Lohagad Fort: Iron Fortress that Guarded the Deccan
Lohagad Fort is known as the iron fortress of the Deccan. The strong foundation of the fort along with its four carved gates made it a highly save and protected location from the enemies during the Maratha Empire.
Lohagad Fort is one of the oldest forts in Maharashta, India. It is almost 2,000 years old and located in the present day Lonavala hill station. The fort is situated at 1,033 feet in the Sahyadri Fort, it provides stunning views of nature and lush greenery from various caves inside the fort.
The fort has four major gates namely, Ganesh Darwaja, Narayan Darwaja, Hanuman Darwaja, and Maha Darwaja still fully intact as a testament to the architectural marvel of the Marathas and dynasties which built the fort.
Why is Lohagad Fort called the Iron Fortress of the Deccan?
Lohagad is called the Iron Fortress of the Deccan because its name in Marathi literally means “Iron Fort”. Loha means iron and Gad means fort in Marathi which explains the title given to the fort.
The fort is situated on an iron-rich terrain near Lonavala providing a strong foundation. The fort is built with thick basalt walls and four heavily guarded gates to protect the fort from any invasion by enemy territory. This explains the name given to the fort to signify its strong structure.
Who Built the Lohagad Fort?
Lohagad Fort was firstly built during the Lohtamia Dynasty in the 10th century CE. The fort was under the Lohtamia rule for the longest period compared to other empires. It was finally in 1648 AD when Chatrapati Shivaji captured the fort but ultimately lost it to the Mughal Empire in 1665 AD under the Treaty of Purander.
The Lohagad fort was again recaptured in 1670 AD after which he secured the fort for his Maratha Empire’s treasure won from various wars. During the Peshwa’s reign, Nana Phadnavis made extensive use of this fort. He built various facilities in the fort such as step wells providing water along structures to hide from enemies.
Lohagad Fort Capture by British Army
The British army captured the Lohagad Fort on March 4, 1818. The third Anglo-Maratha war led to the defeat of Marathas in keeping access to the fort whereby the British took over absolute control.
The main motive of the British was to find Maratha treasures in the Lohagad Fort. They tried to dig the fort, excavate the area along with an attempt to drain the water tank storage to discover the treasure only to fail in finding any such goods. They finally gave up hope and abandoned the fort in 1845.
Inscriptions Discovered in Lohagad Fort
It was in September 2019, when a few trekkers from Pune discovered inscriptions in Jain Brahmi script in the Prakrit language. The inscription is located on cave 7 of the Lohagadwadi cave. There are six lines on the cave beginning with “Namo arahamtanam" which translates to reverence to the enlightened ones.
This inscription is one of the earliest proofs of the religion Jainism and shows the diverse reach and spread of communities from the earliest times.
Ayukta Zisha is an education journalist with over three years of experience in digital media. A graduate of St. Xavier’s College, she holds a Master’s degree in English along with a certification in Digital Marketing from IIT Delhi. Backed by a strong academic foundation in the humanities, she specializes in creating educational and general knowledge content across history, geography, literature, and current affairs. During her tenure at Jagran Josh, she worked extensively on U.S. news and global developments, curating informative and engaging content for a diverse readership. Her subject expertise and ability to simplify complex topics enable her to make complex information accessible to a wide audience. Beyond journalism, Ayukta is an avid reader and a published author.
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