A Class V student from Pune just visited the hundredth fort in Maharashtra with his father on a two-wheeler
Jay and Rahul Divate at Sion Fort during their trip to Mumbai last week. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
While most children are cooped up at home in the pandemic, an 11-year-old boy from Pune is exploring and documenting forts of Maharashtra. In the coming week, Jay Divate will complete covering a total of 100 forts.
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Jay has been travelling in a two-wheeler, along with his father Rahul Divate. Last week, the duo made a few stops in Mumbai to document nine forts in the city. What is interesting is that this Class V student also has his own YouTube channel, on which he uploads videos of his adventures. He shoots videos on his own and also edits them before they go live on his channel.
During the Covid-19 lockdown last year, the father-son duo started to explore trek points as a recreational activity. This was when Jay developed a fascination towards forts and history and expressed his wish to visit them. “In the pandemic, Jay was hooked to YouTube channels and said that he wanted to create one of his own. He also wanted to document forts of India. He single-handedly hosts and manages the channel now,” says a proud Rahul.
Jay uses various apps online to edit these videos. He has named his channel Jay Adventures. “I try to get better with each video. Every fort gives me a new experience,” shares Jay, adding that he is currently shooting and editing from his cellphone after his laptop recently crashed.
The first location the duo went to is Rohida Fort in Pune district. “Rohida Fort is also known as Vichitragad Fort. It was one of the closest forts to our home and is one of the most preferred locations for trekking during the monsoon. We went there in early June before the onset of the rains,” adds Rahul.
Jay learned that Rohida had an important role in shaping the Maratha Empire. “I love documenting history and making people aware of the prevalent culture in the region, where the fort stands,” Jay says. “Forts are an integral part of our culture, our history. There are many unknown forts. Some are lying in ruins. It’s important we remember their significance,” adds the father.
He says that Riwa Fort in Sion is one such example as it has weathered with time and negligence. The duo selects only weekdays for their adventures. “People visit these places on weekends and we prefer to avoid crowds during the pandemic,” he says.
An accountant by profession, Rahul has made a list of more than 487 forts in Maharashtra. He plans the trips district and taluka wise. In a day, the duo travels close to 400 km. “We have meticulously done the planning so that we cover a fort and return home the same day,” he informs. So far, the duo has covered 43 forts in the Pune district, 18 in Satara, 16 in Raigad, three in Nagar, one in Sangli and nine in Mumbai.
Ask Jay which were the most memorable forts so far, and he says Morgiri, Jivdhan, Dhakoba and Hadser forts. “Among all the forts I have seen till date, Jivdhan is special. It is located in Junnar taluka. I was stunned by the beauty of this hill fortress and the breathtaking view it offers of the Vanarlingi Pinnacle. It has a huge storehouse or kothi, few water cisterns and a temple of Goddess Jivai, the patron deity of the fort,” shares Jay, who wants to join the Army in future.
Jay, who is an ardent follower of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, plans to cover 1,000 forts for his channel before he turns 15. “He has my support and I will fulfil his dream. We plan to complete 500 forts from Maharashtra after which we will explore forts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat. Even Jammu and Kashmir has forts that we would like to document for the channel,” Rahul smiles.
1,000
No of forts the duo plans to cover before Jay turns 15
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