Have you ever stumbled upon a place unintended and felt uncomfortable with its vibes and later discovered that it had a chilling history?
Something similar happened to me four years back when I was working at Archaeological Survey of India’s office at Nagpur. I had gone for a village to village survey, accompanied by a research scholar. Together we had surveyed several villages in Tumsar taluka of Bhandara district and were done for the week. We still had an extra day remaining and decided to visit Ambagad fort. Even though this fort was already protected by the state department, and we had no intention of covering it, yet, we still decided to explore around and maybe enquire with the natives regarding local history.
On one day in March 2020, we left early in the morning. Our taxi driver was fussing a lot to reach this place, as it was situated deep within the forest and road from foot hills to the base of the fort was uneven. The internet connection was patchy and could not google search about the fort. Only after reaching the base we found an information board which gave some head start to clueless explorers.
Ambagad (or the fort of mango trees) Fort is a located in Tumsar taluka is situated on a hill in the Satpura range. It is at a distance of 100 km from Nagpur and about 15 km west of Tumsar. You can reach here if you go through Gaimukh fork on Tumsar – Seoni road.
This medieval fort was constructed by Raja Khan Pathan, the Dewan of Seoni and subhedar (governor) of Deogadh ruler, Bakht Buland Shah, in the year 1700. Later, it came under the possession of Raja Raghuji Bhonsle of Nagpur who used it as a prison. Sometime after it was captured by the British.
It is a historic mystery located in the Ambagarh Ranges in the deep forest over a steep hill. The climb to this fort is a mix of adventure and history, it has a great nature trail and the scenic views.
Steps from leading from the base to the entrance of the fort 
A platform near the entrance displaying the information board. The main gate is hidden and one has to take a sharp right turn 
The tall main gate – merlons on the top with slits for arrows, Peepal leaf torana below it and lotus medallions, niches on either side for lamps and cells for guards. 
A long view of the fortification wall – row of merlons going over the bastions 
The rumoured poisoned tank inside the fort 
A small entrance in the wall – made of lakhauri bricks 
The continuous fortification wall beside the tank 
A small memorial chhatri inside the fort – one of the many ruins 
An underground approach beneath the Chhatri 
Leading to another tank like open space 
A row of merlons and the parapet wall 
Another view of the tank and the fortification wall 
Ruins – jail cells 
Underground jail cells 
Another cell filled with rain water 
Another cell which receives no light 
Several cells with small windows 
The fortification wall and parapet wall with slits for archers 
The valley beneath covered with dense forests 
A fallen brick structure above the ground 
More structures with overgrown trees, whose roots are damaging the heritage 
An entrance gate to a room, buried in deposition of mud and silt. 
Probably palace building? A tall structure above the ground with windows / chajja 
An abandoned structure with false arches and side rooms 
Ornamental brackets, inverted lotus medallions and carved figures on the lintel 
Ornamental brackets, inverted lotus medallions and carved figures on the lintel. There are human figures, horse, elephant. Some vandalism is also seen. 
Brackets with inverted lotus medallion
According to the local history, under Raja Raghuji Bhonsle, this fort was used as a prison. The prisoners were made to drink the stagnant water of the tank (some say it was poisoned) due to which their health deteriorated. This meant that the prisoners were fated to a long and sufferable death. Due to being situated within dense forest and surrounded by vast rolling hill ranges, this fort was isolated from any civilisation. Even if the prisoners escaped, they would either get lost, die due to fatigue or fall prey to wild animals like tigers and bears.
As we explored the fort, inspite the picturesque views we felt that the energy was very gloomy and scary. The wind howled in our ears and made us shiver. Inspite of the chirping of birds, the ruins seemed to remember the echoes of the screams of its prisoners.
Major architectural features
This hill fort has only one main entrance gateway, which has a triangular arch. The main structures inside the fort include palace building, court building (masalat khana), ammunition room and granary. There is a seperate system for dinking water. The bastions have facility for placing canons.
The Gonds
It is necessary here to make a brief reference to the Gonds of Deogarh who were a royal house that ruled large parts of the Vidarbha region. The Gond kingdom of Deogarh reached its peak under the capable leadership of Bakht Buland Shah and his successor Chand Sultan. After Chand Sultan’s death in 1739, there were quarrels over the succession. In 1743 it fell into the hands of its powerful neighbour Raghuji Bhonsle of Nagpur.
This fort together with that of Pauni was held against the British during Appa Saheb’s (the then ruler of Nagpur) rebellion in 1818. Major Wilson arrived before the fort which was garrisoned by 500 revolutionaries. The revolutionaries had extended a chain of posts from Ambagarh to Chandpur, Rampaili, and Sangarhi, which made it difficult for the British to launch an attack. To suppress the rebellion, the British, after a strategic military observation, captured the fort without any fighting after the garrison fled to a neighbouring hill.
Present condition
This hill fort is still standing in good condition due to the strengthening of its structures by the Department of Archaeology, Government of Maharashtra. Access to the fort has also been made easy by the construction of steps to reach it.
Thus, the Ambagad fort, known for its stunning locatio and chilling history of prisoner mistreatment, exudes a gloomy and eerie energy. Today, it stands in good condition, with strengthened structures and improved accessibility. The fort’s history intertwines with the Gond kingdom of Deogarh and its resistance against the British in 1818.
Sources for further reading
- Gonds of Deogarh
- Trip Advisor Ambagad Fort
- CAC all rounder trek
- CAC all rounder trek to Ambagad
- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Ambagad fort
- Hotel jasnagra
- Trekshitiz Ambad trek
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