Jivdhan (or Jeevdhan) is a hill fortress situated 1 km near the modern day town of Ghatghar in Junnar Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, India. The fort, which rises 1,145 meters (3,757 feet) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. The rock cut steps are wonderfully carved, which lead to the Kalyan gate. There are hooks attached on the walls of the rock cut steps near Kalyan gate, which makes it easy for a regular climber.

The whole range of these forts originated during the rule of the Satavahanas era. This is clear from the entrances carved out in stone. The fort stands at an important position and most important guard of Naneghat. From here any help to Naneghat could reach in less time. It was under Bahmani control and after that it went to Nizamshah. In 1636, Nizamshahi declined. Shahajiraje rescued Murtiza, the last Nizam from Jivdhan and took him to the fort of Pemgiri. But he was trapped by the Mughals and had to hand him over to them. This was the end of Nizamshahi. In 1818, the British captured all the forts here and destroyed them. Jivdhan too became a victim and the main entrance was destroyed. Even today the marks of those wounds cannot go unnoticed as we climb the fort.

There is a temple for Goddess Jivai at the top of the fort, who is supposed to be the patron deity of the fort. The idol of the Goddess has four hands with weapons, which include a dagger of Muslim type, and a circular weapon. By its one hand the goddess holds the tongue of the animal on which it is standing. The goddess being fearsome represents the ancient and medieval ancestors who were continuously fighting for their freedom.

Features

There are some unexplored storehouses atop the fort which can explored with proper precautions. There are a few water tanks atop the fort and water from the tanks near the store house is not portable as they are open all the year round. The water from the rock cut cistern near the Kalyan Gate is potable. One should use caution while using this water for cooking food or drinking. The entire fort is covered with prickly shrubs of Lepidagathis cuspidata or called as “Kate adulsa” in Marathi. The Malabar giant squirrel or “Shekhru” is found in the forest at the foot hills.

There is a pinnacle near the fort, which is about 385 feet high. When you approach the fort it looks smaller in size but as you move closer to the fort you can actually get a feel of how high the pinnacle is. This pinnacle is known as ‘Vanderlingi’. This is surmountable with use of proper rock climbing equipment; it may take a day or 2 to climb the pinnacle. One needs to scout the area for beehives in order to climb with complete caution.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jivdhan

http://trekshitiz.com/trekshitiz/Ei/Jivdhan-Trek-Pune-District.html

https://www.holidify.com/places/mumbai/jivdhan-trek-sightseeing-8255.html