Darr ke Aage Jeet hain!!!!
Jo Darr Gaya, Samjo Vo Marr gaya!!!
Ye Nahi Kiya, Toh Kya Kiya!!!
Like everyone motivates themselves before going for a battle I was doing the same. With the company of rain, me and my friend Tejas we started the climb of Kalavantin Durg.Looking at the rain and Kalavanti Durg the first thing which came into my mind was –
‘How are you so beautiful?

And the only thing I got to here from this nature was - Yeh Khuli Hawayien aur Prakruti ka Sparsh….Aur kya?’’ (This fresh air and nature’s touch…. What else?)

LET'S START OUR JOURNEY

Whenever I find myself in a mess, I start my journey in the search of a new fort just to get lost and embrace my Sahyadri, to get hooked so that my eyes never forget its beauty, to find myself in her arms and see my fears of the past and the worries of the future fading away somehow. With its one sight I get lost somewhere and my mind which gets engulfed in a quagmire of innumerable questions automatically calms down.

I heard that you should live the Fort but never knew that the fort teaches you how to live…Sometimes, I feel in this busy mechanical life from home to office and office to home, a want of discovering something new which keeps you excited all the time is also a discovery of some Sahyadri or Durgs.

The slippery steps of this fort seemed to play a great role as guides. The rain had stopped and I started refreshing my childhood memories by enjoying the tree-lined beds.  It was a smooth and exciting journey which was filled with thrilling adventures and an excitement of capturing memories in the camera of my phone. We started our next trip by paying homage to the idols of Ganpati and Maruti (aka Hanuman) carved on the rocks. Since it was a Sunday, most of the fort lovers had come for trekking; some unfamiliar travelers had become acquainted.

In between we thought of taking some rest at Prabalmachi, a village with only 15-20 houses. Where, we had our handmade bhakri (bread) with some onion and chilies. And set off again to reach our destination.

Finally, we were able to see the carved steps of Kalavantin fort. And the ascent of the cone started. This is one of the best examples of architecture. Till now the secret of how the faceted pebble steps could have made by cutting the whole rock is unanswered. Narrow lined steps and a deep ravine on the side can lead to big accidents or even death just by making a small mistake while climbing. But seriously, one will have a thrilling experience on the journey of this fort.

 Wandering on forts but why and for what? -  If you ask me this question then there’s only one simple answer for it…

Forts are the living symbols of our fiery history. Something which took place in the past is still alive today after so many centuries. One should visit such places at least once in their lifetime which gives them the taste of their ancient pride and the experience of the vitality of burning history.

Today while looking after the footprints of our history, the ruined towers which are now considered as arched ramparts but these are the places where the brave sons of our country have spent their whole life by safeguarding these forts. Just with a view to protect their mother earth, they have sacrificed their entire life and made it meaningful so that they can save their youth. I am very grateful to the souls who did not let the mud of this country, the leaves of the trees and even a piece of this land or the whole sky to go to the enemy. I am thankful to the souls who were upright the entire day and night just to give us a bright future. If not for the history then at least for such tigers (warriors) of our nation one must visit to such places.

When we were about to reach the peak, we felt like - the caves in the way were little more dangerous, the steps were little more slippery, the fort was little more on height. Like all the illusion which was creating in our mind was taking grip on our body and we were all drained. Then we proceeded towards the last and the difficult stage of the climb, where we have to step up with the help of a rope. And finally, we reached on the peak from where we able to see the beautiful view of the Sahyadri Mountains. Saying it straight from the heart, looking at it we all were amazed And all our weakness were gone somewhere in the air and we felt so refreshed.

A  few words on Sahyadri which I felt at that moment….

All I want is to see myself in your arms,

All I want is to lose myself in your beauty,

All I want is to live each moment free from fear and anxiety,

All I want is to rediscover myself in your charms,

All I want is to experience the history just by imagining,

And between all of these I feel, once again the history is repeating….

While saluting the saffron flag we experienced the vitality of our fiery history. And some last emotional moments on the fort were absolutely remarkable just like the heart full of satisfaction, a slight smile on our faces, tears in our eyes and a roar of Shivaji’s name from our broken lips. And then was the time of returning back at sunset, evoking tones of memories of the fort and its journey. 

I would like to say it to my dear friends who are busy in the digital world that the forts our eagerly waiting for you all. They are all ready to embrace and teach you a lot…. Take your shoes, pack your bags, get ready for such adventurous moments and give it a try…

ABOUT KALAVANTIN DURG

Truly, there’s something in the rain which makes it more beautiful by putting a green shawl on Durg(Fort) in the form of greenery all around…
The area full of chirping of various birds…
The pleasant sound of waterfall cascading down from the Sahyadri cliffs...
The cone of Kalavantin that looks dim in the fog…
The best combination of nature and history is this mesmerizing beauty of Kalavantin fort.

KALAVANTINDURG HISTORY

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj brought Prabalgad – Kalavantin fort to Swarajya in 1656. During the reign of Purandar, Nilaja had to give 23 forts to Mirza Raje Jaisingh, including this fort. In just a few years, the Marathas recaptured the fort.

There’s no record of when the Prabalgad - Kalavantin fort was built in the history. But the story behind it is really interesting. It says that there was a king who used to love his wife – Kalavanti more than anything else in this world but he was very afraid that the queen Kalavantin can leave him and go away. So with a view to never let her go anywhere, he built this durg here on this cone and cut the steps to climb the fort.