Standing tall to an elevation of 3,389 feet (1033 m) above sea level as a mighty guard along the Western Ghats Mountain Range, also known as the Sahyadri Hills, the Lohagad Fort is located only 11 km from the picturesque hill station of Lonavala, and at a distance of around 52 km to the northwest of the city of Pune in Maharashtra.

A small range, which divides the basins of the Indrayani river, connects the historical fort to its neighboring Visapur fort. The range extends to a buttressed spur in the shape of the tail of a scorpion and is known as Vinchu Kata for its typical shape. Lohagad, which stands for Iron Fort, has a long history behind it and is of considerable historical significance, as it was under the reign of various rulers during the various periods of time. Regarded as one of the major tourist attractions of Maharashtra tourism, Lohagad Fort has been declared as a protected monument by the Archaeology Survey of India

While the initial construction of Lohagad Fort is attributed to the Lohtamia Rajput dynasty, who ruled the region during the 10th century BC, it was occupied by several dynasties at different periods of time, which include the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Satavahanas, Yadavas, Nizams, Bahamanis and Mughals. The famous Maratha ruler Shivaji Bhonsle I, popularly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, captured the fort in the year 1648 BC, only to surrender it to the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb in 1665 AD, according to the Treaty of Purandar.

However, he recaptured the fort in 1670 AD and used it for storing all the treasures and loot from his conquest in Surat. Later, the fort was used as a residence of the Peshwa Nana Phadnavis, who constructed several structures in the fort complex, which include a big tank and a step-well.

The Lohagad Fort is equipped with four massive doors, located at the top of the fort, accessible by stairs. The Ganesh Darwaaja, the first of four arched gateways that straddle the stairs up to the summit, as well as the first of a number of additions made to the fort in circa 1789 by Nana Fadnavis, is made of heavy teak doors, studded with spikes to deter elephants.

The Ganesh Darwaaja is followed by Narayan Darwaaja, Hanuman Darwaaja and lastly, the Maha Darwaaja, the largest and the oldest of all the gateways, adorned with some minor decorations and with a small ruined court and a guard room within.

While there are two godowns or storehouses between the Narayan and Hanuman Darwaaja, once used as granaries for storage, the Maha Darwaaja faces an unidentified square stone structure, which is the largest surviving structure within Lohagad Fort, and said to be the mausoleum of a Muslim saint. The fort complex contains the Laxmi Kothi, located towards the right of the ruins of the old court and behind two cannons. Equipped with several rooms, it once served as the treasury of Nana Phadnavis. Apart from that, there are several fragmentary remains of a number of structures, which include a small courthouse, known as the Dhakti sadar, remains of the armoury, named Lohar Khana and others.

Apart from its historical importance, Lohagad is also is an ideal destination for the trekkers, especially during monsoons, when the top of the fort, partly covered by mist and cloud, becomes wet and green with growing moss. A trail heading north along the eastern edge of the fort leads to a series of rock-cut caves, where inscriptions were found on the outside wall of a rock-cut cave, written in the Brahmi script in Prakrit language. Viewing from the western side of the fort, one can see the Vinchu Kata, a 4921 feet (around 1500 m) long and 98 feet (30 m) wide part of the mountain that looks like a scorpion’s sting. The top of the fort offers a beautiful aerial view of the surrounding area, which include Karla, Bhaja caves, and the picturesque Pawna Lake.