In a new, major initiative, maps and details of about 150 forts in Maharashtra have been prepared and compiled.
The western state of Maharashtra is home to over 400 forts majority of which are located in the picturesque Sahyadri ranges of Western Ghats. Many of these forts are associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the legendary Maratha warrior and strategist.
These are also hotspots of trekking activities. If one goes with a trekking group it is easier to navigate but amateurs who go on these treks find it difficult.
Taking into consideration their needs, the Trekshitij Sanstha, based in Dombivli in Thane district, a suburb in Mumbai, has come up with a comprehensive guide, the first-of-its-kind.
Titled 'Forts through Maps,' in English, it is a kind of revised edition of 'Nakashatun Durgbhramanti,' which was in Marathi. The maps in the book give a better perspective on the fort.
"With these maps, the information about these forts like doors, secret routes, escape doors, monuments, water tanks, temples, routes and many other features have been highlighted. These maps may not be formal but do not fail to disseminate information in an effective manner," says Mahendra Govekar, the author. Shreekrishna Joshi translated the book to English.
If new information on forts comes in, the maps are open to updation, said Govekar, who received help form veteran trekkers like Rahul Meshram, Amit Samant, Chaitanya Sabnis, Amit Borole, Jitendra Khare, Harshal Mahajan.
The guide describes the different types of forts, their elevation, mountain range, district, access levels, routes to reach the fort, staying options, source of food and water, nearest villages, latitude and longitude.
"It's a guide book. I can just refer to the book and start trekking...years of efforts have gone into the making of the book," says Samant, who is also a contributor to the book.
The foreward has been written by PK Ghanekar, a source of inspiration for the trekking community.
"Visiting forts for picnics is not the right way to go about exploring them. Forts in the Sahyadri range have a lot of potential. One can develop an interest in a particular field while trekking. There is also a wide range of subjects to study, explore from geology to nature, birds, butterflies, plants, flowers, insects, animals, forts, history, caves and temples," said Samant.
"Since the objective is to reach a large population who may not be accustomed to trekking as an activity, a guideline for trekkers has been included," said Joshi. The book is published by Snehal Publications.
One of the interesting facets of the book is that the fort architecture too has been explained briefly so that a layman can understand and appreciate these forts.