ABSTRACT

A brief report on the excursion to the lohagad fort

comprising the historical significance of the place
and experiences throughout the journey.

Ashwin Lawanghare
1646

LOHAGAD
A field trip report
On the 8TH of March,2017 the students of Batch 2019 of the Symbiosis Center For Media and
Communication undertook a journey to the Lohagad fort.

The 6.30am reporting time struck the inner night owl in us with poor taste but an early start was
essential to spend enough time at the fort. We commenced our journey at 7:10 AM, with about 120
students in 3 buses.

The 60 Km bus journey was filled with zeal and as it was the first field trip of the second semester. As
it would turn out, this trip would be one of the most experientially instructive and enjoyable
experiences till date.

The journey provided us with a sense of familiarity, yet it

seemed strange as the route to Bhaja Cave was dotted
with luscious trees, compared to the dry and arid
conditions of the same road to Lohagad. Once we
reached Bhaja Caves, we disembarked from the vehicles
all set to start the long trek to the fort. Professor Sagar
pointed to the two sister forts Visapur and Lohgad and
explained how these forts acted as alternatives for each
other if one of them was attacked by the enemy. Visapur
fort was where the Maratha soldiers rested, and Lohgad
fort acted as the treasury, primarily the 7 tons of gold
that was looted by the Marathas from Surat, was
stationed. As we ventured deeper, the familiar stairs to bhaja caves from our first field trip showcased
themselves in all their glory. Some students geared up for the trek with their GoPro cameras and
trekking equipment. We were given strict instructions by our beloved History professor Mr. Sagar
Kamath to stick around in a group, as the impeding trek would be exhausting, and surely not one
where you would want to get stuck between a rock and a hard place.

A two and a half hour journey by foot to Lohgad fort, in

the sultry heat of mid-day tested our resilience to its
fullest. The now tarred road to the base of Lohgad fort
was a narrow main road to the entrance, during the
mediaeval times. It was not utilized by the foes essentially
in light of the fact that the protectors of the stronghold
obstructed the way. Henceforth, the foes were compelled
to either vanquish the slopes to achieve the post, or leap
forward the obstructions that were set up by the
Marathas at the passageway.
Forts around this range weren't plenty in number, one, in light of the fact that the vast majority of
them were actually built by the Satvahanas and not the Marathas, two, on the grounds that Shivaji
was conceived in Shivneri, which was south to Pune while
Lohgad is situated toward the north. In this way, an
immense centralization of Maratha strongholds was in
the south-Maharashtrian belt. Maharaj Shivaji caught
Lohgad fort from the Satvahanas in 1648CE.

Professor Sagar also elucidated on a Maratha folk story

which talked about a woman tightrope-walking from
Visapur fort to Lohgad fort this was believed to have
happened when Visapur came under attack, and a message
had to be sent to Lohgad. From below, enemies kept firing arrows but the woman successfully
delivered the message, but the tightrope was cut on one side and she fell to her death. Although the
story seemed believable to an extent, Professor Sagar mentioned that there is no proof in Maratha
records to substantiate the story.

After an exausting trek to the fort, we first had a look at where the first level of Maratha archers was
stationed. The room had a frightful circular outline, and an entryway which did not have much height.
This constrained the foes to bend through the room while entering, and since their necks stood out,
they were immediately guillotined. If a group of enemy soldiers entered, they would fall over and then
be killed. The windows in the first level were also shaped like the door, which would confuse the
enemy soldiers in the darkness, and some fell to their deaths through the windows. Post this, we also
had a look at level two and made our way to the main fort area.

The fort spreads across an area of eleven acres in total. We also went to the extensive rooms where
the treasure used to be stationed, where there is an expansive corridor before the storage spaces.
Here, Professor Sagar had a greatly intriguing discussion about parallel universe speculations, utilizing
logical experiments conducted on protons, and of how in the event that we don't watch something
and of how if we dont observe something, whether it actually exists or has actually occurred. Once
we gathered our thoughts post this, we had a look at the treasury rooms, and could only imagine how
much of gold was stored during those times.

The batch made its way back to the Shiva temple that is in the fort complex, behind which there is
a well that was the only source of drinking water during the medieval era. Diagonally in front of the
temple, is a Masjid that was built by the Mughals when they invaded Lohgad.

The batch, post this, slowly made its way down, through the jagged slopes. It was then that we realised
how gravity could be a mean advocate at times. Sagar Sirs presence and his brilliant story telling
ability had once again made the experience worthwhile and memorable. We ended the trip will
many takeaways and insights focussing on the nature of the attacks to how the forts were built on
such terrain. Our journey ended when we reached college at around 7.30pm. Weary yet igniting, the
Lohagad journey was indeed an enthralling and captivating experience.