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Bhujia Fort Traditional Cache

Hidden : 1/26/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This small cache is situated on Bhujia Fort overlooking the town of Bhuj.  Parking is available, but finding the cache requires that you climb a long set of steep stairs.  Many online sources state that the fort is under military control and is closed to the public, but this is no longer the case, and for now the fort is open to the public at no cost.

Travelling to Bhujia Fort, you will find yourself within Bhuj, a town of 150,000 in the state of Gujarat and district of Kutch.  Bhuj was founded in 1510 and named after Bhujia Hill on which the fort was constructed.  In the course of its history Bhuj has seen many leaders and governments come and go.  On January 26, 2001, Bhuj was struck by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that lasted for more than two minutes.  The epicenter was situated only 20km from Bhuj, and significant damage occurred within the city center that was dominated by tall stone structures.  More than 12,000 people were killed.  Today, after months of international relief efforts and years of significant domestic investment, Bhuj's population and development are booming.  Viewed from above, Bhuj now looks more like a city than the village it has always been.

According to Wikipedia, construction of Bhujia Fort was begun by Rao Godaji from 1715-1718, but most of the work was done during the subsequent decades.  The fort has seen six major battles since its construction, most of them during the 18th century and between the rulers of Kutch and muslim raiders from Sindh and Mughal rulers of Gujarat.  The British took over the fort in 1819 when Kutch accepted British rule.  Once India gained independence from England, the fort came under control of the Indian military and became the site of an army depot storing tanks, guns and explosives.  Since the earthquake in 2001, however, the army no longer maintains a presence on the fort, although plans are underway to restore the fort, construct a wall around its perimeter and charge a fee for tourist admission.

When you follow the trailhead from the parking area, you will first come across the Temple of Bhujanga Naga.  The temple was constructed during at the same time as the fort.  It is dedicated to a snake god who is said to have been the brother of "Sheshnag," Lord of the nether world.  According to Wikipedia, it is said he came from Than of Kathiawar and freed Kutch from the oppression of demons known as "daityas" and "rakshasas."

From the temple you will find another trailhead that leads to the fort.  You must climb a long, steep staircase in order to make it to the top, where you will find another temple.  At that point, you may choose to follow the wall to the right (East, where the geocache is hidden) or to the left (West).  I suggest that you traverse the entire wall if you have the time, although the better views of Bhuj are found to the East.  I intentionally hid the cache in a "less interesting" part of the wall where you will hopefully not have to dodge many muggles.  It is a small plastic box that can hold most trackables, and within it is a watertight container with the log.  Please do not attempt to access the cache with muggles present, and please put extra effort into rehiding the cache.  Caches in India are notoriously difficult to maintain.  I visit the area about once a year, but a local family friend will look after the cache in my absence.  If you are new to the area and have any questions, feel free to send me a message.  Have fun!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre ebpxf jvguva n ubyr va gur fbhgu fvqr bs gur jnyy

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)