Bhadurgad / Dharmaveergad Situated 100km east of Pune, Bhadurgad consists of a small collection of temples (circa 13th century) located on the banks of the river Bhima, and a much ruined fort and palace complex immediately next to the temples. Shri Laxmi Narayan temple is the best preserved of the Hemadpanti temples on the site. The carvings outside the temple are quite exceptional, but for me the highlight were the carved windows, in all manners of shapes which created a very special feel once inside the temple. Immediately next to the Shri Laxmi Narayan temple is the Shri Baleshwar Temple, not in such a good state of preservation but still worth exploring. There is hardly anything left of the old fort now, except for a few ruined structures that for the most part stand in isolation from one another. The fort is famous for two events : 1) When the warrior king Shivaji heard news of the arrival of the two hundred trained Arabian stallions at Bhadurgad, he deliberately leaked the news that he was planning to attack Bhadurgad. Intially 2,000 men attacked the fort and then retreated with Bahadur Khan in hot pursuit with his army. Luring the Mughals 20km away from the fort, the Marathas then dispersed into the landscape. Meanwhile, the remaining 6,000 Maratha contingent attacked the fort, taking away all the gold and horses. 2) Later after death of Shivaji in 1689, Sambhaji Raje was captured at Sangameshwar and was brought to Bhadurgad as a prisoner. Here he was subjected to a horrific torture and eventual death when he refused to be converted to Islam. The account of what they did to him is beyond comprehension, details of which are available on Wikipedia and countless other places no doubt. Bhadurgad has been renamed as Dharmaveergad in the memory of Sambhaji Raje. #swiggywala #localguides @googlemaps #Bhadurgad #Dharmaveergad #SecretTemples #MaharashtraTourism #Maharashtra_Desha #insta_maharashtra #maharashtraunlimited #Sahyadri_ig #templesofmaharashtra #ancienttemple #incredibleindia #travelindia #shivaji https://www.instagram.com/p/CckZ0EyPFn6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=