Harishchandragad

Harishchandragad is a hill fort in Ahilyanagar district whose story is tied to Malshej Ghat and Kothale village, which it once guarded. Microlithic remains show early human presence, and the fort is mentioned in the Matsya, Agni and Skanda Puranas. Its citadel is traced to the Kalachuri period of the 6th century, while its caves were probably carved in the 11th century. The sage Changdev, author of the Tatvasaar, meditated here in the 14th century.

Carvings at the Harishchandreshwar temple, the Kedareshwar cave and the Nageshwar temple in Khireshwar link the site to Mahadev, revered by the Mahadev Koli tribe who held the fort before the Mughals; the Marathas took it in 1747. East of the temple lies Saptatirtha, a stone-built tank once lined with shrines to Vishnu. To the right of the temple, the large Kedareshwar cave holds a big Shiva linga.