HADSAR FORT.

Hadsar Fort rises on a steep hill near the Nana pass valley eight miles north-west of Junnar and sixty miles north of Poona. The fort lies within the limits of Hadsar village at the foot of the fort. From Junnar the road to the hill lies along the valley of the Kukdi between two ranges of high hills. The road is easy and passable even for carts, but five miles from Junnar it is crossed by the Kukdi which during the rains is difficult to ford. The approach to the fort lies over a steep ravine guarded by an embrasured and loopholed wall twenty yards long, thrown between the fort and a small hill to the west which is 700 yards round. The approach near the top, a rock-cut staircase sixty-five yards long, leads to two rock-cut gateways without doors. The hill, which is about 3200 yards round, rises about 1000 feet above the Junnar plain It is surmounted by a steep natural scarp 150 to 200 feet high. On this scarp stands the fort in shape a triangle with two equal sides. Only the wall that joins the fort with the neighbouring hill is seen from below. Except by the two rock-cut gateways the fort has no entrance. Inside are a few ruins, the commandant's office or kacheri, and a small temple. On the west a rock-cut passage leads to three underground chambers which are used as storerooms, one of them being filled with water. The water-supply is from several cisterns inside the fort.

History.

Hadsar was one of the five Poona forts which Shahaji gave to the Moghals in 1637.  [Elliot and Dowson, VII. 60; Grant Duffs Marathas, 53.] It fell to the British in 1818 soon after the fall of Junnar (25th April 1818). The commandant of Junnar, hearing that the English were marching on Junnar, left the town and fled to Hadsar. Major Eldridge learning of the flight to Hadsar sent a small detachment under Major M'Leod which reduced Hadsar and captured the fugitive commandant with twenty-five horses and four camels. [Pendhari and Maratha War Papers, 293-294; Bombay Courier, 16th May 1818. A correspond it of the Courier mentions Hadsar fort as deserving of notice, apart from its natural strength, from the labour spent on its two gates and its entire rock-cut passage. The gates with the connecting passage were entirely rock-cut and had not a foot of masonry about them. ' You enter the side of the mountain, go up a passage, and through another gate to the hill, and then get into the interior of the fort as if you were entering a well.' Ditto.]

HINGNE KHURD.

Hingne Khurd is a small village on the Mutha about four miles south-west of Poona, with in 1881 a population of 121. The village has a modern temple of Vithoba with steps leading to the river-bed where a large fair is held twice a year in June-July and in October-November. The temple, which is of stone and brick, was built by Shivaji, and has since been repaired and added to by a rich Poona contractor of the Gavandi or mason caste named Bhau Mansaram. The temple (50' x 15') includes a shrine and two halls and is enclosed by a stone wall. The fair called Viththalvadi is held on the bright eleventh of Kartik or October -November and Ashadh or June-July. About 25,000 people attend each fair and sweetmeats and toys are sold in large quantities. The Khadakvasla canal flows behind and not far from the temple.

HIVRE BUDRUKH.

Hivre Budrukh, a small village eight miles east of Junnar, with in 1881 a population of 1160, has, to its west, a tomb of Pir Lalkhan, where a yearly fair or urus is held on the dark third of Chaitra or March-April attended by about 5000 people. The tomb enjoys a yearly Government grant of 123. (Rs. 6).