DATEGAD FORT

OVERVIEW

District : Sangli
Hill Range: Bamnoli
Height above sea level : 3425 feet
Difficulty rating : Simple Grade
Base village : Tolewadi
Nearest Railway Station:
Approx. time to reach the top : 20 min from the base village
Google Map Co-ordinate :

How To Reach

To visit Dategad, reach to "Patan" village which is situated on the Karhad - Koyananagar route. Start traveling on the road to Chiplun in front of the Patan ST bus stand. After traversing some distance, one can see a hill behind which rests Dategad. After climbing this hill for roughly 45 minutes one can see a "dargah". Moving further there is a house and a plateau behind it. After crossing the plateau one arrives to Tolewadi. An average person should be able to cover the distance between the "dargah" and Tolewadi in 45 minutes. Dategad is situated behind the hill in the foreground. Also, there is a valley between the hill and Dategad. The route along the brim of the valley leads to the base of the Dategad. There are steps to get to the top of the fort. Around half an hour should be sufficient to cover the distance between Tolewadi and Dategad base. A relaxed journey from Patan to Dategad should not take more than 2.5 hours.

Place To Stay / Eat

Accommodation Facility
No Accommodation facility is available on the fort

Food Facility
Food facility is not available on the fort

Drinking Water Facility
Drinking water facility is not available on the fort.

Places Of Interest

About 600 feet long by 18O feet broad, the fort is elongated in shape and has an area of about three acres. The entrance is about the centre of the west face. A passage, seven feet broad, is cut about twenty feet down from the top of the scarp. This passage contained a gateway of a single-pointed arch ten feet high which has fallen in. About twenty-rock-cut steps lead out on the top turning south halfway up. In the corner of the angle is an image of God Maruti. The walls are in ruins and consisted originally of large laterite blocks, well cut, and put together without mortar. These must be the original structures though there are many modern additions.

The wall originally had a loopholed parapet about four feet high. On the east a little more than half-way up is a curious underground chamber. Some steps lead down about eight feet into the rock in which a room apparently about thirty feet by twelve and eight high has been made. It is fearfully dark and two small holes are perforated for light and air. This room, it is said, was used as an single entrance chamber.

There is also a very curious well, 100 feet deep cut twenty feet square out of the solid rock, and with a flight of sixty-four rock-cut steps twelve feet wide. The water is approached through a sort of gateway made by leaving unhewn a portion of the rock joining the two sides of the passage. The water is always good, fresh and abundant. The story is that the well belongs to the Koyna river and that a leaf thrown into that river at the right place will be found floating in this well.

There are two large tanks thirty feet square and a smaller one all said to be for the storage of grain. This seems doubtful; they were more probably used to store water drawn from the big well. On the south of the fort are the remains of four buildings and facing north and adjoining the rock is the kacheri building or court-house. The fort had a permanent military post of 150 and lands were assigned for its maintenance in the neighbouring villages. Administrative orders were frequently sent for execution by the Maratha government to the officer in charge of this fort.

On the east face is a tank made in the side of the hill at the foot of the scarp and cut out of the rock in the form of a cow's mouth. It was proposed to use this spring for drinking and irrigation water supply to the town of Patan, but the Irrigation department had found the scheme impracticable.