Dang Travel and Tourism Guide

There may be very few districts having their very own historical heritage. Dangs was known as "Dakaranya or Dandak” during the period of Ramayana, and this is why its folksongs are filled with stories of Ram and Sita. And Even today, the people of Dangs greet each other saying "Ram-Ram”. However stranger a person may be, a greeting with "Ram-Ram” would come naturally to its people. Pandavas are also believed to have roamed and stayed in the Dangs. Even today one can find a cave in Pandava village near Dangs. The kings of Maurya dynasty, King San Praas, King Satya Vahan, and the kings of Kahatra and Abhir dynasties have ruled this district. Its neighbours, the kings of Chanakya dynasty have also ruled it.

In the 14th century, the kings of Dangs got separated from the Mughals and established their independent rule and this was the place where Shivaji established its military base when he attacked Surat in 1664 AD. Even today, Shivaji’s military establishment is known as "Lashkari Amba”. During the era of British rule, with the help of the Marathas, the British convinced the rulers of Dangs to give them the protection in the forests in return for a good administration in their state.

In this way, the rulers of the Dangs were deceitfully made the puppets in the hands of the British. In order to use the high quality timber produced in the Dangs for the purpose of architectural and military ship building, the British convinced the rulers of the Dangs by paying them a certain annual amount and got the entire forest of the region for lease. In this way, they stopped the supply of timber from Dangs to Surat and the towns of the kingdom Gayakwad.