Knowing lesser known heritage structures, ASI gears up to transform Daulatabad Fort into perfect excursion spot

Aurangabad, March 30:

A trip to the conical-shaped Daulatabad Fort alias Devgiri Fort, is no less than an adventure for middle-aged and young tourists. The tourists and locals, in general, are aware of the important heritage buildings or landmarks like Chand Minar, Bharatmata Temple, Andheri (or Bhulbhulaiyya) and Baradari, apart from canons (especially Mendha Top and Durga Top). Now, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle), the custodian of Fort, has vowed to make the lesser-known heritage structures on the campus accessible to tourists, in phases.

The iconic heritage was declared Adarsh Smarak in December 2014.

"The circle has devised a two-year plan to make accessible the lesser-known heritage structures like Rock-cut caves, Royal Palace, Courtyard, Saraswati Tank, Char Baugh, Shahi Hamam, Kacheri, Rang Mahal, places of worship (mosque and temple), water resources (like step wells), for the tourists. We will remove the vegetation covering the sites, clear heaps of debris surrounding them and construct stone pathways approaching each structure. We are also taking care of conserving the old flooring (stone or lime), lime plastering on the walls, constructing stone aprons to avoid damaging of interior walls of structures situated below the ground level, sealing water leakages by tightening the roofs and fixing of GI mesh to prevent the entry of bats from damaging interior portions of important structures. The works are scheduled to be done in 2021-22 and 2022-23 (seeking approval of the headquarters). Some of the important proposed works (for 2022-23) include the conservation and beautification of Chand Minar into its original white colour (not Ochre), setting up of a museum in Rang Mahal, preservation of all wooden gates (8-10 gates including Maha Kot, Kala Kot), installation of bio-degradable toilets and fixing of RO plants (for drinking water) at important points and establishing a tourist amenities centre. We will also preserve the existing old basaltic rock pathways, construct retaining walls at different spots to provide safety to tourists," explained the conservation assistant Sanjay Rohankar.

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Explore every corner of the Fort…

Superintending archaeologist (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) Milan Kumar Chauley said, "Our effort is to make the visit of tourists a perfect trip to the bygone era and encourage them to spend maximum leisure hours on the campus. These lesser-known heritage structures or landmark buildings were out of sight of tourists for decades due to myriad reasons. These structures are an extension of each other. Each of them has the potential to impress. The tourists would be able to explore every corner of the fort, soon."

Plan for conservation of lesser-known structures

"A few years ago, the circle developed a canon gallery near Bharatmata Temple. However, there are many more canons like Mendha Top, Kala Pahad, Jahaj Top, Andheri Gate Top lying at different spots while scaling the Fort to reach the summit. The ASI will arrange for an exhibition by placing them on pedestals at their spots to attract the tourists," said ASI sources adding that the circle will be spending crores of rupees on conservation, restoration and beautification of lesser-known structures in the coming years.