Prabalgad Fort, also known as Muranjan and Pradhangad, is located between Matheran and Panvel in the Indian state of Maharashtra, at an elevation of 2300 feet in the Western Ghats. It was built on a plateau very close to Matheran, but unlike Matheran it does not have a good source of water. It was known as Muranjan until it was taken over and renamed by the Maratha forces under Shivaji's rule.The fort contains a temple to Ganesh and some stone ruins. Its sister fort is Irshalgad. Right next to Prabalgad, to its north, lies the steep Kalavanti (also known as Kalavantin) Fort. Prabalgad is often confused with Kalavati, but they are two separate forts.
History:
Prabalgad Fort in its present form, was built during Bahmani Sultanate to keep an eye on Panvel Fort and Kalyan Fort in North Konkan.[3] Around 1458 AD, Malik Ahmad, the prime minister of the kingdom of Ahmednagar, took over the fort during his conquest of Konkan.[4] After disintegration of Bahmani Sultanate, this fort remained with the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. During the collapse of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, Shahaji tried helping them unsuccessfully against the separate forces of the Mughal Empire and the Adil Shahi dynasty and moved to Muranjan, along with wife Jijabai and younger son Shivaji for a brief period. However following Shahaji's defeat and agreement of Mahuli, North Konkan, along with this fort, was ceded to Mughals who granted ruling authority of the area to Adilshah of Bijapur.[5] The fort was conquered by Shivaji from the Mughals in 1657, after he establishing himself in the Kalyan-Bhivandi area