Sinhagad is a hill fort in the Bhuleshwar Ranges of the Sahyadri toward the southwest of Pune City. Originally known as Kondana.

Districts/ Region 

Pune district, Maharashtra, India.

History    

The hill fort of Simhagad is accessible through a motorable road. The fort have two gates one each in the northeast and southeast direction. The northeast or Poona gate is toward the end of a wrapping raising the profile of a precarious rough prod; the simpler Kalyan or Konkan gate remains toward the end of a less troublesome climb protected by three gateways all emphatically sustained and each commanding the other. The fort has two samadhi-s of Tanaji Malusare and Rajaram Maharaj, a memorial of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak and a temple.

This fort has witnessed many legendary events like the first invasion of Maharashtra by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq in 1340 in which local chiefs named Nag Naik battled valiantly for a very long time to safeguard his fort against the Tuqhlaqs.
This fort was conquered by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (The founder of the Maratha Empire). However, in the due course of time, he had to surrender for Kondhana to Mughals as per the Treaty of Purandar in 1655. Still, Shivaji Maharaj was quite determined to get back his Kondhana fort and he commenced one of the vicious battles with Mughals. 

In this fight, Tanaji Malusare who was one of the major and trusted Generals attacked the fort during nighttime by climbing the steep slopes of the fort. The brave warriors of the Maratha empire attacked the fort and won the fort back but Tanaji Malusare had to lose his life.  The legend says after this incident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj renamed this fort 'Sinhgad'. Though historically that is not true. The battle of Sinhagad fought between Marathas and Mughals is still being recited through the oral tradition of Maharashtra narrating the bravery of Maratha warriors and Subhedar Tanaji Malusare.  

Mughals were still trying to win this fort again from Marathas till the rise of Peshwas in the Pune vicinity in the early 18th century. Sinhagad remained with the Maratha Empire till the end of Maratha rule and the rise of English rule in India in 1818.

Geography    

The fort is 1,312 meters above sea level and is in the Bhuleshwar range of the Sahyadri Mountains. It has steep slopes. This fort is easily approachable by road now.

Weather/Climate    

The region has a hot-semi arid climate year-round with an average temperature ranging from 19-33 degrees Celsius. 
April and May are the hottest months in the region when the temperature reaches up to 42 degrees Celsius.
Winters are extreme, and the temperature can go as low as 10 degrees Celsius at night, but the average daytime temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius.
The annual rainfall in the region is around 763 mm.

Things to do    

There are two ways you can reach the top of the fort. One is by trekking which takes 1-2 hours to ascend and 1-2 hours to descend as per individuals pace. The second option is reaching the top of the fort by own vehicle, which takes 20-30 minutes. One can visit the following places on the fort:
1.    Kalyan Darwaja
2.    Pune Darwaja
3.    Samadhi of Tanaji Malusare
4.    Hanuman temple
5.    Cliff is known as ‘Kade loat’
6.    Memorial of Lok Manya Tilak 
7.    ‘Samadhi’ of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj.
8.    Devtakey

Nearest tourist place    

Tourism attractions near Sinhagad are,
1.    Krushnai water park (9.1 KM)
2.    Khadakwasla dam (16 KM)
3.    ISKCON temple (29 KM)

Special food speciality and hotel

The food speciality is the traditional Maharashtrian cuisines served on the fort. It includes mostly Pithle Bhakri, Kanda bhaji (pakodas), batata bhaji, Vada (pattie), thecha, vangyache bharit (eggplant).

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station    

There is no accommodation available in the fort. There are basic hygiene facilities available on the fort. However, you find decent food on the fort as there are small eateries around the fort.
 There is no hospital or police station on the fort. 
The nearest Police station is Khed Shivapur Police Station. (14.1 KM)
The nearest hospital is the Sanjivani Hospital (26.8 KM)

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit
-        High temperatures in summer should be avoided. 
-        The best timings to visit the fort are from 5:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M. It may be dangerous to descend the fort after sunset as it has steep slopes.
-        If one plans on trekking the fort it is advisable to wear any sports or trekking shoes. Also while visiting the fort in the monsoons it's better to carry an extra pair of clothes with you besides rainwear.

Language spoken in area
English, Hindi and Marathi..