European Tourists At A Fort In British Era Poona, 1880 Photo

European Tourists At A Fort In British Era Poona, 1880 Photo

An 1880 photo of European tourists at a Fort in British era Poona. The tourists can be seen carried down in palanquins by native bearers. A European man and a woman are carried down in palanquins or dandy or a palkhy. The fort resembles the Sinhagad Fort and shows the earliest view of it in this photo. The Sinhagad Fort is located around 35 km from Poona (Pune).

These were some of the best modes of transportation before motor vehicles came onto the scene. Even after the advent of automobiles, palanquins were still used in India, especially in the hilly areas. Since labour was plenty and cheap at the time of the British India era, carrying the sedan chair was not a problem.

Visiting hilly areas was not an easy task, and horse carts were unworkable on the bumpy slopes, the best option would be the sedan chair. The men were of hardy stock and were adept at their job. The Sinhagad Fort was supposed to be built around 2000 years ago, and its name means Lion’s Fort. Named by Shivaji after he captured it from the Mughals following a hard battle.

See another interesting one in my post- Antique Photo Britishers In Rickshaw 1918. See also Sedan chair.

Did you know- the palanquin is among the oldest inventions for mobility, it possibly predates before the taming of horses, originating in the Neolithic era.

From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph c1894., Nawab Of Bhopal’s Hunting Bentley – Old Photograph 1926 (#2)., Vintage Postcard The Gaekwad’s Bungalow Bombay., View of Poona or Pune – Old Print 1855.,  Vintage 1924 Map Of Bombay City.