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Ratnagiri
Fort or Bhagvati Fort
Ratnagiri
fort is situated in the headquarters of district Rantagiri.
Ratnagiri, also known as Ratnadurg, or Bhagwati, fort is situated
about 220 km south of Mumbai.
The Bijapur sultans built the
fort in the sixteenth century but it was renovated by Shivaji
in 1670, serving as an important base for the Maratha navy.
The fall of the hereditary Angre admirals also meant the decline
of Ratnagiri as a naval base of any military
The fort, easily accessible by road, comprises three fortified
peaks. The largest, to the south, is called Parkot and supports
a functional lighthouse on its western edge. There are hardly
any traces of the middle peak, Peth fort, but the Bale Kila,
or citadel, is still well preserved and houses the famous
Bhagwati Temple.
Beyond the temple is a cliff with a sheer
drop from where it is said that condemned prisoners were thrown
to their death. There are also some old caves on the western
face of the cliff. Thibaw, the last king of Burma, was exiled
by the British to Ratnagiri in 1885 and put under house arrest
in a palace specially built for him.
Marching
Destination:
By Road: Ratnagiri Fort is about 323km away
from Pune.
By
Rail : Nearest railhead is Ratnagiri..
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