Shivneri Fort

Shivneri is the hill fort above Junnar where Shivaji was born on 19 February 1630, and where he spent his early childhood. A small temple to the goddess Shivai, after whom he is said to have been named, stands inside the walls, along with the building marked as his birthplace, a statue of Jijabai with young Shivaji, the Badami Talav pond and several water cisterns. The cliffs below are cut with Buddhist caves, and one edge of the hilltop ends at Kadelot point, a sheer drop. The climb up through a series of gates takes about an hour. In 2025 Shivneri was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Maratha Military Landscapes of India. Ozar and Lenyadri are nearby, so the three are often combined in a day.