Mar: सातारा sātārā
‘Seven Stars’ -City/District, Maharashtra
From Mar: sāta, ‘seven’; Mar: tārā, ’star’.
The seven ‘stars’ are the seven mountains (and five forts, possibly seven) surrounding the city (Ajinkyatara, Sajjangad, Yawateshwar, Jarandeshwar, Nakdicha Dongar, Kitlicha Dongar, and Pedhyacha Bhairoba).
The city sits at the foot of the main fort Ajinkyatara [Mar: ajiṅkya, ‘invincible’; Mar: tārā, ’star’] which is a 16thC fort built on a 3,300m mountain. It served under the Marathas, under the Mughals, and was used as a barracks by the British after the Indian Revolt (1857–58).
Satara city from Ajinkyatara fort Pratishkhedekar
