Today, some of the forts in Konkan have been destroyed over time and the fort remains only in the pages of history by its name. Maneri fort is an example of this. Maneri fort in Dodamarg taluka only has a few remnants left today. Maneri fort is 3 km from Dodamarg taluka, at a distance of 21 km from Banda. In the distance is Maneri fort on the banks of the river Maneri. The people of the area do not know anything about Maneri fort but the people of the village are familiar with this place due to the Devchara dome on the fort. Therefore, while inquiring about the Maneri fort from the people of the village, we should rather inquire about the location of Devchara's dome. In this dome, a covered coconut is placed and this covered coconut is worshiped as a deity. At the back of this dome was the fort of Maneri. ... Today, only the moat and the base of the fort remain, and other areas are overgrown with bushes, making it almost impossible to move inside. Maneri Mahal is mentioned during the period from 1684 to 1782. In 1684, during the invasion of Goa by the Mughal prince Shah Alam, it is mentioned that Dicholi, Banda, and Kudal were burnt down, but the Maneri fort does not seem to have been destroyed. In 1697, the province was under the control of Wadikar Khem Sawant. In 1701, Hari Gavas was a Desai of Maneri. After Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj conquered the Konkan region from the Mughals as a Jahagir, Khem joined the party of Sawant Tarabai. In 1708, he got Maneri Mahal as his inheritance. In a quarrel between the British and Sawantwadikar Bhosale, in November 1782, Bhosale captured the Maneri outpost.
© Suresh Nimbalkar