Salher is a small hilly area located near Waghamba in Satana tehsil in Nashik district of Maharashtra.
Salher is the site of the highest fort in the Sahyadri Mountains and the second highest peak at 1,567 metres (5,141 ft) after Kalsubai Peak, Ahmednagar District in Maharashtra and 27th highest peak in Western Ghats Mountain Range in India.
Mythological History of Salher
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Parshuram did his tapascharya at Salher Fort. After winning the earth and giving it as donation, he made land for himself to live in, by pushing the sea back with his arrows, right from this place. The twin fort Salota (4986 feet) is very near to Salher.
History of Salher
Salher is a prominent place for battles during the rule of Shivaji. Salher Fort was under Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1671. The Mughals attacked the fort in 1672. Almost one lakh soldiers fought in this war. Many soldiers died in this battle but finally Shivaji won the battle of Salher. Of all the face to face battles between the Mughals and Shivaji"s troops, the battle of Salher takes first place. Such a big battle was not won before. The bravery and strategy used by the Maratha troops in the battle spread far and wide and increased Shivaji"s fame further. After winning Salher, the Marathas also captured Mulher and established their reign over the Baglan region. In the 18th century the Peshwas occupied this fort and later by the British East India Company.
Battle of Salher
Shivaji"s troops captured 6,000 horses, 6,000 camels, 150 elephants, heavy gold ornaments, gold coins and expensive cloth from the enemy troops. The Maratha soldiers showed extreme courage during this battle. Moropant Peshwa and Prataprao Sarnaubat exchanged pleasantries. Suryarao Kakde became a martyr during this battle. He fell after being hit by a cannonball. He was no mere soldier. Of all the face to face battles between the Mughals and Shivaji"s troops, the battle of Salher takes first place. Such a big battle was not won before. The bravery and strategy used by the Maratha troops in the battle spread far and wide and increased Shivaji"s fame much higher. After winning Salher, the Marathas also captured Mulher and established their reign over the Baglan region. Thus Marathas became a nightmare for the Shah of Surat.
