Bhimgad Fort are historical ruins located within the

Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, in Khanapur Taluk of Belgavi District near Jamboti Village, Karnataka state, India. This of Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests forest area was long awaiting to ...

, on a detached spur of the Western Ghats, in

Khanapur Khanapur officially known as Khanapura is a panchayat town in Belagavi district, Karnataka, India. It is about 26 km from Belagavi. The town is governed by the Khanapur Municipal Council. Khanapur is the headquarters for Khanapur taluk. ...

Taluk of Belgaum District near

Jamboti Jamboti ( Konkani: Zambotim) is located south-west of Belgaum and west of Khanapur in the Belgaum District of Karnataka, India. Mandovi River, the longest river in Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the ...

Village,

Karnataka state Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is located in the heart of the Mhadei river watershed. It was built and occupied by

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...

in the mid 17th century during his conquest of

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

to defend from the Portuguese colonial troops who controlled

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

at that time.

Location

The fort sits on top of a rock outcropping at the crest of the

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...

overlooking the

Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is a 208.5-km2 (80.5-mi2) protected area in the Indian state of Goa in the Western Ghats of South India. It is located in the North Goa District, Sattari taluka near the town of Valpoi. The sanctuary is an area of ...

and rising near vertically above the plains to the west. The defenses were almost entirely natural, requiring little additional construction.

History

Near the end of 1676, Chattrapati Shivaji besieged

Belgaum Belgaum (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma''; also Belgaon and officially known as Belagavi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located in its northern part along the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous ...

and Vayem Rayim in current day northern Karnataka. From here he launched a wave of conquests in

southern India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

with a massive force of 30,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry. Bhimgad was one of the forts that Chattrapati Shivaji still held when he died in 1680. In 1719, the fort was included with the 16 districts given to a grandson of Shivaji,

Chattrapati Shahu Chhatrapati Shahu Bhosale I (Pronunciation: �aːɦuː CE) was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born into the Bhonsle family, he was the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ...

, at the beginning of his own rule. About 1787, the fort was overtaken by the Nesagari chief but it was soon retaken. In 1820 it was observed by the British and in 1844 it was occupied by them to guard against insurgents who threatened Belgaum.

Description

There is one narrow stone-cut trail leading up to the fort. The ruins are long from north to south and broad from east to west. The fort has only one gateway and the walls are still mostly intact. The inside is overgrown with brush and there is one fresh-water spring on the west side and a small reservoir in the north, both of which are dry in the two hottest months of the year. The fort had an eight-pound gun and a three-pound gun plus a wall musket. Bhimgad was one of the forts that Shivaji still held when he died in 1680.

References

External links

{{coord, 15, 31, 30, N, 74, 16, 57, E, region:IN, display=title Forts in Belagavi district