Vishalgad Fort

The Sahyadri stronghold at Vishalgad in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, 76 kilometres from Kolhapur — a Bahmani-Nizam Shahi-Maratha fort embedded in the key defensive geography of the Maratha period. The 1660 Battle of Vishalgad saw Shivaji's lieutenant Baji Prabhu Deshpande and 300 Mavala soldiers hold the Pavan Khind pass against Siddi Masud's Bijapur army of 10,000 for seven hours — buying time for Shivaji to reach Vishalgad after his escape from Panhala. Baji Prabhu died at Pavan Khind; the Maratha retreat succeeded. The fort was captured by the Mughals in 1660 and recovered by Shivaji in 1680. The adjoining shrine of Hazrat Pir Malik Rehan Shah (Sufi saint who allied with Shivaji) is still visited by both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims. ASI partial protection.