Janjira Fort has been reduced to a location for film and TV shoots and whatnot

Closer home, in Vasai, the Portuguese-era Bassein fort is another stunning, decadent landmark that has become the hotbed for drug peddlers and booze parties. On one such trip, we were in for a rude shock as a pothead agreed to even share a few grams to “chill” on a Sunday. Speak of unpleasant surprises in a historic space.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

Sinhagad, near Pune, is another example. An open-air gig would have been less maddening; as we trudged uphill (all the way trying to avoid being run over by speeding bikers), hawkers and muck greeted us. Even the signage had been vandalised. And if we were to list out the woes of the forts at Sion and Worli, we’d run out of space.

We hear that with the MOU, the first to be signed by any tourism board with the ASI, our decrepit forts will get a fresh lease of life. Also, fort festivals and events around festivals like Diwali have also been proposed. As much as we’d like to do a virtual jig about the news, the question is — do we really need it, especially when the foundations of conserving forts — be it sensitised, expert-driven restoration, stricter visitor controls and basic amenities like clean loos — are far from being addressed?

For a state that boasts of some of the finest, most diverse examples of fort architecture, it’s a step in the right direction, albeit two decades late. We’d love to see our babus move beyond the photo-ops to ensure that Maharashtra’s forts aren’t reduced to forgotten footnotes in its rich history.

mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com