Kalavantin Durg, otherwise known as Prabalgad Fort is located between Matheran and Panvel in the Indian state of Maharashtra at an elevation of 2,300 feet. Probably due to its dramatic size and menacing shadow, the local Adivasi villagers have included the fort in their religious ceremonies for many years.
Rumour has it that Kalavantin Durg was built in honour of a princess called Kalavantin around 500 BC.
What’s known for sure is that the fort has changed hands numerous times over the years. Around 1458 AD, Malik Ahmad, the prime minister of the kingdom of Ahmednagar, took over the fort during his conquest of Konkan.
Later the Mughals took control, until around 1657, when the Shivaji nabbed it from them in battle. As the Mughal women in the fort realised the Shivaji were winning the fight, they performed Jauhar, a tradition of self-immolation to ensure an “honorable and respectful” death.
Kalavantin Durg has a staircase that runs from bottom to top, carved into the solid rock that it’s built upon.
Without a handrail Kalavantin is not the safest place to climb. However, despite it being a health and safety nightmare, people are free to climb up it whenever the notion takes them. Some refer to it as the “climb to heaven” thanks to its breathtaking views.
Authorities suggest avoiding the trek during monsoon season, though. Good thinking. One travel website suggests that “[a]nyone suffering from vertigo should avoid doing this trek.” I should think that’s a given. They also suggest that you should “cling to the rocks” when it is windy.
Kalavantin is described as the most dangerous fort on earth, but not because of its heavy artillery or blood thirsty pirates, just because it’s tricky to get up there.
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