Medini Fort

Medini is the place I have always longed to visit, which sights will never forgets, memories that might never out of my mind. Medini was once a royal city ruled by unknown Kings and one can still see some of the remains. The whole fort area was distributed at various places around the Hill; the fort was built on a hill which is fortified by a deep valley clothed with dense forest.  The Medini Fort which is present in ruined condition inside the vast thick jungle it looks more like a place where some royal remains have least neglected ever.

This was yet another venture, which was coordinated by my friend Rajesh Naik, while proceeding to Medini village in KSRTC bus, with all thrilling expectations of the expedition, which was to take off by few hours. A bus took us up to the foothill of the village from where 2-3 hours trek, through the woods. First we filled our stomach with solid food and drunken enough water from nearby brook. The mud track covered by woods and we assured ourselves of yet another memorable experience ahead.

The trek path soon entered woods, the hike was ascending and the woods cleared to village in couple hours. The vastness of greenery stretching ahead, fold by fold, bordered by woods, was a soothing sight and we sat for snacks to build ourselves, for the next part.

Sun was squeezing our moisture out and the lone hope was assumed to be very close by then. Two more turnings and we were there. Desperate is a word too mean for such an occasion, for we had just the trace of a stream or villager. Across our journey we faced hardly 2-3 villagers. As summer was in its peak, wayside water sources were all dry and we fearfully noticed the rapid drain of our storage. After non-stop 3 hours treacherous ascending by mid noon we entered the Medani village.

Because of the inaccessibility of this area, the tribal of this region were totally cut off from the civilized world. But recent, with the constant efforts being made by the Government, tribal of this area started tasting the advantages of adopting civilized life. But still in rainy time this village is in-accessible. The location is more beautiful and there are many seasonal waterfalls in the forests nearby.

My left foot got badly injured and I need to relax my foot for while, and we have to recharge our bodies by filling some essential food. By god grace one villager invited us to his home and he surprised after hearing our agenda to visit his village. His family happily feed us to sumptuous hot meal and gave enough fruits to eat. We relaxed enough on that village house and took some useful information from the old man.

I made simple first aid for my broken foot and simple exercise made tending to my tired muscles later a sound relaxation we left his home and headed to approach the fort with one local guy. A fascinating glimpse of the strange ways of village soon we entered woodlands. The nature is bountiful here. The ruins at this place speak of its past glory.

After about half an hour’s walk we could see the sign’s of the fort. An old inscription stone caught my attention. There was lot of carved pictures on it which seemed to be telling the story of the glorious past. We slept under that inscription stone for while to cool our body.

 Posing with broken legs near inscription stone (Second stage of the Fort), You can see pain in my eyes in this picture...

An old fort with so many untold stories, the perennial struggle of the walls of the fort that were being constantly siege by the creepers, nature was it’s at wildest best. We decided to explore the fort and we moved deeper into the fort. It was an eerie feeling when I walked into the fort. I cannot explain it everything about the fort seemed mysterious. I was always worried about the reptiles underneath the hugely overgrown weeds we were walking through; any small sound was raising my senses.

We reached the southern end in just over an hour's time. Here there is a small shrine where still once in a year doing some Pooja programs by villagers. Each part of the fort utilized neatly whatever available water resource. The high location and constantly its geographical location, scenic beauty, shifting natural scenery which was inspired to the Kings to built such a vast fort for them.

It was past 4:30 Pm and we decided to head back. On the way back I turned around and looked at the fort one last time the moment I entered the fort I felt that I had captured the fort but that wasn’t true, there was mystery hidden in its core and it was beckoning to be unraveled.

We heard one more trail will connect to this fort from North-west side. So lack of time we decided to follow new root to reach downer side village and catch the last bus. So we say bye to the village boy and took some useful directions from him before he left. The new track pass through thick woods of thick under growth, it’s really tedious to search the track and that didn't bother us, as it is quite natural for the nature, to grow over once existed tracks. After 30 minutes walk we crossed the northern gate of the fort and from that the real adventure started.

The initial downer trail appeared magically beautiful with thick woods tightly bordering with nice green backdrop. The nature of woods changed a lot by then and we were then negotiating some steep stretches of thick wooden scrubby forest. 

Finally we chose a direction, to stick on and decided that we shall not deviate, even if the track proved to be the most unfriendly and it definitely was. Stickling away needs to the extent possible, crawling beneath thorny terrain in intolerable leg pain and so on our plight continued. Light was fading and so the hope.

We were walking and walking, definitely to no where wordless for a while, and some one started walking, with others following. None spoke for the next 2kms or so, for fear of dehydration, until the stream flow was audible. Crossed another rivulet, stored enough water and went on hiking through yet another thorny stretch, until we hit the track connecting village.

To add to our woe, we could sense some animal moving ahead in the same direction we were in, from the fashion in which saplings and tree branches were freshly lifted and broken. We weren't in a position to retrace the track even, as we may not make it to anywhere before it’s dark. I felt the panic radiating, throat drying and we were nothing short of wandering clueless. 

By then it was almost dark and we had half a kilometer ahead, crossing occasional flows, watching and listening for wild friends - though none came visiting - the trail ended just below the hill at the open field, in half an hour from the brook.Brisk walk of another 20 minutes took us to the state highway and heard the feeble grunt of a bus engine (It was a last bus on that track) at a distance.

It is Six months since we went to Medini and every time I close my eyes and think of the place, I visualize the mystery of the fort, the lost kingdom and the Inscribed Stones. A spectacular view of the ruined fort and its surrounding mountains and valleys, brightly woods, loneliness, the chill and occasional wild cries altogether, wasn't a soothing experience. For now it will remain an enigma to me a sweet memory captured in the clutches of time.

Photos by -Ashoka SB & Rakesh Holla