While exploring the many fortified mansions and small forts around Beed city, one encounters structures in varying states – some still holding strong, others fighting a losing battle with time. One such crumbling fort can be seen at Shirur Kasar, the taluka headquarters in Beed district. Looking at its remains, it’s clear that this fort has only a short companionship left with time. Shirur Kasar lies about 40 km from Beed city and around 90 km from Ahmednagar. Interestingly, the fort is so unknown locally that asking for it directly yields little help. Instead, head towards the Nagar Panchayat office – right in front of it is a small shrub-covered mound. This is Shirur Kasar fort. ... The fort sits atop this small hillock and is now almost completely ruined. Only two earthen bastions remain, surrounded by thick thorny babool shrubs. To see the remnants, you need to cut through the thorn bushes and climb the hillock. The main gate, located at the base, still stands relatively intact. Built of finely dressed stone and facing north, the gate is about 15 feet tall. Though the arch has collapsed, the surviving structure gives an idea of the forts past grandeur. Apart from the two earthen bastions, a stretch of mud fortification, and traces of walls on the upper side, nothing else survives. With so little left, the entire exploration takes barely 20 minutes. There are no historical records of this fort, and locals too are largely unaware of its past. One resident mentioned that it once belonged to the Gadekar Patil, but this claim couldn’t be confirmed by others. Thus, Shirur Kasar fort remains an obscure and forgotten relic, slowly succumbing to nature and neglect.
© Suresh Nimbalkar