Gawilgarh Fort, Chikhaldara – untouched, barely visited, teeming with life and, sadly, unkempt. Bears, leopards, langoors, water birds, migratory birds – they’re all there.Visiting it forces you to wonder how grand it must have been in all its glory, albeit in vain, because it’s near-impossible to fathom just how marvellous a fort that stretches over four mounds of the Melghat Ghats could possibly have been. With picturesque ponds, beautiful gardens, and walls proudly displaying some of the most exquisite carvings, which are some of what remains in the ruins of the Gawilgarh Fort, it is a sin to miss or ignore as a tourist attraction, and even more so to ignore it as a rich wildlife habitat.
With a little help in predator-prey population building and cordoning off the fort from domestic grazing, the remnants would be the perfect place for the conservation of the Vidharba region’s history as well as bio-diversity, and, owing to the remains of the mosque that still stands in the midst of this architectural marvel, a bit of religious conservation as well.
Unfortunately there is no full history recorded of the Gawilgarh Fort. Or at least, none that was within reach to us. It is only known that it has a Mahabharata reference, as it is the place where Bhima killed the evil Keechak. Chikhaldara, the hill station that houses the Fort, was first named Keechakdara and was renamed Chikhaldara in the later years.
All in all, a fort ruin with what remains of its flawless architecture and carvings, it’s abundant flora and fauna and the largest Canon we have ever laid eyes on (that can just as easily shoot a human being out at your enemies), deserves the attention, appreciation and respect it doubtless received when it had all its walls standing, it’s royal tapestries hanging and it’s flags flying high.
However, if someone does decide to indulge in the mental picture of how it looked in its day, they would have no reference to check how close to reality their minds managed to wander. Gawilgarh deserves to have its history known, its remaining walls restored, and its land explored as a living, breathing witness to all that it has seen and the stories it still stands to tell.
Time for some facts
Things to remember before you get there. This is place is vast and is empty. Its better to take some precautionary measures before you get there. Hiring a guide would be ideal but they can get expensive. Its better to do all the required hiring at the hotel. We stayed at Hars
hawardhan Resort; nice quaint place, true to their words has a homely ambiance. The food here is spicy, very spicy please remember to tell them to go easy on the mirch. If you are planning on a long day it’s advisable to pack food from the hotel. The Hotel Gawilgadh near the namesake Fort serves good food. The surprising thing we noticed was that the food is cheap, price-wise I mean.Some hotels have adventure activities as part of their itinerary. We are not sure of the safety measures and the quality of the trainer and equipment. Please carry lots of water and a cap. Winters are very cold so warm clothing is a must.
Please do not ask the local folk including the hotel ones distances to any place. They can be misleading. The supposedly two minute hike took us a solid 45 min to complete, and the lovely two-level Jatradoh Falls we wanted to visit that was recorded at a distance of 4 kms from the hotel turned out to be approximately 10 kms in reality.
The most comfortable way to get to Chikhaldara is to hire a car, which will save you the trouble of catching a state transport bus and will also help in moving around within Chikhaldara. If you are out to rough it then the State Transport bus is the sure way to start. Board a bus at the Amravati bus stop and get off at the Paratwada one. From there you have the option of either changing buses and getting into another one that goes to Chikhaldara, or going 10
minutes away from the bus stand to the taxi stand and hiring a shared cab to Chikhaldara. The bus and the taxi cost the same, in case your’s is a budgeted trip and needs to be planned accordingly.If you stay at the Harshwardan Resort like we did, the buses and taxis stop right outside it. If not, the hotels are nonetheless not too much of a walk from the main bus stop. Information on all the hotels and rest houses are available easily on the internet and bookings can be done over the phone and confirmed by making a payment via bank transfer.Planning and executing a trip to Chikhaldara is most simple and, when you reach there you will know this is true, most rewarding!
Praveen and Maansi
