Gavilgad Fort is near a hill station called Chikhaldara in the Amravati district of Maharashtra. The fort is protected by the Central Government of India.

Districts/ Region

Amravati District, Maharashtra, India.

History

The fort has several inscriptions in Persian recording the date of the building of each of its seven gates. There are two water tanks known as Devtalav and Khantalav. They would have been the main water source during the siege. We can note the remains of a mosque inside the fort. There is a square canopy with intricate stone latticework and a seven arched façade located in the mosque. The mosque used to have two minarets but at present, only one can be seen intact. Gafur Ahmed was a jaglia (tenant) of the Narnala fort. He attempted to determine whether the chambers built into the fort of Narnala had any use by driving 20 sheep into them. In such an attempt, one of the sheep turned up at Gavilgad, which was more than 20 miles away.

The phonetic similarity in the name of the fort the Gawali i.e. a pastoral community ‘Gavli’, Gavilgad fort has various folklore associated with it. It is believed by locals that the Gavli community had built the fort in the 12-13th century, though there is no historical truth in it. The fort is considered the paradise of trackers.

Geography

Gavilgad is a well-fortified monument on the Deccan mountains of Maharashtra.

Weather/Climate

The region is mostly dry throughout the year, and Summers are extreme. The temperatures in summers are around 30-40 degrees Celsius. Winters here came to be as low as 10 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall in this region is around 1064.1 mm.

Things to do

Many people visit Gavilgad for trekking but one can also visit there for the old heritage and the monument itself. One may also find carvings and inscriptions to look at.

Nearest tourist place

There are many tourist places near Gavilgad like

•  Melghat Tiger Reserve: 74.1 KM
•  Government Botanical Garden Melghat: 3.5 KM
•  Kalapani Lake: 3.9 KM
•  Windmill 2: 8.4 KM
• Chikhaldara Hill Station (4.9 KM)

Special food speciality and hotel

Maharashtrian Cuisine

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

There aren't many facilities available on the fort. There are facilities like Bed and Breakfast, homestays nearby.

● Police Station Chikhaldhara is the closest at a distance of 2.8 KM.

● Rural Hospital Chikhaldara is the closest hospital at a distance of 2.8 KM.

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

● The best time to visit Gavilgad is between March to June. The climate is chilly and enjoyable during this time.

● The fort opens at 6:00 A.M. and closes at 6:00 P.M.

● The entry fees are 5 Rupees for Indians and 300 Rupees for foreigners.

Language spoken in area

English, Hindi, Marathi.