Bhasha Mandakini Collections
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- ItemKille The Forts of MaharashtraThe term Forts has been taken from the Latin word fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make"). So undoubtedly the forts are the epitome of strength with marvelous architecture. Each fort depicts a story of the glorious past. As they are the sole survivors who have lived the vagaries of the past. The Land of Marathas- Maharashtra had gone through several troughs and crests. It had been the land of warriors. Kille, Gad, and Durg are some of the names given to the forts of Maharashtra. There are more than 350 forts in Maharashtra. These Forts are the symbol of our brave ancestors who fought for their identity and land. It reminds us of the slogan of Har Har Mahadev echoed during the reign of Marathas. The earliest of it dated to the 2nd BCE the time when the kingdom of Satavahana, Chalukya, and Yadava flagged its power. Even the impact of foreigners can be seen in many of the forts. After the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire, almost all the forts were ruled by the Bahmani rulers. Shivaji played a prominent role in understanding the need for fortification. He planned and executed many strategic warfare techniques along with the people of Mawale. In Shivaji’s reign, around 18- 20 new forts were built. Hiroji Indulkar was the chief architect Raigad which means King’s fort is one of the strongest forts of Deccan of Maharashtra. It is a remarkable ‘Dongari Killa’ which means hill fort. In 1436 Raigad was conquered by the Bahamani king. It was then ruled by Bahamani rulers Nizam Shahi and Adil Shahi. Shivaji conquered it much later in 1656 from Chandrarao More (commander of Adil shah). Raigad has unique features like Balle Killa, Asthapradhan Mandal, Rani Wasa (Queen’s place), The 3 Manore (Observatory towers), Hirakani Buruj/Bastion, Bazar Peth. Raigad was the land where the concept of Swarajya (People's own rule) came into being. Shivaji breathed his last days at Raigad Fort. Raigad was the dream come true nurtured by Marathas. Paranda is a ‘Bhuikot Killa’ which means a land fort. It was built by Bahamani ruler Mahmud Gavan in the 15th century. It is an excellent example of fortification. The unique feature of this fort is its Barbicons. It is also known for huge cannons and ammunition like- Malik Maidan, Ajda Paikar, and Lande Kusa. 26 rounded Burus/Bastions and Kandak-moat are also distinctive features of this fort. Under Bijapur Adil Shahi, Shahji Rao the father of Shivaji was the caretaker of this fort. In 1633 Shahji gave a strong tussle to the Mughals by making the best use of local topography. Pratapgad fort tells us about Shivaji’s strategy and architecture. The double line ramparts also called tatbandi is one of the unique features of this fort. Sadar was once the meeting place and its ruins can be seen just when one enters the Maha Darwaza (main gate). Sinhabad which means lions fort was earlier known as Kondhana. In a topography where water storage is an issue, this fort has the perennial source of water- Deotake (The sacred tank). This fort has a history of war and attacks. This fort was conquered by Tanaji who lost his life. His sacrifice and the story of Swarajya which he re-established here by climbing the tough terrain with his pet Ghorpad (The monitor lizard) are still popular among the children of Maharashtra. Deogiri/ Devagiri/ Daulatabad Fort is a cobinatin of land and hill fort. Moats surround its rampart which is built on the land. Citadel is at the top of the hill. The name Daulatbad was given by Mohd. Tughlaq when he shifted his capital from Delhi. Though he had to return back to Delhi. Janjira is an excellent example of Sagari Killa (Sea fort). It was built to fight the sea pirates. Raja Ram Rao Patil the chief of Kolis built it in the 15th century. It was once conquered by Piram khan. In history, Marathas were never able to conquer this fort. Post-independence it became a part of India.
- ItemMaharashtra The Place“Maharashtra” means “great land”, and it has lived up to its name in the past. It was a part of the Ashokan empire in the 2nd century BC. It was subsequently ruled by the Satavahana dynasty, the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuts, and the Hoysalas. The Hoysalas soon crumbled against the incessant invasions by Alauddin Khilji which began in 1296. The Mughals were never able to completely conquer Maharashtra because of a man who was “diminutive in size but the tallest in stature”, Shivaji Raje Bhosale, who was famously known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Kuberch. 3).Once India became a colony of the British empire, Maharashtra came to be a part of the Bombay Presidency and was governed by the Governor-General of India. It was not until 1st May 1960, that the state of Maharashtra was formed. The landscape of Maharashtra can be physiologically divided into the Konkan Coastal Plane, Western Ghats, and Deccan Plateau. At the east of the Sahyadri, lies the Deccan Plateau, which covers from north to south- the Satpura range, Tapi valley, Ajantha range, Godavari valley, Harischandragad-Ahmednagar-Manjra Plateau, Bhima basin, Mahadeo range, and Krishna basin. The rivers in Maharashtra can be categorized into east-flowing rivers that drain into the Bay of Bengal and west-flowing rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. The climate of Maharashtra is tropical. The major crops of Maharashtra can be divided into five agricultural regions, namely, rice, oilseeds, bajra, jowar, and cotton, as done by V. S. Datye and Amit Dhorde. With the rise of industries in Maharashtra, the role of agriculture in the state’s economy has declined extensively. Some industries that have proliferated in Maharashtra are sugarcane, cotton textile, chemicals, and electronics. Although Maharashtra’s economic growth is rapidly increasing, the growth is centered only on the major cities, namely, Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. There is a sharp increase in immigrants from rural to urban spaces, in search of employment and better living conditions. Maharashtra is thus still a “great land”, offering various opportunities to its citizens and allowing its inhabitants to dream big.