Trekking Pune, Sinhagad

chillibreeze writer — Deeptha Thattai

My Marathi friend from Pune used to tell me, a Chennai-ite, of his adventurous treks around Pune. So, recently when I visited Pune with my husband, I requested our friends who we had gone to meet to take me to Sinhagad, which is one of the nearest sites that could be visited in a day. We started around 9.30 in the morning. Our friends stay at Hadapsar, which is on the opposite end of Pune from Sinhagad. We crossed the city and soon came to Khadakvasla Dam on the way. After Khadakvasla, it is only a short drive to the foot of the hill on which Sinhagad is located. ‘Sinhagad’ means ‘Lion Fort’. We had expected a pleasant drive but it was not to be. The roads are really bad, and full of potholes. Added to this is a huge amount of traffic steered by various reckless drivers. I was surprised that a historic fort such as this did not even have proper signboards. Once we reached the top of the hill, we were initially unable to find parking. Vehicles were parked haphazardly and there was no authority to streamline the traffic. As a result, the tempers of some people were running high. Once we got things in order we started on a short trek to the fort ruins. Yes, ‘ruins’ is the right word! A small series of steps leads to the fort complexes but these steps are in a precarious state. It was still breathtaking to look at the fort and to imagine the great leaders of the past who had lived there. From the top, we had a beautiful view of Khadakvasla and the entire city on the one side, and the rolling hills with valleys in between on the other. A lot of people make their living selling curd and bhakri at Sinhagad. Bhakri is bread made from bajra, and is eaten with a side dish made from besan, chick pea flour. We savored the taste of typical Marathi food. When we were ready to leave, monsoon clouds started rolling over the fort and we could actually see the movement of the rain over a vast area. It was a beautiful sight. I was glad to have been able to visit the historic fort, but saddened by the lack of any attempt to protect and preserve the monument. It was really frustrating to see people throwing trash all around the fort without a second thought. I hope the Maharashtra government takes up some measures to maintain the fort with the dignity it deserves; a small entrance fee can be levied for parking, vendors should be restricted to a certain area, and at least one toilet should be constructed. Overall cleanliness of the fort and hill is a must, not only for the looks, but also for protecting the ecology of the hill. I am sure people will only be too happy and proud to take part in this effort with the right initiatives.

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Deeptha writes for chillibreeze.