The Bhimgad Fort is located in the heart of the Mandovi River watershed within the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Belgaum district of the Indian state of Karnataka. This is one of those historical forts in Karnataka that sits atop a 300 ft rock on a detached spur of the Western Ghats. The fort stands at the crest of the escarpment overlooking the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, rising 1800 ft vertically above the plains to the west.
History of Bhimgad Fort
Built in the mid 17th century by Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Bhimgad Fort was constructed during his conquest of South India as a defence from the Portuguese colonial troops. After the demise of Shivaji, the fort was given to the Maratha Emperor"s grandson, Chattrapati Shahu in 1719 but the fort was overtaken by the Nesagari chief in 1787. The Bhimgad Fort was soon retaken but by the late 18th century, the fort was in the hands of the British East India Company, who occupied the fort to guard against insurgents who threatened Belgaum.
Description of Bhimgad Fort
With a single gateway, the Bhimgad Fort is currently in a state of ruins and has walls about 1,380 ft long from north to south and 825 ft broad from east to west. There is a single narrow stone cut trail leading up to the fort and inside the fort is overgrown with bushes and shrubs. When Shivaji died in 1680, the Bhimgad Fort was still under his reign.
Visiting Information on Bhimgad Fort
The Belgaum railway station is the nearest at a distance of 54 km and the Belagavi Airport is the closest at about 67 km from the Bhimgad Fort.
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