On the way to Nipani from Kolhapur-Bangalore highway, at a distance of 14 km from Kagal, on the left side of the highway is the village of Saundalga. The demolished ground fort is 200 meters away from the highway in this village. This fort near the highway is not known to anyone and is on the verge of extinction. This fort is 33 km from Kolhapur and only 8 km from Nipani. Saundalga fort is located in Chikodi taluka of Belgaon district. Even in the village, no one knows about this fort, so one has to approach the fort after taking full information and making enough inquiries. Today, there are no fort-like structures left, except for a plain surface and a 20-25 feet high bastion at the end of this surface. ... The bastion is overgrown with bushes and the way to the top is dilapidated. In the construction of the bastion, there are three barrages at different levels for shooting cannons and guns. From this, we can tell that it was built to defend from enemies. On the surface, in front of the bastion, there is a water cistern carved in the rock but it is also overgrown with trees and bushes. There is a small temple at one end of the surface with an idol of the Goddess in it but it cannot be said for sure that it should have been a structure of the fort. The plain surface in front of the bastion should be about half an acre. 10 minutes is enough to see the bastion and the cistern carved in the rock. The name and history of the fort have not been found at present.
© Suresh Nimbalkar