Due to increasing population the local people violating historical monuments like forts and fortresses is not new, but nowadays one can see religious attack on forts as well which are outside the village perimeter. While exploring the fortress of Marathwada region, this thing is easily noticed. One such fortress can be found at Manur village in Shirur Kasar taluka of Beed district. Manur village is situated on Ahmadnagar-Pathardi-Beed highway and is 14 km from Shirur Kasar taluka. Locals say that the name of this village on the bank of Manikarn River is first Mainipur and then Manur after the name of the river. As the locals do not know much about the fortress, you should inquire about the Nagnath temple when you come to the village. As we approach the Nagnath temple, we can see the remaining bastions of this fort and some ramparts in front of it. ... At present, the fort has largely collapsed and very few remains remain. This square shaped fort is spread over about a quarter of an acre and now only three bastions can be seen in the ramparts of the fort but at one time the number of these bastions may have been four. Out of these three bastions, two bastions are made of mud and one bastion has recently been built with cement on the outside. A square tomb in the name of someone Chand Shah Wali Baba is built on this bastion. The main gate of the fort has been completely destroyed and considering its location in the ramparts, this gate must have faced east. The lower part of the remaining ramparts of the fort is built of stones. This rampart of the fort appears to be 8 feet wide and 30 feet high. In the central part of the fort there is a large square shaped well covered with trees but due to the overgrown bushes, the depth of the well cannot be estimated. The other structures in the fort are now almost gone and due to the overgrown bushes, it is not possible to say anything. Looking at the remaining remains of the fort, it seems that this fort must have existed before Shivaji Maharaja’s period. 4-5 old temples in the village testify to this. The Nagnath temple that we came to the beginning also belongs to the Veerashaiva community and dates back to around the 12th century. There is a secret room in this fort and on the face of this room there is an inscription engraved in the era of King Krishna Devaraya in the year 1170 but at present this secret room and the inscription on it are not seen. This inscription was read and published in the book of Bramhanand Deshpande on February 19, 1976. Although the exact owner of this fortress is not known at present, this fortress must have been in the possession of different Chief’s and Deshmukh at different times. During the Peshwa period, this fortress was under the control of a Muslim Chief as the Nizam ruled this area. It is read that he started a bangle glass factory in this fortress. 15 minutes is enough to see the entire fortress. As the owner of the fortress does not exist at present, encroachment has started on the fortress. While taking a tour of the village, one can see some old mansions (wada) in the village.
© Suresh Nimbalkar