Deep in the jungles of Ratapani, a cluster of ruins atop a hill are all that remains of a World War II-era Prisoner of War camp set up by the British in 1939. Spread across an area of 9sq km, amidst waist-high wild grass and teak trees, crumbling brick structures stand forlorn and forgotten. With no prior knowledge of this important historic site, I trek up a hill with my local guide as he points out the remains of barracks and stables, a large water tank and even a cinema hall spread across the hilltop. Constructed to house around 30,000 German and Italian prisoners of war during World War II, the camp was built by the Inspector General of Police at the time, FS Young.
The camp sits high on a hill, surrounded by dense teak forest. With no access roads in 1939, approaching the camp was difficult with chances of escape being near impossible. The western end of the camp, where the hill ends in a sheer drop, is now popular as the ‘Sunset Point’. From this elevated natural boundary, the prisoners of war had an uninterrupted view of sun disappearing behind the forested hills of Ratapani.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Access: Buy entry tickets and hire a local guide from the Delawadi Forest Resthouse. An accompanying guide is mandatory as you are walking in a wilderness area.
Tickets: INR25 per person
Guide Charges: INR300
Getting there: Delawadi is 50km/100minutes from Bhopal. From here, the POW Camp is 1km further up the hill.