Mahadev Powada
Kathleen Denson
Any person who has spent a considerable time in Maharashtra and understands a bit of history will know the importance of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra. These are a couple of lines from a famous powada that sings the praises of Shivaji Maharaj and the death of Afzal Khan at Pratapgadh.
Ganesh grew up in the Pratapgadh fort and he was well aware about the history of the fort, latest movie shoots that took place and most of all, the best places and angles to click a photo that is Insta worthy!
At the place where balekilla ( small fort) stood earlier, a beautiful garden has been created. There is a Shivaji Maharaj statue which was installed in 1957 when Jawaharlal Nehru visited the fort. The statue is made of metal alloy is beautifully crafted. The place is extremely serene and quiet.
This is one of the highest points near the north drop of the fort. It gives a clear view of the valley and the roads leading towards the fort from all three sides. There is a (Bhagva) flag hoisted on the fort which was the Maratha flag.
The day we went there, a young group of teenage boys and girls had come to the fort. They were dressed in white kurta pyjama with saffron headgear. They reached the North view tower, bowed in front of the flag and sang powada, finishing with a reverberating Har Har Mahadev ( the Maratha war cry) As I was hearing the history of the fort from Ganesh, a sudden chant of Har Har Mahadev was so invigorating that I could feel the pulse of the place. The best part was this young crowd, silently made their way back after spending an hour or so under the flag sharing notes about the music or history. They clicked their customary insta worthy shots, however nowhere was their behavior disrespectful.
Great informative post, Neha. Reading about Shivaji Maharaj took me back to my childhood days when we used to read his stories and watch plays about his life. The description of your trek to Pratap Garh fort along with the attached images was a real treat. Hope I get a chance to visit the place sometime.
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