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PLACES
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MAHIMANGAD FORT
Mahimangad Fort (Man T; 17° 40' N,
74° 25' E; RS. Koreganv 20 m. W; p. 3,591), in Man lies within the
village limits of Sindi Budruk about five and a half miles west of
Dahivadi. The easiest way to it is by the Satara-Pandharpur road
to a point about half a mile west of the pass descending into the
lower parts of the Man taluka. From this point a broad track
branches off northwards to the fort which lies not more than half
a mile from the road. There are three hamlets close on the north
of the fort which towers about 250 feet above them. It consists of
a flat nearly triangular table land with the apex to the east
surmounting a perpendicular scarp of black trap below which are
steep slopes of short grass with a little soil. The sides are
overgrown in places with prickly pear especially on the north-west
corner. The ascent should be made from the second hamlet which
will be encountered on approaching the Pandharpur road from the
north-west. A path about five feet wide with rude steps at
intervals of almost every yard takes to the fort. A steep walk of
about five minutes leads up to the gateway, the immediate approach
to which is in places almost blocked by prickly pear. The path
which leads up the side in a south-east direction here takes a
turn at nearly right angles to the south-west. But before
entering, the visitor will probably go some fifteen yards further
to see a small tank cut in the rock, the site of an excellent
spring always full of water and furnishing the neighbouring
hamlets with their hot weather supply. The gateway has been cut in
the scarp about thirty feet below the summit. The passage cut is
about six feet wide but the gateway narrows to about five feet. It
consisted as usual of a single pointed arch about seven feet high
of well cut masonry the top of which has fallen in. Inside are
twenty-two rock-cut steps which wind through a right angle and
lead to the top facing east. The inner side of the curve is as
usual protected and the way up the steps proportionately narrowed
by a curtain of solid masonry. On emerging on the top and
proceeding east along the north face of the fort on right hand is
a small hillock on which stood the office now in ruins. A little
further on is a water tank thirty feet square, originally built of
well cut masonry, but now a great deal fallen in. Near it are two
small tanks lined with cement for the storage either of grain or
water, and to the south of these is a large pit roughly hewn out
of the rock, perhaps intended for prisoners as in Varugad. About
fifty yards further east is a turret of considerable size the
masonry of which is solid and on which a gun was planted. This
turret stretches right across the fort but underneath it on the
southern side is an archway about four feet high by two broad. But
creeping through it is reached the eastern end which tapers off
nearly to a point. The fort is about a hundred yards long by forty
wide. The walls are about five or six feet high and the masonry,
except the top layer, is in fair preservation. At the east end is
one, and at the west end are two bastions at the north-west and
south-west angles. Originally all three were crowned with guns and
there are still remains of parapets on them. On the east bastion
is a small stone placed erect for a ling and worshipped as
the image of the god Jajarnath Mahadev. A small fair is held in
honour of the god and the existence of this shrine explains how
the path up to the fort is in good order. There is also a ruined
building of loose stones near the south-west bastion in honour of
some Muhammedan saint or pir.
History.
Mahimangad is expressly mentioned as one of the
chain forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji to guard his eastern
frontier. But some of the local residents declare that the fort
existed in Musalman times and point to the pir shrine as
evidence. This shrine however proves nothing since there are many
such unfortified hills with shrines. The masonry is characteristic
of the later built forts of Maratha times consisting of small,
almost or altogether, uncut stones bound by mortar usually poor
but, at the bastions and entrance, of good sound quality. On the
same spur about a hundred yards east of the fort is a hill which
barely commands it and is connected with it by a neck of the spur.
The hamlets at the feet are not walled or protected in any way so
that the approach within 250 feet of the top must have been easy
enough. To escalade it however must have; been difficult though at
the south-east corner by no means impossible. The hereditary
garrison consisted of about seventy-five Ramoshis and Mahars who
held the gadkari inam lands. The fort had lands
assigned for it. The havaldar or former commander of the
garrison is now the patil and the sabnis or accountant is
the Kulkarni of the lands which are for purposes of
administration as a distinct village called by the name of the
fort.
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