Fort Dhodap

 

Fort Dhodap from Hatti Village

Trek to Fort Dhodap : 10th January 2021 

 

Fort Dhodap is the third highest fort in Maharashtra. (4829 ft ). It is one of the most important fort in Nashik district. It is located at a very strategic location and can keep eye on huge area and neighbouring forts. We started our trek from hatti village side at 10 am around. Humid and hot atmosphere started showing its effect. 

 

First Gate

Marathi Inscriptions

 

There was a big road to climb on the fort which used to call as Rajmarg. The aged people from village used to tell us that through that route elephants used to go on the fort, but now no one is using that road, it is covered by the thick bushes. We started climbing by a new shortcut road which is quite vertical and took good time to reach at the first gate of the fort which is in ruined condition. The bastions are there but the strong wooden doors are long gone. There is a inscription in Marathi on the wall of the gate, we tired to read it and later moved ahead.

Rumbles of House

Second Gate

 

After entering from the first door, one can see the line of destroyed base of houses (जोते). People used to live on the fort and the area was called as Sonarwadi, but now forest dept has shifted them in the Base village ( to stop cutting the trees). After this we can visit Ganesh Kund to refill the bottles, a beautiful 3 stori Barav (Water Well) and a temple. 

 

Farsi Inscriptions

Stairs to Fourth Gate

 

After this we moved to climb to the second gate, In between there was a rock patch with very small steps to climb. Now it has been converted in to the spacious big ladder fitted by forest dept. The second gate is also in ruined condition and near it there is a water tank with the carvings of Lord Hanuman. The road to the right goes to the third and forth gate which carries 2 inscriptions in Farsi script.

Later we arrived at the open space where we visited a big destroyed house ( Home of Killedar / Chief of the fort) , one carved water tank and ruins of another house. The road to left goes to the caves where at a time 100-200 people can easily stay. In one tank we can get chilled pure mineral water which stays there round the year.

 

The Dike

Trekker Boy Avadhoot

 

The attraction was to see the broken dike wall and the shendi. After it we ate our lunch in the presence of gang of monkeys and started descending the fort.

View of Ikhara Pinnacle

Breakfast Time

 

In the past I had visited this fort many times and stayed there in the night. But at that time jungle was thick and there was a fear of Leopard. Now no wild animals except monkeys and rabbits are there. Jungle is also gone. In just 17 years the whole area has been changed and land is becoming barren. What a shame. Forest dept officers are getting very good salaries after 7th pay commission, but at the same time very good part of Jungle is vanishing.

 

Its the life

 

After the trek we enjoyed purchasing Khava , collecting tamarinds and snacks and tea at a relative of fellow trekker. It was a nice big trek where fellow trekkers invented great new words like Gargaratis (गर्गरायटिस) for Vertigo, Malmalaytis (मळमळायटिस) for dizziness and for shaking of body thartharitis (थरथ्राईटिस).

 

Overall enjoyed it a lot and now sitting in office with paining legs and writing this article. 

 

Ambrish More