A Bollywood spark and the myth of Maratha treasure – Firstpost

In times where Bollywood movies have been sinking without a trace, it is unusual that one particular film keeps making it to the news. That is exactly what Chhava has achieved, and it has done so without seemingly intending to. While some say that it has triggered a riot in one city, in other places it has led to angry exchanges between politicians.

Its impact was felt in little-known places and in unusual ways, but most peculiar was the case of Asirgarh. Allegedly on account of the film, a rumour was stirred which convinced some folks that a treasure looted from the Marathas was hidden in or near the fort at Asirgarh. The result was that in early March, hundreds of villagers, some armed with metal detectors and torchlights, converged around Asirgarh and began digging.

This bizarre digging frenzy was not appreciated by either the farmers who owned the dug-up land nor the local administration, who put a stop to it and cordoned off the ‘excavated’ area. For all the effort put in, it is unlikely that the diggers managed to unearth anything of value. But the act did put Asirgarh in the news, albeit briefly. Presenting us with the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper into its real history.

Located in south Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district, Asirgarh is home to a massive fortress. Its name is said to be drawn from a man called Asa Ahir who settled here in the early 15th century, apparently with the permission of a Sufi called Hazrat Noman Chisti. He was ousted from his perch by Nasir Khan, the Farooqi ruler of Khandesh, in which region the fort fell.

Asirgarh’s fort commands a key pass in the Satpura Hills – a location that connects the valleys of the Narmada and Tapti Rivers. This made it a must-conquer for any army aspiring to advance into the Deccan. And the army that did arrive at the beginning of the 17th century was a Mughal force driven by the ambition of Emperor Akbar. Initially, Asirgarh’s mighty walls held out, and it is said that it took a betrayal for the fort to fall to the Mughals. It stayed with them for generations and the Asirgarh-Burhanpur region became their cockpit for further southern advances.

Over the next century, Asirgarh witnessed Mughal armies marching to and from the Deccan. These forces had the finest military leadership the Mughals could send, including princes of the imperial family. This was inevitable given the challenges posed by the rugged terrain and the formidable opponents – the Dakhni Sultanates of Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda and above all, the Marathas under Shivaji and his successors. It was this never-ending campaign that brought Aurangzeb to the Deccan, first as a prince and then as emperor. Eventually, he would never leave, dying near Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) in 1707.

Immense treasure was taken out of the Dakhni kingdoms and it was rumours of a chunk of this wealth being buried that spawned the furious digging activity at Asirgarh. It is believed that the rumours were not entirely unfounded, and in earlier years coins have been found in fields here. These stories tend to grow with every telling. In some accounts, the coins are of gold while in others, their number resembles a veritable treasure.

Asirgarh seems a natural setting for such a rumour and not just because of the Mughals. Myths, legends and strange ideas have had a way of swirling around the craggy bastions of this mighty fort for centuries, perhaps even longer. The greatest of these goes all the way to the Mahabharat. As per mythological accounts, Ashwathama – the son of Dronacharya – had fired a divinely obtained weapon with the purpose of killing an unborn child, to eliminate the entire lineage of the Pandavas. While the child was saved, Ashwathama was forced to cut out the gem that was on his forehead. He was also cursed to wander the earth endlessly and in total isolation, suffering from incurable diseases and bleeding from the unhealed injury on his forehead.

Legends hold that Ashwathama comes to the Shiva temple within Asirgarh fort each day to offer flowers. If he chances upon someone, he asks for turmeric and oil to heal his bleeding forehead. And the unfortunate soul who happens to meet him goes insane, as per the story.

To come back from legends to actual history, weakening of Mughal authority in the 18th century saw Asirgarh fall to the Marathas. It fell to the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha war of 1803, only to revert to the Marathas soon after. In 1819, post the Third Anglo-Maratha war, Asirgarh was the last Maratha bastion to be taken over by the imperial power. The place hosted a British garrison from there on and was also used by them as a prison for political opponents.

Among those imprisoned here was Surendra Sai. Born to the ruling clan of Sambalpur, in Odisha, he was among the last leaders of the 1857 revolt to continue fighting against the British. Surrendering as late as 1862, he was imprisoned for decades. Asirgarh was his final prison, the place where he breathed his last in May 1884.

Today, Asirgarh is no longer the key to anywhere. Except for the heritage it contains. These include the semi-underground Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple and a Farooqi period mosque that may have been modified later. The British added their barracks and a consequence of their long occupation, a cemetery too. Most structures within the fort are ruined or in a state of decay. However, there is enough here to inspire ghost stories.

To leverage Asirgarh and Burhanpur to the fullest potential of their architectural heritage, improving connectivity is critical. The fort is 166 kms south of Indore, the nearest significant airport. Expecting a leisure traveller to traverse that distance is perhaps a bridge too far. MP Tourism has done a magnificent job of building awareness, but other entities need to step up. Is there a case for an Indore-Pune Vande Bharat train, with stops at Burhanpur and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar?

The change in connectivity will help develop a somewhat neglected region and bring in more visitors. Perhaps then people will discover the real heritage treasures that lie not just in Asirgarh but the entire region, without having to dig for them in the dark.

The author is a heritage explorer by inclination with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.