Heritage Walk through Bhagur, an insightful experience for people

NASHIK: ‘Nashik Heritage’, the initiative launched by young history-lovers in Nashik conducted its ‘Heritage Walk’ event through Bhagur, the birthplace and hometown of Swatantryaveer Savarkar on October 11. With experts of history and archeology, more than 100 enthusiastic members of the Nashik Heritage Group started their visit from Savarkar Wada and traversed through Balakwade Talim Kendra, Khandoba temple and Ashtabhuja Devi temple, the landmarks in age-old Bhagur village.
Head of the heritage club Prashant Patil shared the history of the Savarkar’s birth place and also shared Savarkar’s memories attached to this building.
“Idol of Goddess Asthabhuja, who used to be the family deity to the Savarkars used to be placed in the Poojaghar of this Wada. Savarkar is said to have taken oath of freedom fighting in front of that idol only,” he said. After realizing that Savarkar brothers would not return and live in the ancestral house anymore, their grandfather had shifted this idol to the Khanderai Temple in Bhagur where it is worshipped even today. Participants of the heritage walk also visited this temple.
They also visited Balakwade gymnasium where coach Gorakhnath Balakwade explained various traditional and modern forms of gymnastics. Prof Ramnath Rawal spoke about Navji Balakwade's conquests of Lohgad and Sinhagad, Sardar Bhagoji Balakwade, Bahirji Balakwade, Yesaji Balakwade and Ranoji Balakwade's struggle in rescuing Nashik from the clutches of Mughals and the epic battle of Kazi Gadhi.
The walk ended at Mangirbaba's Samadhi where the work and contributions of Saint Mangirbaba was explained by Shivaji Balakwade. Balakwade family and other local residents of Bhagur interacted with the club members and shared the historic significance of their town with everyone.
Nashik Heritage Club's Nikhil Deshmukh, Swarup Davkhare, Ankita Patil, Somnath Chaudhari and Hemant Patil contributed to the success of the event. With an aim to highlight historical, cultural and artistic importance of Nashik on national level, historians, linguistics, photographers, artists and die-hard Nashik lovers launched a new outfit ‘Nashik Heritage’. It is going to be a year-long activity which will include visits to heritage centres, tours around Nashik, and interactive sessions with artists and cultural ambessedors of the city.
Experts have already shortlisted nearby locations for first year.