The Samadhi of Veer Baji Prabhu Deshpande at Vishalgad. (Left)
Who with 300 of his picked Bandal soldiers defended Pavankhind.
Who with 300 of his picked Bandal soldiers defended Pavankhind.
This is from a 2010 trip to the place. Did the Panhala Vishalgad 60 km trek.
Trek starts at Panhala
Panhala is fairly well preserved - although it too was ordered demolished in 1844.
Ambarkhana
Ambarkhana
Descend Panhala to enter the 12 km long Mhasai Pathar (plateau)
Chhatrapati Shivaji rode out one rainy July night. The toughest part of the escape - as you can see.
Chhatrapati Shivaji rode out one rainy July night. The toughest part of the escape - as you can see.
A small temple to Mhasai Devi is the only medieval structure on the entire plateau. That and some ruins referred to as "Pandav caves" + some scattered stones pointing to an ancient village. Plateau is mostly empty.
It seems some beautification work has been done recently.
This pic by one Krishna Shinde
This pic by one Krishna Shinde
Beyond Mhasai Pathar, the trekking route goes through a bunch of villages
Enroute to Vishalgad, one can see this example of Columnar Basalt
Something of a Geological heritage site
Something of a Geological heritage site
Btw.. Vishalgad has a Muslim majority village on the fort. Marathi speaking folks.
The Bandals who occupied the Panhala Vishalgad tract knew it inside out. Baji Prabhu Deshpande was their Deshmukh (that's a post btw). Picking him to defend the pass was not a random decision.
A recent book " Itahasachya Paulkhuna" concludes that the famous episode took place closer to Vishalgad as per Shivbharat. Also why Samadhi is on Vishalgad and not at the current Pavan Khind.
