It
was never part of our Pune trip’s itinerary, but one fine rainy morning, we
were off to one of the most famous forts of Maharashtra. I was too young then.
But I remember every little thing that I liked about that journey. The curving
roads; the pleasant weather; the cool breeze hitting my face; the green hills
and the greener valleys; the chatter of my family, relatives, and cousins; and
the beautiful, divine drizzle. I was transported into ‘Anotherland’!
It
was so foggy that I could hardly see the humungous walls of the fort that were
just three feet away from me. You see it now and now you don’t. Thrilling, for
a kid of my age. Steep steps, sturdy walls, mysterious hideaways, secret paths,
randomly wriggling snakes—it was unreal, and yet, it was all there.
Reaching
the topmost point of the fort, I realised that nature is such a soothing
element. For the first time in my life, drops of rain fell on me while I saw
the clouds above, and the clouds below—and then, I touched a passing cloud.
Unforgettable!
*The fort, named Kondana earlier, was recaptured by Shivaji’s forces under the leadership of Tanaji Malusare. On hearing that the battle had claimed Malusare’s life, Shivaji had said, “The fort is won, but the lion is gone.” In the honour of the brave warrior, Shivaji then renamed the fort as ‘Sinhagad’—when translated from Marathi to English, Sinhagad means ‘Lion's Fort’.
