Among the renowned royal dynasties of Maharashtra, the Gond kings of Vidarbha were also an important ruling family. This dynasty ruled over the Vidarbha region for nearly 600 years. Present-day Chandrapur, earlier known as Chanda, was the central capital of their kingdom. During their reign, several forts and fortified structures were built around Chandrapur city. One such fortification is located at Chandanakheda. In those days, the Chandanakheda fort was used both as a residential and administrative center. Between 1619 CE and 1704 CE, the town of Chandanakheda flourished greatly. Today, we explore this structure, commonly referred to as a fort in the Chandanakheda region. This village, located in the Bhadravati taluka of Chandrapur district, lies about 50 kilometers from Chandrapur city and 25 kilometers from Bhadravati, the taluka headquarters. ... At the entrance of the fort is a temple dedicated to Madhavrao Maharaj, which attracts a number of devotees. Locals recognize this site as a fort, so by inquiring in the village, one can easily reach it. Rectangular in shape, this fort is spread over approximately one acre and has two entry gates. The main gate faces north; although the arch over the gate has collapsed, the stone frame of the entrance and the adjacent fortification walls are still fairly intact. Upon entering through the first gate, one encounters the temple of Madhavrao Maharaj directly ahead, and to the right is a second gate facing west that leads into the main part of the fort. This gate’s arch and the surrounding fortification are also still standing. After entering through this gate, to the left is a closed stairway that leads up to the fort wall and the upper portion of the gate. From this stairway, the remaining sections of the fort walls on two sides and the first gate become visible. Currently, only two sides of the fortification are intact; the walls on the other two sides have been completely destroyed. Inside the fort, behind the Madhavrao temple, stands the only remaining structure—called the Hamamkhana. Locals refer to this structure as a "bhuyar" (underground chamber). However, the presence of terracotta pipes, water tanks, and a bathing pool do not escape the notice of researchers. Apart from this single structure, all other buildings within the fort have been destroyed, and large trees have grown over their remains. The fort wall at the rear side of the complex is now reduced to rubble. On one of the intact fort walls, one can observe arched niches shaped like petals. The fort once likely had a water supply system, but now no trace of it remains. Since there are no other surviving remnants, a complete tour of the fort takes barely half an hour. Let us now turn briefly to the history of the fort. According to excavations carried out by the Archaeological Department at Chandanakheda, the history of this village dates back to the Satavahana period. During that era, the town was known as Kapishkata or Chandanpur. Information about these excavations has been displayed at the Madhavrao temple. But here, we focus only on the fort’s history. Between 1619 CE and 1704 CE, while King Birshah was ruling over Chandagad, a descendant of the same dynasty, Govindshah, held the estate at Chandanakheda. Due to a family feud, Gond King Birshah murdered his son-in-law, Durgpalshah—the prince of Devgad. However, the dispute did not end there. The king of Devgad, Bakht Buland Shah, avenged the murder by sending his commander Hiramana, who orchestrated the killing of Gond King Birshah. This animosity continued until 1704 CE. After the death of King Birshah, his wife Queen Hirai Devi took charge of the administration. She adopted Ramshah, a three-year-old child from the same lineage and son of Govindshah, as the heir to the throne. Eventually, Govindshah too moved to Chandagad, but before leaving, he appointed Madhavrao to oversee the estate and the fort. It is the same Madhavrao whose temple we find today within the fort’s premises.
© Suresh Nimbalkar