Image showing the visually-challenged youths who climbed the Purandar Fort.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mumbai: Forty eight visually-challenged youths ascended the historic Purandar Fort near Pune, coinciding with the Republic Day festivities.
Situated in the Pune district, Purandar is considered to be a notable mountain fort, standing 1,398 meters above sea level and around 700 meters above the plain at its base.
The fort comprises two distinct fortresses: Purandar, which is stronger and more important, and Vajragad, a smaller sister fort located on a ridge extending east of it.
The 48 youths were from the Mumbai-based Nayan Foundation.
In this outing, a total of 22 volunteers from Nayan Foundation, Pune-based mountaineering club Giripremi, and Swaroopseva guided these visually-challenged youths during the climb.
On the night of January 25, they departed from Mumbai and visited the Madhurangan Project of Swaroopseva located in Khatepewadi, Bhukum near Pune.
For many years, soldiers of the Indian Army have been trained at Purandar Fort. The fort holds both historical significance and a strategic geographic location.
It has also been a witness to numerous historical events, such as the birth of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the bravery of Veer Murarbaji Deshpande, and the Treaty of Purandar.
As they ascended the fort, the youths learned about the its history from the volunteers of Giripremi.
They also paid tribute to the Indian national flag as the national anthem was sung in the fort.
At the base of the fort, an idol of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and a museum have been set up by the Army. After completing the trek, everyone visited this memorial site and gathered detailed information about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
Over the past 15 years, these youths have also climbed several other forts on Republic Day, including Raigad, Sinhagad, Rajgad, Rareshwar, Sajjangad, Shivneri, Torna, Pratapgad, and the highest peak in Maharashtra, Kalsubai.
The year's trip was coordinated by Suyash Mokashi, Omkar Vaidya, Omkar Bhelke, and Harshada Bagmar from Giripremi and Swaroopseva, a press statement said.