Indian forts relive glorious past in documentary (Feature With Images)

CHANDIGARH - They have withstood the onslaught of marching armies, they have been like trophies for rulers, and several well known forts in India are now reliving their glorious past through a 26-episode documentary series “Bharat ke Burj”.

Produced and directed by leading Chandigarh-based theatre personality Gurcharan Singh Chani and his son Gyandev Singh, the series aims to tell the story of 26 forts that have been part of India’s rich history and their rulers.

“The series has been such a great learning experience for us while making it. Many myths about the forts, which are centuries old, have been broken,” Chani, who spent nearly three-and-a-half years in research and shooting with his son, told IANS here.

“Forts like Kalinjar (Uttar Pradesh), Chittor (Rajasthan), Gingee (Tamil Nadu) and Golconda (Andhra Pradesh) have been like trophies which various rulers always wanted to conquer. Some of the most famous battles and lives of dynasties and rulers have revolved around these forts,” Chani said.

The documentary series, being telecast on national broadcaster Doordarshan since last month, features forts ranging from Qila Mubarak in Punjab’s Patiala to those down south in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The series has been researched and scripted by historian Pushpesh Pant.

These 26 forts were chosen from over 150 forts that were visited by the team. Initially, 52 forts were selected, of which 26 have been made part of the series in the first phase.

“It was a grand and enriching experience for us also. We were overawed by the variety, style of architecture, repository of art and the grandeur of these forts. The Bidar fort (Karnataka) is even decorated from the outside. The Golconda fort has things written in Tamil language but the maker was a Persian (Quli Qutab Shah),” Chani said.

“The present series is inspired by the idea that forts are not a subject of specialist interest - like for students of military history or architecture. These have been an integral part of the life of our people and continue to do so,” he said.

“India has a particularly rich legacy of forts and fortified cities. These represent and showcase the glorious diversity of our culture as well as repositories of literature, music and performing arts,” Chani pointed out.

For instance, Raja Man Sing Tomar of Gwalior was an accomplished dhrupad singer and the first to recognize the genius of Tansen. This great musician’s spiritual preceptor was Sufi mystic Mohammed Gaus whose mausoleum is visited by almost everyone who comes to the fort.

Within the compound of the Gwalior fort are awe-inspiring Jain statues, a historic gurdwara and temples built in different regional styles, for instance, Teli Ka Mandir and Saas Bahu Ka Mandir.

“This is just one example of how a fort in the days of its glory attracted traders, craftspersons, pilgrims along with courtiers and soldiers of fortune. The fort continues to be a central focus in the life of the city and just beyond the ramparts is the museum that is a rich treasury of priceless artefacts. The story of a fort thus is never restricted to the narrative of battles, victories and defeat,” Chani said.

He said Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of forts in the country followed by Rajasthan. The filmmakers faced their own set of difficulties while researching and making the films.

“At the Kalinjar fort (near Banda in Uttar Pradesh), there was no place for us to stay as we shot the fort for days. There were threats from dacoits and criminals. We were even provided security escort by the authorities. The Gingee fort (near Chennai) was a straight six-hour climb,” Chani said.

The Golconda fort still has the ‘Barra Katha’, the traditional folk theatre form, which narrates the story of the fort and its protagonists.

“The Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur is the most well maintained among all forts. It is managed by a trust headed by Maharaja Gaj Singh,” he said.

Though the team found that conservation efforts were being made for forts, many of which are in ruins, it felt that a lot needs to be done by the government and the people if these forts have to stand for centuries to come.

“It is sad and unfortunate that people don’t go to forts now. It is painful to see our heritage in jeopardy now. Most of the monuments are crumbling now. But there is a silver lining too. People in Bidar now realize the importance of the fort and hold events to be part of the heritage,” Chani said.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)