Mandangad is a Taluka place in Ratnagiri
district. Overlooking the small town of Mandangad is a two peaked hill fort
also known by the same name i.e Mandangad. Mandangad fort is has quite an
obscure existence and doesn’t find much of a mention in history books. In fact,
it is one of the very old forts in the region with data suggesting that
Mandangad was built in 12th century during the reins of the Shilahar dynasty.
The visit to the fort takes not more than
three hours from Mandangad village. The hillock is quite densely forested and a
mud trail winds up the fort in one hour through these thickets. A lake called
as ‘Thorla’ Talav (Thorla means Bigger in Marathi), a recently renovated Ganesh
temple standing next to the Throla Talav, a Darga, a magazine, tanks, few ruins
of bastions and remains of fort walls are the only structures that one can see
atop Mandangad. However, the recently renovated Ganesh temple stands
majestically on the small hump near the Lake is a beautiful place to stay, if
one wishes to stay on the fort. From the southern end bastion, one can sight
the hill fort of Palgad standing opposite to Mandangad.
Mandangad fort provides good accommodation
in the Ganesh temple atop.
Mandangad fort is about 2 km from
Mandangad town in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra.
By Air : Mumbai is nearest airport.
By Rail : Sape wamne nearest railway station to
mandangad.
By Road : Mahad , Shrivardhan , Khed are the nearby
by towns to Mandangad having road connectivity to Mandangad.
There are 2 summits for the mountain on
which Mandangad is built. On the higher one there is a water tank. The
fortification is seen on the lower and more flat part. The entrance is
destroyed, but the bastions stand. The Ganesh temple here is reconstructed. We
can see Savitri River, Raigad and Varandha pass on a clear day.