Malhargad

Malhargad, also called Sonori Fort after the village at its foot, is a hill fort near Saswad, 30 km from Pune. Named after the god Malhari, it was built in 1775 and is described as the last fort the Marathas raised. It sits on the Bhuleshwar range, the branch of the Sahyadri that also carries Sinhagad, Purandar and Vajragad, and is believed to have been meant to watch the Dive ghat on the Pune–Saswad road.

The builders were Bhivrao Yashvant and Krishnaji Madhavrao Panse, a Peshwa sardar who headed the Tofkhana, or artillery, and records mention a visit by the elder Madhavrao Peshwa. The fort remains in good condition. Two temples stand side by side at the top, a smaller one for Khandoba and a larger one for Mahadev, and Jejuri and the Parvati hills are visible from the summit. In Sonori village below, the ruins of Panse's palace can still be seen.