Panhala is where one of the most famous escapes in Maratha history began. In 1660 Shivaji was besieged here by the forces of the Bijapur sultanate and slipped away on a rainy July night, heading for the fort of Vishalgad, while a loyal commander, Baji Prabhu Deshpande, held back the pursuers in a narrow pass and gave his life doing so. The story is told in every Maharashtrian school and the pass, Pavan Khind, is a place of pilgrimage. The fort that Shivaji escaped from is among the largest in the Deccan, a long ridge top surrounded by walls and bastions, with three great gateways and a wealth of ruined buildings.
Panhala dates in its present form from the late twelfth century, and it passed through the hands of the Yadavas, the Bahmanis, Bijapur and the Marathas. The queen Tarabai, who led the Maratha resistance against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after her husband Rajaram died, ruled from here for a time. Among the sights are the huge granaries, the Teen Darwaza gate and the Sajja Kothi, a pavilion where Shivaji's son Sambhaji was held under guard. The views from the walls over the Sahyadri hills and the valleys of the Warna are wonderful, especially after the monsoon, when everything is green.
The ride up from Kolhapur is short but dramatic, with a winding ghat road that climbs through forest and open grassland to the ridge. The curves are tight, the surface variable, and in the rainy season, from June to September, the mist is so thick that you can barely see the road. Landslides are possible in heavy rain. On a clear winter day the view from the top of the climb is superb, and the road is good fun on a light bike.
Kolhapur, a large city nearby, is the place for fuel and a proper meal. Kodoli, with seventeen thousand people, and the small town of Panhala itself are smaller options. The local food is famously spicy, with a red mutton curry, tambda rassa, served with a white one, and Kolhapuri chappals, hand-made leather sandals, are sold in the bazaars.
The Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, on this ride, lies farther north in the same range, with dense forest, tigers and leopards. The cool, dry months from October to February are the best time for riding.