Chandrapur: A series of stone and brick pillars lining the historic Chandrapur-Nagpur forest route, particularly through Tadoba, may not belong to the British period as officially recorded, but instead traced back to Bhonsle era, according to new findings by geologist and archaeologist Prof Suresh Chopane. His research directly challenges the Chandrapur Gazetteer, which attributes these structures to British construction.Prof. Chopane asserts that these pillars functioned as navigational markers guiding travellers through dense forest stretches between Chandrapur and Nagpur. While many have been lost over time, quite a few still survive in Tadoba region. He notes distinct construction patterns —sandstone pillars between Chandrapur and Tadoba lake, and brick structures further towards Nagpur — along with a unique U-shaped stone feature atop several pillars, likely used to indicate direction or assist travellers in forest conditions.He points to the absence of any mention of such pillars in British administrative records, known for their detailed documentation of infrastructure projects. “There is no evidence in official reports, financial records, or the British-era Gazetteer that the British built these markers,” he states.The study places the construction of these pillars between 1751 and 1853, during the rule of the Bhonsle dynasty. Installed at intervals of roughly 100 metres in dense forest areas, they ensured route continuity across the Chandrapur-Tadoba-Chimur-Umred-Nagpur corridor. Today, only 35 stone and nine brick pillars remain in Tadoba, though hundreds are believed to have existed.Rejecting claims linking the structures to the Gond period, Prof Chopane highlights that Gond rulers neither used this route extensively nor employed brick in such constructions. In contrast, the Bhonsles actively developed trade and administrative links between Nagpur and Chandrapur, necessitating a reliable route through forest terrain.Chopane argues that following their takeover in 1854, the British are believed to have improved only select stretches up to Tadoba lake and constructed rest houses, without extending the route further. According to available records, they constructed only two major roads connecting Chandrapur — one via Warora and another via Mul-Brahmapuri. There is no record of a Chandrapur-Tadoba-Chimur-Nagpur road being built by them.Initially published in English in 1909 during the British era, the Gazetteer of the district received an updated version in 1973. The updated version of Chandrapur Gazetteer published for first time in Marathi in October 2023, mentioned Tadoba Pillars being constructed during the British Raj. Prof. Chopane has called for an official revision of historical records, urging authorities for the correction in Chandrapur Gazetteer issued by the district administration, what he describes as a longstanding misattribution.
