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Pune, India
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Pune  Forts Sinhagad Fort |
Sinhagad Fort |
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Sinhagad is Pune's favourite fort. It started with the name Kondana fort. It was captured by Adil Shah of Bijapur and then by Chhatrapati Shivaji. The fort was captured by the Mughals, to avenge the defeat of Aurangzeb’s commander Shaiste Khan by Shivaji. Shivaji's man-in-arms-Tanaji captured this fort back for Shivaji, but died during the battle. Shivaji in grief said, ‘Gad aala pan sinh gela’ (The fort is won, but the lion is dead ). This is how the fort got its name SinhaGad (Fort of the Lion). Tanaji's samadhi is at the fort. Sinhagad is 25 km from Pune, on a 700-metre high mountain. The road going up is not in great shape, but like all other Pune roads-usable. Trekking is the best way to experience this fort. You can take three routes to hike up. One starts at village Donaje and the climb is 2000 ft. to the Pune gate. The trail is well marked. An alternative route is up the ridge through the forests. The shortest route is just a climb up 1200 ft. from Kalyan Darwaza, Kondhanapur. You can drive all the way to the top. Sinhagad is easily accessed by public transport like the S.T. and P.C.M.T buses. 6 seaters too offer a ride to the top. The fort hosts the bungalow where Lokmanya Tilak met Gandhi, also the house of famous Marathi Poet G.D. Madgulkar ( Ga Di Ma ) and the samadhi of Rajaram Maharaj. A more recent landmark is a TV tower. Dev Take is the water body, famous for its sweet tasting water. Torana fort and also the Panshet, Khadakwasla and Varasgaon dams can be seen from the top. Khadakvasla dam is on the way, when you drive from Swargate. Tourism without food? Doesn't add up. Local favorites, like the pitle-bhakri, bhajji and the local chicken curry constitute the local menu. Eateries are available at the entrance and also inside the fort. The fort by itself is a ruin and has been totally neglected. This is a national landmark that is now a crumbling ruin. The government has realized this and is working on making Sinhagad a tourist spot. The State government has approved Rs 5 crore for restoring the fort and developing it as a tourist attraction. Most of the money will be utilized to build the retaining wall and repairing steps and monuments at the fort. The road leading to the fort will also be repaired. The restoration will be well planned and in sync with the surroundings. Care will also be taken to maintain the vegetation in the area. So things are finally looking up for good ol’ Sinhagad fort.
 Last Updated: Thursday, 05 April 2007 Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto:          Quote this article on your site | Views: 1745 | E-mail
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