Bhuikfort fort is located in Solapur city. Pune – Solapur distance is about 255 KM. However, both cities are connected by a highway where the drive is joyful.
We started from Pune at 6 AM in the morning. Even in October, Pune will always have nice cool breeze at dawn, not to mention the most pleasant site of sunrise.
After such a pleasant start we were really looking forward to visiting the fort.
The idea that there is a fort right at the heart of the city was interesting. However, it didn’t turn out to be what we imagined.
The fort has three gates. As soon as you enter the main gate, the whole thing gives you a feeling of any park suitable for a day picnic.
The garden part is really taken care of. A lot of attention has been paid to the landscaping. And we could see people and children on a day picnic really enjoying themselves.
Photographed here, the youngest member of the crew, at the entrance ahead of the garden.
We felt that Solapur Municipal Corporation should pay some serious attention get the fort part fixed.
If you see this photograph, you’d know that we struggled to get to a height where at least we could get a view and this is what we got. Of course it is nice to have trees and some greenery around but it seemed like it was a year or more since anyone thought of maintaining the grass level around. I really wish the fort walls were distinctly visible.
A few areas of the fort were alright. For example, the fort includes the remains of a Dargah. It was good to see that whatever is left has been kept clean.
Further ahead you will find the remains of a temple. Its a Shiv temple, with the Shiv-ling still preserved and worshiped everyday.
Agreed; not a good temple photograph, but this is all that we could manage considering the pre or post wedding photo shoot that was happening around 🙂
As you go ahead of gate two you find a huge well it was filled with water but what a pity. It was full of algae, garbage, and plastic! 😦
Towards gate number three of the fort you will find something like a ‘minar’. We guessed that it might have been the actual door to the fort sometime.
Overall I’d say we imagined one thing and witnessed another. So we recommend that if you want to visit this place, go for the garden part as its good for a day’s picnic, and definitely not for the fort.
About a kilometer from the fort, you have the Siddheshwar temple.
The temple premises is maintained well. On a hot day the temple offered us a cool shelter.
We sat there for a while, totally at peace, amidst cool breeze; joined the celebration of a stranger’s birthday, who had also gotten into the Indian Police Service.
Later we had lunch and left Solapur happy.
We were hoping to checkout Bhigwan backwaters on our way back, but rain didnt contribute much to the cause and neither did the traffic. We’ll cover Bhigwan some other time.
Life of road trips 