PLACES

JANGLI JAYAGAD. FORT

Jangli Jayagad hill fort, about six miles north-west of Helvak, lies on a spur projecting from the main line of the Sahyadris into the Konkan from the village of Navje in Patan. Perhaps the easiest way to get to' the fort is to climb the hill 2,000 feet or more or about three miles to Torne as far as which the ascent is easy. There is a passable footpath along the top of the hill for another three miles, where the old path from the Navje village used for the fort guns is hit. This is in fine perennial forest. A mile over dead leaves and slippery but clear walking, brings one to the edge of the Sahyadris and nearly all the rest of the way is through dense bamboo forest and undergrowth through which it may be necessary to back the way. At last the edge of the prominence is reached and the fort is seen about a hundred yards off and as many feet lower. To reach it a narrow neck of unsafe land has to be crossed through a thick growth of karvi bush. A most unpleasant scramble leads to the gate on the north entirely in ruins. The fort is oblong and about 180 yards long and about 150 wide. A good many ruined buildings and one or two large and good many small tanks inside the fort show that it was permanently garrisoned. Outside underneath the scarp about fifty feet high are several cave tanks with excellent water. At the western end the drop is very sudden for about a hundred feet, and the rest of the descent to the Konkan is very steep and impracticable. The forest once traversed, the difficulties of approach from Navje are not insurmountable. Though very rarely visited on account of the thick forest to be passed, the magnificent view of the line of the Sahyadris right up to the saddle-back hill or Makrandgad makes it well worth a visit. According to a local story Tai Telin held possession of this fort in 1810 and Bapu Gokhale drove her out of it in 1807 [Duff: History of the Marathas, Vol. II, page 415.]. It surrendered to a British force under Col. Hewett in May, 1818.

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