Bhivago Guno of Codal – natural heritage of Sattari

Rajendra Kerkar

Codal, a village situated in the remotest corner of Sattari taluka is encircled by the chains of mountains of Sahyadri, richly blessed with the lush green forest. Inclusion of the major forested areas inside the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary from 1999 has helped Codal to keep the forest away from destruction and degradation.

Codal situated from Valpoi, the head quarter of Sattari at the distance of 15km with the geographical areas of 1250.22ha, has the large areas of village included in the Wildlife Sanctuary. Even during the Portuguese regime, there were eleven rounds declared by the Department of Agro Development on December 6, 1950 of Codal which formed the parts of the National Forests of Goa.

Codal, has a sacred grove known as Devacho Hudo that has community conserved forest area with beautifully carved sculptures of Gajalaxmi, Shivling, Nandi and other folk deities. Once upon a time, villagers under the influence of folk religion have protected the forests in honour of the folk deities.

Today, Codal has community conserved areas of forest as well as legally protected forest. Inside the protected forests of Sanctuary in Codal, there are huge boulders which are designated by the villagers by different names. However, one such huge boulder is locally popular as the Bhivago guno.

As it lies amidst the thick jungle and away from the human settlements, there are many folk tales associated with it. One such folk tale tells that the Pandavas of Mahabharat during their exile were in Codal. Among them, Bhima was most powerful and energetic. He used to carry a huge and tall stick with him it is believed which he had forgotten on the way of Codal and in due course of time it was popular as ‘Bhivago dano’ among villagers. The people of Codal instead of Bhimacho dano began to call it as ‘Bhivgo guno’.

This boulder, appear like a tall towering monolithic structure. It has crevices in which birds are taking shelter. The hollow spaces at the bottom are occupied by the wild animals during the night time. This boulder is a source of attraction for the elder generation of villages of Sattari who were making a point to visit. It is the rich asset of Sattari’s natural heritage which needs to be protected for posterity.

As Codal is near to the border of Karnataka, during the Portuguese rule mutineers taking part in the Rane’s Revolt to evade arrest were hiding inside the hollow spaces of Bhivago guno.


From Codal, one and half hours continuous trekking through the jungle pathway and crossing two seasonal streams of Rumadsaryacho Haral and Tirfalanicho Haral one can reach to this spot only during the winter and summer seasons.



The Bhivago Guno of Codal is one of the natural wonder of the area. Codal situated inside the chains of hills of the Western Ghats showcases huge boulders. One such boulder is named after legendary Bhima of Mahabhata. Bhima was the legendary hero who possesses tremendous power and energy. The ancestors of Codal, when first saw the boulder, they were awe-struck by its size and that is why, they found it most appropriate to name the boulder as Bhimacho Dano or Bhivago Guno.