Sajjangad

Sajjangad Fort is a hill fort in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. It sits atop a prominent hill in the Satara district and is noted for its religious significance as well as its historical heritage. The name Sajjangad translates roughly as “Fort of Sajjan” in Marathi.

Historically, the fort is linked with the Maratha era, though its exact origins are not fully documented. It gained enduring prominence as the site of the samadhi (tomb) of Saint Ramdas, a 17th-century spiritual teacher and the spiritual adviser to Chhatrapati Shivaji. Ramdas established a religious and administrative presence at Sajjangad, and his writings, including the Dasbodh, contributed to the fort’s cultural importance. After Ramdas’s death, the site developed as a pilgrimage destination, attracting followers as well as visitors drawn by the hill’s vistas.

Today, Sajjangad Fort comprises a hilltop temple complex centered on the Ramdas samadhi and associated shrines. Remains of walls, gateways, and water storage tanks reflect its past as a defensive outpost, though substantial portions of the fort are in ruins. Access to the summit is via a route from a base village, which involves a climb and, in places, a stairway or maintained path. The site is managed by local authorities and a charitable trust that maintains the temple complex and attends to visitors.

Sajjangad remains a popular site for pilgrims and trekkers, especially during religious occasions and the monsoon season, when the surrounding landscape is lush and scenic.