Now, pass through 'Dark Passage' safely at Daulatabad Fort

Aurangabad, Nov 17:

Now, passing through the dark passage (locally called as Andheri) at Daulatabad Fort, will be an easy task, as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) has installed LED lights, for the convenience of tourists and to get rid of the bats menace. The Fort was declared as an ideal monument (Adarsh Smarak) in December 2014.

Visiting the conical-shaped monument is indeed a thrill for youths, but kids, spinsters and women feel unsafe while passing through the passage. The tunnel amidst a complex zigzag stairway is the lone route to reach the vertex. Hence the tourists had to pass through it unwillingly and the history becomes horrifying for sometime in the dark.

According to reliable sources, " The tourists, especially females, would have bitter experience (sometimes) while passing the dark route. The mischief youths would tease, molest or misbehave with them. There were many complaints in this

regard. Earlier, the ASI tried to provide light emitted through silver foil sheets, but it was not feasible in all seasons due to the absence of sunlight. To encash the situation, the so-called guides would charge hefty against burning and providing torch

light, if the tourists do not have their own battery-torch. The travelogues, tour-operators and seniors would always alert the visitors to carry a torch while passing through Andheri or else one will have to pay for local arrangements for

providing lights by burning fire (torch). Adding to the woes, the bats and their filth converts the passage into the unwanted passage. The noises made by tourists and the echo of their giggles or sounds terrorise the bats and force them to fly in a random direction. The inconvenience was underway for the last many decades."

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According to ASI official (at Daulatabad Fort) S B Rohankar, " The total length of Dark Passage is 600-feet. It is the last and one of the important parts of the defence system made by the then rulers. It is in a zig-zag manner and includes a flight

of 30-35 stairs. We have installed 7 LED giant bulbs emitting adequate silver lights in the passage (a couple of months ago) and will be installing a few more soon. The bats' menace was posing inconvenience to the tourists and damaging the passage with filth. There were 500-1000 bats hanging to the roof of the passage. Earlier, we had

fixed bats-proof mesh at both the ends of passage and windows, but the purpose to prevent the entering of bats was not fulfilled. Due to the mobility of tourists, we had to keep mesh doors open during the daytime. Later on, our superintending

archaeologist Dr Milan Kumar Chawale gave a solution and directed us to install LED lights. This worked wonders and helped in reducing 70-80 per cent population of bats and their menace."

" Meanwhile, we have kept an option for the tourists desirous to experience the slice of history by passing in the dark passage. As a result, the LED lights are off during the daytime, but are open, if the tourists (especially the groups having females

and kids) demands it. Our ASI staff immediately puts the lights on for them. The lights, however, are kept on during the night hours," pointed out Rohankar.

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Now, safety of female tourists

Another ASI official on anonymity said, " The incidents of molestation or misbehaving will also end. The groups of tourists having females would avoid dark passage to reach atop of the fort. The passage was termed unsafe for women. It

would refrain them from enjoying the site. The females complained of stress and embarrassment while passing through the tunnel, which will now be a thing of the past. Or else, the mouth word was bringing a bad name to the monument."