- Purandhar
Purandhar (or Purandar) is a
taluka or tehsil of thePune district ofMaharashtra ,India .The taluka got its name because of the mighty Maratha fort of the same name located in this area.Purandar is bordered by the following talukas;Haveli on the North, Daund in the North East and East, Baramati on the East, Phaltan (Dist Satara) on the South and Bhor in the West.The western part of Purandar taluka is mostly covered by hills.Therein is located the famous Purandhar Fort.Purandhar fort
Purandhar fort stands 4,472 ft. above the sea (1,387 m) in the
Western Ghats , 20 miles southeast ofPune . It figures repeatedly in the rising of Shivaji against the Bijapur kingdom and the Mughals and was one of the favourite forts of Shivaji. It gave its name to a treaty with the Marathas, signed in 1665.Sambhaji , Shivaji's elder son and successor was born at Purandar.The fort was a favourite stronghold of the Peshwas whenever the unwalled city of Poona was threatened.Later it was utilized as asanatorium for British soldiers.Purandhar fort has a National Cadet Corps Academy. It is a favorite destination for
paraglider s and trekkers. There are many temples like "Purandeshwar mandir", "Kedareshwar mandir", "Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa mandir" etc.The fort has a statue ofMurarbaji Deshpande , the fort-keeper ("killedar") who was killed while protecting the fort from Mughals. Atemple toShiva is located at the heart of the fort.Commonly grown crops in Purandhar taluka are
jowar ,bajra ,rice ,wheat ,sugarcane , and vegetables (mainlyonion ). Some parts of Purandhar are covered with forest, which is composed mostly ofTeak ,Oak , andMango trees.Saswad is the taluka headquarters of Purandar taluka.The famous pilgrim center of Jejuri falls in Purandar Taluka.People also visit the shrine of Sopandeo,elder brother of Saint Dnyaneshwar at Saswad.Also famous is the temple of Bhuleshwar dedicated to Lord Shiva.Rivers like Nira and Karha flow through Purandar.
References
ee also
*
List of forts in Maharashtra
*Mandher Devi temple in MandhradeviExternal links
* [http://pune.nic.in/agriculture/purandar.htm Pune.nic.in page about Purandhar]
* [http://www.puneprime.com/City_Guides/Pune_District.htm PUNEPRIME.com] - Pune District
* [http://www.punediary.com/html/Purandar.html Punediary.com]
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