the main fort fell.

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Kalvanticha Mahal (The courtesan's palace) which is also called Nayakini Sajja, literally means "Courtesans' Terrace room". It stands on east side of the fort close to the rampart. By 1886, it had become a complete wreck with only traces of ornamental work on the ceiling.

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The Amberkhana, situated in the center of the fort, were three granaries built in the Bijapuri style of architecture. They enabled Shivaji to withstand a 5-month siege by Siddhi Johar. It consists of three buildings called the Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati Kothis.

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#PanhalaFort

The Teen Darwaza (gate) which is the main entrance to the fort is located on the West side of the fort. It is a double gate with a court in between that has arcades. The outer gate has an ornate chamber on top with decorated eaves.

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#HistoryEncyclopedia #PanhalaFort

Wagh Darwaza was another entrance to the fort. It was designed to elude invaders such that they would get trapped into a small courtyard and could then be easily neutralized. It has an elaborate Ganesh motif at the entrance.

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