Agra Fort

 Agra, the city where the great monument Taj Mahal was built is situated on the banks of Yamuna river. It has sub-tropical climate. Summers here are very hot where temperatures can go upto 45 degree Celsius. Apart from Taj Mahal, you can find other world heritage sites like the Agra fort and Fatehpur sikri.

Diwan-e-Khas

 Akhbar, the mughal Emperor, built the Agra fort with sandstone. His Grandson ShahJahan built the Taj Mahal which can be seen from the fort. The Diwan-e-khas which can be seen in the above picture is the area where public meetings used to be held in the mughal era.

Many monuments in Agra had influence of Mughal rulers like Akhbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. Parts of the fort are built with white marble which add to the fort's beauty. Its a great place for history enthusiasts. Best time to visit Agra is from November to March.

Distance from:
Kheria Airport: 12 km.
Lucknow: 364 km.
Kanpur 278 km.
Delhi 208 km.

Pratapgad Fort

Pratapgad is a magnificent fort situated in Maharashta, India. It is 1,080 meters above sea level. The fort was built by Moropant Trimbak Pingle on orders by the Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj. The legendary Battle of Pratapgad was fought at the fort in 1956. The hill is surrounded by Ghats and dense forests. The fort is well built and one can easily keep an eye for any enemy soldier trespassing. I've visited this fort twice. Once when i was about 10 years old and the second time recently. The nearest hill station is Mahabaleshwar which is about 23 kms from the fort.

Pratapgad Fort is divided into 2 parts namely the lower fort and upper fort. The upper fort was constructed upon the crest of a hill and is approximately 180 m long on each of its sides. The lower fort is sited at the southeast end of the fort, and is defended by tall towers which are 10-12 metres high

The place where guards watch out for enemy soldiers.

The Pratapgad fort is quite famous, various plays, movies and books have depicted the story of the Battle of Pratapgad and how Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan. Moreover it has been immortalized by adding chapters of this battle in the textbooks of school children. I had studied about the Maratha Empire in history subject during my school days, so witnessing this fort in person gave me an immense feeling of achievement.   

There are various shops near the entrance of the fort where they sell souvenirs, t-shirts, and books on the life of Shivaji Maharaj.

Sometimes i wonder how it would be like to live in the Shivaji era.



The best time to visit Pratapgad Fort and Mahabaleshwar is from October to June.
Distance from:
Mahabaleshwar : 23 kms
Mumbai: 104 kms