About 35 kms from Pune, perched atop the Bhuleswar Range of Western Ghats is the ancient hill fortress of Sinhagad, which roughly translates as the Lion’s Fort. The steep cliffs and rugged terrain that once made the fort impregnable to enemies also posed significant challenges for the ambitious initiative that the Pune Phoenix Lions Club of District 324-D2 embarked upon.
For years, local vendors served the fort’s steady stream of visitors from makeshift shelters that marred the historic landscape. The Lions Club envisioned something better: seven eco-friendly kiosks that would house 28 vendors while honoring the fort’s timeless character. Transporting construction materials up the ancient pathways proved daunting, as each delivery traversed the same treacherous slopes that once thwarted invading armies. Weather shifts at the high altitude tested both workers’ resolve and engineering plans.
However, under the guidance of Club President Nandita Deshpande, the project took shape, backed by CSR funding of US$58,000 to the Lions Club of Pune Phoenix Foundation. International Director Pankaj Mehta and District Governor Vijay Sarda inaugurated the kiosks in the presence of club members and happy vendors.
Today, these kiosks that serve the fort’s 1,20,000 yearly visitors while providing vendors with sturdy, weather-resistant spaces stand as quiet sentinels alongside Sinhagad’s ancient walls.
