The locals know lesser-known facts about these historic sites. This is an attempt to crowdsource information and broaden our knowledge, says Balsekar
For the first time, the Maharashtra State Gazetteers directorate is planning to crowdsource information and data to record oral history and folklores about forts in the state.
"We plan to involve locals, youth, trekkers and experts in collection and compilation of the volumes about forts. Public participation will help us record local lores and oral histories around these forts," said Dilip Balsekar, Executive Editor and Secretary of Gazetteers Department, adding that this is first such attempt by the department to compile information through public participation.
"This will be a well-researched volume that will document details of each fort — its location, area, height from sea level, history, description (hilly, land-based or island), access routes, water sources, sculptures, caves, inscriptions on it, tunnels, photos, maps and published and unpublished references," he said, adding that information providers would be asked to chip in information in a set format.
"The locals know lesser-known facts about these historic sites. This is an attempt to crowdsource information and broaden our knowledge," said Balsekar.
The data, in turn, will be reviewed and screened by the board of editors before being published. Balsekar pointed to how authors like RC Dhere and Go Ni Dandekar had compiled "sthal puranas" (local lore) in their writings.
The department is compiling a new series of volumes about the forts in Maharashtra beginning with those in the Konkan, including the Raigad fort, which was the capital of warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Forts in northern and western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha will be taken up later.
The gazetteers department is also collaborating with the state department of archives and the Directorate of museums and archaeology in the venture, and British-era gazetteers will also be referred.
Maharashtra is estimated to have around 353 forts, of which 51 forts of national importance like Raigad, Janjira, Sindhudurg and Gawilgad are under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Maharashtra directorate of archaeology and museums is in charge of 49 forts which include Sinhagad, Rajgad, Naldurg, Paranda, Salher and Mulher.
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