We know a little history of the forts that were associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or the forts that were under his rule in the Swaraj. But today there are some forts in Maharashtra which were never in the Swaraj, the condition of these forts has become very bad today. In Marathwada, we get to see numerous such forts and fortress. Not only this, separate bastions were also built in some places to keep watch from a distance in the plains. With the passage of time, these bastions fell down and as the local people took away the stones and soil for private use, these bastions became completely extinct, while some bastions are still standing firmly showing their existence. One such separate standing bastion can be found in Jawkhed Theng village in Jafarabad taluka in Jalna district. ... Jawkhed Theng village is 25 km from Bhokardan and 14 km from Jafarabad. This village is about 5 km from the Bhokardan-Jafarabad highway. Since both Jafarabad and Bhokardan were important cities in the medieval period, it was natural that trade would flourish in both these cities. Due to the scarcity of water in Marathwada, the trade and military travel between these two cities was done along the Kelna River. Therefore, a tall bastion was built in the village of Jawkhed Theng on the banks of the Kelna River to monitor this route. Later, as the new route came into use, the importance of the bastion on this route ended and it was abandoned. Before entering the village of Jawkhed Theng, the sight of this bastion on the banks of Kelna River can be seen from a distance. This bastion is approximately 20 feet round in shape and 40 feet high and its base construction should be of stones. Today, not a single stone can be seen in the construction of this bastion. This bastion, which is bulging from the bottom, is tapering at the top. The interior of the bastion is solid and the white clay is still strong. Looking at the bricks in the upper part of the bastion, the upper construction of it must have been made of bricks. Since this part of Marathwada was under the control of the Nizam and the use of the fort was stopped before the Nizam period, the history of the fort cannot be told even to the local knowledgeable people. Due to the collapse of the bastion, we cannot go to the upper part, so our trip to this bastion is completed in five minutes.
© Suresh Nimbalkar