Fire at Daulatabad Fort

• 11 Apr 2025

Why in News? 

A fire at Daulatabad Fort in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has prompted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to initiate damage assessment and plan disaster management. 

 

Key Points 

• Damage Assessment: 
  • The fire damaged the Baradarai, a historic pavilion at the summit of the fort. 
  • ASI has started assessing the fire damage and will draft a disaster management plan based on its findings to prevent future incidents. 
  • The fire disrupted local wildlife, as wild animals lost significant portions of their shrubland habitat. 
• About the Daulatabad Fort: 
  • Originally called Devgiri (Hill of Gods), it was renamed Daulatabad by Muhammad bin Tughlaq when he shifted his capital there in the 14th century. 
    • It served as the capital of several dynasties including Yadavas, Tughlaqs, Bahmanis, Nizam Shahis, Mughals, and briefly the Marathas before the Nizams of Hyderabad. 
    • It is a UNESCO-nominated heritage site, known for its historical, architectural, and ecological importance. 
  • Architectural Brilliance: Daulatabad Fort is fortified in three layers Ambarkot, Mahakot, and Kalakot with moats, bastions, and iron-spiked gates. 
    • It features a deadly tunnel called Andheri, used to trap and attack invaders. 
  • Monuments and Structures Within: 
    • Chand Minar (1435 CE): Indo-Islamic style victory tower modeled after Qutub Minar. 
    • Bharat Mata Mandir, located within the fort, was previously the Jama Masjid during Qutub-ud-din Mubarak's reign (1318 CE). 
    • Chini Mahal, a lavish palace turned prison by Aurangzeb. 
  • Artillery and Cannons: Fort was equipped with ~288 cannons, a notable one is Aurangzeb’s Mendha also called Qila Shikan (fort-breaker), symbolized military power. 

 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) 

• ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organisation for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. 
  • Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 governs the functioning of ASI. 
• It administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance. 
• Its activities include carrying out surveys of antiquarian remains, exploration and excavation of archaeological sites, conservation and maintenance of protected monuments etc. 
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the first Director-General of ASI. Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.