While exploring the forts of Marathwada, one finds very few forts in most districts — usually a rare ground fort (Bhuikot) and occasionally a hill fort (Giridurg). In Parbhani district, the only hill fort is the Nemgiri Fort, located in Jintur taluka. This small fort sits atop a low hill. Nemgiri, though referred to as a fort, is more popularly known as a Jain pilgrimage site rather than a military stronghold. The fort is located about 3 km from the town of Jintur. Since there is a Jain shrine on top, vehicles can go all the way up to the fort. With the passage of time, most of the fort's features have been erased, and today only one bastion and a small portion of the fort wall (tatbandi) remain. Inside the fort, there are seven cave temples built underground, all of which are connected by subterranean passageways. These caves house idols of various Tirthankaras of Jainism. Among them, the fifth cave is especially renowned for the idol of Lord Antariksha Parshvanath. ... This idol, in a seated lotus posture (padmasana), is about 6.25 feet tall and weighs approximately nine tons. The most remarkable feature is that the entire idol is balanced on a stone no bigger than a betel nut, and the space beneath the idol is completely hollow. On request, the temple priest will demonstrate this by passing a piece of paper underneath the idol. After visiting all the caves, one exits through the same doorway used to enter. Due to new constructions in other parts of the fort, no original remnants remain. From the top of the fort, one can clearly see Chandragiri, another nearby hill. The present-day town of Jintur was known in ancient times as Jainpur. The caves here were developed during the reign of Emperor Amoghavarsha of the Rashtrakut dynasty. During later foreign invasions, the caves fell into obscurity, and Jainpur eventually became corrupted to "Jintur". Because this location has long been recognized as a religious site, there is no available historical record of its use as a fort.
© Suresh Nimbalkar