Sartodi is a small village situated on the banks of Vaitarna creek in the Safale area. The Sartodi fort in this village has been destroyed by the people. Sartodi Kot is located at a distance of 2 km from Safale railway station and 18 km from Warai fork on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. Private rickshaws are available from Safale station to Sartodi village. Coming from Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway via Warai fork, the path to Saratodi village starts before Safale station. As there is no information available about this fort and the locals do not know about it, you have to take complete information before going there. Sartodi Kot is situated on a small bushy hill 50 feet high and this fort is not known to the locals as a fort. As this fort is located in the Phadkewadi area of Saratodi village, it is Phadke's private property and you should first seek his permission before visiting the fort. ... An orchard has been created at the bottom of the hill. The remains of the fort can be seen as soon as you climb the hill. Trees have overgrown all over the walls of the fort. Compared to other Portuguese architectures in this area, the remains of this fort are left up to a great extent. The fort is square-shaped, with a fifteen-foot-high sloping wall on three sides of the building, three semicircular windows in the wall, and a quadrangle structure that remains. Trees are growing on the walls with their roots deep in the walls. Stone, clay, and lime are used in the construction of this fort. Considering the available remains and the size of the fort, it must have been used as a residence, office, and outpost during the Portuguese period. In the southern part of the fort, at the foot of the hill, there is an excavated rainwater harvesting pond. The stones found during the excavation of this pond were used in the construction of the fort. The fort is small and can be seen in fifteen minutes. This information according to when I visited this fort (March 2014). When I revisited the fort on May 22, 2017, it was seen that the remnants of this fort were forcefully demolished. Although the fort does not exist today, its exact geographical location and strategic location on the creek can be seen. The fort was built by the Portuguese along with other forts in the area. Using small coats, watchtowers, and long-range cannons, the Portuguese established their empire on the sea lanes of the North Konkan. Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the main purpose of these watchtowers was to protect the waterways and to provide supplies to the large forts in the province. During the Vasai campaign of 1739, this area came under the control of the Marathas, and the Portuguese were wiped out from this area. People coming here with an expectation to see a fort are likely to be disappointed, but you can visit this place if you want to see the Portuguese outpost on the sea trade route and its geographical significance.
© Suresh Nimbalkar