Pavangad
Encyclopedia
Pavangad is a hill fort in the Kolhapur District
, Maharashtra
half a mile east of Panhala fort
from which it is separated by a ravine
. The chief defense of the fort is a scarped rock fifteen to twenty-five feet high. In most places the steepness of the rock has been increased by artificial scarp
ing and it has been strengthened by a parapet wall of Kolhapur black stone fourteen feet high. .
In 1827, under Shahoji I (1821–1837), Pavangad and its neighboring fort Panhala
were given over to the British Raj. In 1844, during the minority of Shivaji IV
(1837–1860), Panhala and Pavangad were taken by rebels who seized Colonel Ovans, the Resident of Satara
, when he was on tour and imprisoned him in Panhala. A British force under General Delamotte was sent against the rebels and on 1 December 1844 breached Panhala fort walls, took it by storm. Shortly thereafter in 1844, the two main entrances of Pawangad were pulled down and the fort was dismantled. The fort though deserted has a good water supply.
Kolhapur District
Kolhapur district is located in Maharashtra state. The city of Kolhapur is the district headquarters. The district had a population of 3,523,162 of which 29.81% were urban as of 2001...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
half a mile east of Panhala fort
Panhala fort
Panhala fort , also known as Panhalgad, Pahalla and Panalla , is located in Panhala, 20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to...
from which it is separated by a ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
. The chief defense of the fort is a scarped rock fifteen to twenty-five feet high. In most places the steepness of the rock has been increased by artificial scarp
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
ing and it has been strengthened by a parapet wall of Kolhapur black stone fourteen feet high. .
In 1827, under Shahoji I (1821–1837), Pavangad and its neighboring fort Panhala
Panhala fort
Panhala fort , also known as Panhalgad, Pahalla and Panalla , is located in Panhala, 20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to...
were given over to the British Raj. In 1844, during the minority of Shivaji IV
Shivaji IV
Shivaji IV was a Raja of Kolhapur from 1871 to 1883. A distant relation of the main family line, he was born as Shrimant Narayanrao Dinkarrao Bhonsle, and was adopted at the age of eight by the widow of Rajaram I. Owing to his youth, he reigned under a regency until he had attained his majority...
(1837–1860), Panhala and Pavangad were taken by rebels who seized Colonel Ovans, the Resident of Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
, when he was on tour and imprisoned him in Panhala. A British force under General Delamotte was sent against the rebels and on 1 December 1844 breached Panhala fort walls, took it by storm. Shortly thereafter in 1844, the two main entrances of Pawangad were pulled down and the fort was dismantled. The fort though deserted has a good water supply.