While going from Pathardi in Ahmednagar district towards Shevgaon, there is a village called Amarapur. It is the native place of the famous actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar. Beyond that, not many people know much about this village. A few enthusiastic wanderers are aware of this place because of the Amruteshwar Mahadev temple here. Although the temple is simple in structure, the ancient stepwell beside it is truly notable. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that the identity of the temple is primarily due to this stepwell. However, very few people know that this village was once enclosed within a fort and that it had two gates. Let us now explore Amarapur. The village is situated 13 km from the city of Pathardi and 10 km from the Shevgaon taluka headquarters. Upon reaching the village, a dirt road runs along the riverbank toward the cremation ground. ... Opposite this cremation ground lies the first gate of the fort known as Nagarkot. This gate and the adjoining fort wall are constructed using neatly cut stone, though the arch of the gate has now collapsed. The gate is fairly tall and has guard rooms on its inner side. After seeing this gate, one can proceed along the dirt road toward the Amruteshwar Shiva temple. The temple itself is quite simple, but the ancient stepwell behind it is truly magnificent. The stepwell measures 90 by 60 feet, making it quite large. On one side, stone steps have been built leading all the way down to the bottom. At the center of the stepwell, there is a stone platform accessible from three sides, and there are covered porches (ovaries) built on both the left and right for resting. The left-side porch has collapsed. There are two enclosed passages leading to this platform—one from the middle of the staircase and the other descending from the upper left edge. Though the water is now dirty due to lack of cleanliness, it is still used for nearby agriculture. After viewing the stepwell, one should visit the Bhairavanath temple in the village. The second gate of the fort is located at this spot. This gate is also made of neatly carved stone, and on the right side of the facade, there is a sculpture of a tiger carved into the stone. Inside the gate, to the left, there is a pathway leading up to the top of the gate, although the arch and upper portion are now completely destroyed. On the inner side of the gate, the stone sockets used to hold the old wooden door still remain. Additionally, in the central part of the village, on a small elevated mound, there is a fortified mansion belonging to the Shetye family. This mansion is surrounded by walls on all four sides, with a circular bastion at one corner. The central area of the mansion features a courtyard, but since it is still inhabited, entry to the interior is not permitted. An hour is sufficient to explore the entire village of Amarapur.
© Suresh Nimbalkar