Location: Panchgani is an idyllic mountain retreat in the Krishna valley. It is far from the noise of Pune and the endless hustle-bustle and pollution of Mumbai metropolis. It is the first hill town one reaches from Mahabaleshwar on the Pune road.

The climate here is dry (75" of rainfall annually) bracing and cool. The water of Dhom Dam keeps farms and rice fields irrigated all the year round.

Places to visit: The places worth visiting is table land which offers the panoramic view of Panchgani itself, "Parsi Point" gives a bird eye view of the valley and Sidney Point" from which the distant town of "Wai" can be observed at the foot of these high ghats. Except for the above the view in Panchgani is not as spectacular as in Mahabaleshwar.

Panchgani is famous for its expensive public schools and also for the Morat Rearmament Training Centre established here in 1965 by Mahatma Gandhi's nephew Rajmohan Gandhi - this centre incorporates model farms with Maharashtra's first pure bred Jersey cow and experimental tree planting.

Period to visit: Panchgani is an idyllic and quiet mountain retreat. If one is in a mood for a quiet holiday from the hustle and bustle of the town life,then Panchgani is the hill station to visit.The best season to visit this hill station is from October to May.

Pratapgarh (Hill Fort)

Pratapgarh is one of the forts built by shivaji to strengthen and to dominate the road system of the empire. Pratapgarh is closer to Mahabaleshwar and one can trek to this Shivaji's hill fort of Pratapgarh from Mahabaleshwar. The other option being to take a bus, which covers the 2.2 km., journey in an hour to reach the foot of this hill. To reach the fort one has to climb 500 steps.

Chattrapati Shivaji dedicated his life to the two mottos. The first mission of his life was to win back what he considered to be Maratha and for the Marathis against the usurping Mughal invaders from the north. The second motto of his life was to reinstate India's native Hinduism against what he believed to be the alien instruction of Islam; Shivaji built this fort with the former motive in mind.

It is best to climb these steps early in the morning or mid afternoon. During the climb one can see the distant sides. Corner bastions support a double bank of fortifications. The rounded main gate also called the 'Maha Darwaza' towers up with vertical slits. The windy rugged rocky heights of Pratapgarh are invigorating and one cannot but help fantasizing about the exploits of the great Maratha warriors under the able leadership of the Great Chattarpati Shivaji. As one climb up the 500 steps one comes across the Bhavani Temple (a local name given to Goddess Parvati) in the Power fort. "Chattrapati Shivaji" built this temple in a religious emergency, as he was unable to visit the Bhavani temple at Tuljapur. It was built in the last decade of the 17th Century. The windswept Bhavani temple possesses a pair of rugged lantern pillars.

As one treks further from the lower fort one comes across the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the upper fort. It is here one can see the ruins of residential buildings and barracks made for Shivaji's army against the Muslim invaders.

Below the fort there is a tomb dedicated to Afzal Khan the Muslim general of Bijapur, who was killed by Shivaji's steel-claws or "wagnatch". Muslims hold a memorial service every January or February (depending on the Islamic Calendar) at the Dargah of Afzal Khan.

In addition to Pratapgarh for the other famous hill forts are Purandhar (32 km South-East of Pune) Sinhagarh (20 km south-west of Pune), another great fort is the Rajgarh fort (Royal Fort which is 50 km south-west from Pune. This fort was Shivajis' rocky capital and military headquarters from 1648 until his death there in 1680. In 1670 he was crowned "Chattrapati". To reach the fort one has to climb 1,400 steps. Doli's are available for those who do not want to climb these steps.

Pratapgarh fort is an interesting place to visit in Maharashtra.