Sajjangad, this name is linked to one and only one person – Ramdas Swami. This is the place where this spiritual master and Guru rests in peace. One of the important places to visit in Satara district, this fort or more appropriately hill, draws attention of many worshipers of God Rama. A well maintained fort is still a paradise of Swami Ramdas’s followers.
Around 10 km from Satara city, this fort is on the way to the famous water fall at Thoseghar. Vehicles, it may be frequent buses from Rajwada in Satara or from main bus stand of Satara, or it may be your private vehicle, can reach half the way to the top of hill. As soon as you reach closer to the hill, you will find the poems of Ramdas swami painted on both sides of road. On both sides of this road, there are many spots where you can park your vehicle, and take a good look at the Urmodi dam being constructed, or that of the green valley. After driving half the way on the hill, there is a good parking place, and few shops, where you can buy water and snacks, if you haven’t brought already. Rest of the journey is comparatively an easy climb. It takes maximum 15 minutes for a good climber, and up to half an hour for elderly people, who take few pit stops. You will find few water and butter milk sellers sitting beside roads on the way.
Ramdas Swami is a very important person in the history of Maharashtra. He being spiritual Guru of the Great Maratha king Shivaji, he has direct contribution towards the establishment of Maratha Kingdom in this region. His work doesn’t end here. His contribution towards creation of good society is also admirable. His poems called Manache Shlok -poems of mind, are still sung by people in the morning and evening in this region. These are the good things being taught to youngsters in many families. Ramdas Swami’s second important and famous book is ‘Dasbodh’ meaning what (Ram)das learnt. Hundreds of years back, he has written identifications of a good person and an idiot. In this book, he writes the things one should do to become a good person. While going through few pages, I found that, he has written ‘Unless you recognize the thing, don’t touch it’. This is what governments are telling now, to not touch un-identified objects. Just imagine the kind of vision and wisdom he must have got so many years back. There are so many such things in this book.
After this small climb, collecting your breath, you reach to the entrance of fort, called Shivaji Maharaj Entrance. After that there is Lokmanya Tilak Entrance, on the left of which, there is a small water reservoir and an old temple. Further, through the shops selling books on Ramdas and Shivaji Maharaj, few snack centers, and few buildings of the fort management, you reach to the main temple. This is the Samadhi place (final resting place) of Ramdas Swami. This temple has idols of God Rama on top, and Samadhi in the basement. Place where you can sit and spend half an hour in peace.
There are many places which you can see around, also you can spend couple of hours with your family sitting and chit-chatting in the open space in front of the main temple. The management also offers few residential courses, and you can find many young students running around, and doing their job perfectly. There is good arrangement of stay here, you will have to get in touch with Management for more information.
After spending time in temple, open area, taking a look at the arrangements made by the management, and finally doing shopping of some good books, you can start the return journey. Just to add, the fort entrance is open between sunrise and sunset. If you are travelling by state transport bus, then it is worth checking the last bus timing.
