Tikona

Tikona
Maval
Entrance and ramparts of Tikona fort
Type	Fortress
Coordinates	18°36′22″N 73°33′01″E / 18.6062°N 73.5502°E / 18.6062; 73.5502Coordinates: 18°36′22″N 73°33′01″E / 18.6062°N 73.5502°E / 18.6062; 73.5502
Current condition	Ruined
Open to the public	Yes

Tikona (also known as Vitandgad) is the dominant hill fort in Maval in western India. It is located near Kamshet around 60 km from Pune The village nearest the fort is called Tikona-Peth or Tokono-Peth. The 3500 ft high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means "triangle".^[1]

The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', a water tank and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pawna dam and the nearby forts of Tung, Lohagad and Visapur.^[1] There is a lake at the summit.^[2]

History

Little is known about the origins of this fort. There is a vihara on the fort datable to circa seventh-eight centuries A.D.^[3] Malik Ahmed Nizamshah of the Nizam dynasty conquered the fort in 1585 and aanexed it to the Nizam territory. In 1657, Shivaji brought the whole of Konkan, which had been Nizam territory, under his control when he conquered Tikona along with the forts of Karnala, Lohgad, Mahuli, Songad, Tala, and Visapur. This fort was a strategic nexus: the centre of control for the entire Pawana Mawal region. In 1660, Dhamale family one of the Deshmukh from Maval region was charged with ensuring the security of fort Tikona. Jaysingh invaded the region in 1665 and the local villages were by Dilerkhan but the forts held out. Tikona fort was surrendered to the Mughal warrior Kubadkhan, who had attacked the region together with Halal Khan and others, according to the Treaty of Purandar signed on 12 June 1665. Kubad DKhan took over the fort on 18 June but it was later recaptured by the Marathas.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 'Tung-Tikona', Around Pune. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
2. ^ 'Tikona', Space Apple. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
3. ^ "Indian Archeaology 1969-70 - A review". p. 25. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60PQMGb5G. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
4. ^ "Tikona". http://www.trekshitiz.com/EI/EI_DefaultUser.asp?SearchValue=T&FortName=Tikona&SearchChoice=Alpha. Retrieved 24 July 2011.