Maharashtra's crumbling reminders of history

The year 2017 will be the "Visit Maharashtra" year. That's what the state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced last week, saying that the government would introduce all initiatives to promote tourism in the state - from bringing down the number of permissions for the hospitality industry to introducing a "single window scheme" for licences. Also on the anvil is a proposal to make Aurangabad a tourism centre and an integrated tourism plan for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg area. The idea is to attract international tourists and showcase the state's varied tourism opportunities - right from a scenic coastline to wildlife sanctuaries and historical forts.

A key tourist draw, besides the picturesque 720km coastline of the state, are several historical forts, which stand as a reminder of Maharashtra’s cultural heritage. The state tourism department estimates show that there are 350 forts in Maharashtra, a majority of them being from the Shivaji era.

However, for a state that often invokes the warrior king, Maharashtra's forts lie in a state of neglect - not befitting a land that worships the king who built them. The Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg belt houses some of the most spectacular sea forts of the Maratha era, which incidentally, are among the most neglected. Strong sea winds, waves and rains have eroded large parts of the forts, which are now left with collapsing curtain walls, wild shrubs along the roads, and lack of amenities for visitors.

Historians studying the state's forts claim that even basic work like cleaning the water tanks has not been carried out in decades. There have been instances where the government or the Archaeology department has taken up the restoration work. However, in some cases, concrete slabs and cements walls have been put up instead of undertaking conservation measures. Some of the most scenic forts are the Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg forts, which lie in such a severe state of neglect that archaeologists say that these will be ruined beyond repair if status quo is maintained. While salt water and rain have been responsible for the destruction, the forts haven't seen any sustained conservation work. Officials claim that restoration work is expensive and that the department doesn't have sufficient funds. Or, for that matter, any political will.

Walled treasure

Every fort has a fascinating story to tell. The Padmadurg or Kasa Fort is an example of Maratha and Ethiopian architecture. It was built by Shivaji to capture Janjira fort, raised by the Siddhis. The fort also served as Shivaji's main ship construction yard.

Another Maratha period monument is Paranda near Solapur, a fine example of crenellations - a combination of merlons and crenels built for cannons. On the other hand, the Arnala Fort, which plays host to picnickers from Mumbai, has European Martello towers in its structure. Close to Pune, the magnificent Vijaydurg in the Sindhudurg area had a large number of buildings and store houses within its walls, of which nothing except the "rest house" remains.

At other forts too, which are still accessible, there is are no adequate amenities for visitors, such as clean toilets and drinking water facilities. A key area of development should be to provide these basic amenities. The current government, particularly the Shiv Sena has, for long, invoked the Maratha warrior for its political gains. Even as they mull over the sea memorial dedicated to Shivaji and await the necessary permissions, the state needs to direct its attention to the forts.

These original memorials of the era lie neglected and forgotten in the warrior king's erstwhile empire.