Sindhudurg Fort

Sindhudurg Fort
Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi

) is a fort that occupies an islet
in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast
of Maharashtra in Western India. The
fortress lies on the shore
of Malvan town of Sindhudurg
District in the Konkan region of
Maharashtra, 450 kilometres (280 mi)
south of Mumbai.[1] It is a protected
monument.[2]
History[edit]
This fort was constructed by Shri
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the
Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire.
[3]
The construction was done under the supervision of Hiroji Indulkar, in the year 1656.
Structural details[edit]
Over 4000 mounds of iron were used in the casting and foundation stones were firmly laid down.
Construction started on 25 November 1664. Built over a period of three years (166467), the sea
fort is spread over 48 acres (190,000 m2) with a two-mile (3 km) long rampart, and walls that are
30 feet (9.1 m) high and 12 feet (3.7 m) thick. The massive walls were designed to serve as a
deterrent to approaching enemies and to the waves and tides of the Arabian Sea. The main
entrance is concealed in such a way that no one can pinpoint it from outside.
At a time when Samudra Gaman (travelling by sea) was banned by scriptures, this construction
on an island represents the revolutionary mindset of its engineer. A remain of an iron mould can
be seen on the fort.
Permanent residents[edit]
The number of permanent residents staying in the fort has been in decline since the fort's
abandonment. Most of the residents moved out because of inadequate employment opportunities,
but over 15 families remain in the fort. The Sakpal Naik family (the original 'killedars') still
resides in one of the 16 houses in the fort. However, Dr Sarang Kulkarni's underwater discoveries
have led to the establishment of the Indian sub-continent's only well-established scuba-diving
industry. This has provided the local residents with some employment. Sindhudurg fort is a
popular summer destination for Indian and foreign tourists to explore the island and go scubadiving and snorkelling to view the coral reef on the outskirts of the island.
How to reach Sindhudurg[edit]
Sindhudurg town lies in the Sindudurg district to the north of Goa, about 490 km south
of Mumbai (Bombay). Sindhudurg can be reached either by train or by bus
from Bombay, Goa and Mangalore. The Konkan railway has a railway station at Sindhudurg, but
only few trains stop there. Kudal, Kanakvali and Sawantwadi are major railway stations in
Sindhudurg district. There are Maharashtra state government (MSRTC) buses running
from Mumbai, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Kolhapur and Goa state government buses (Kadamba
Transport Corporation) running from Panaji, Madgaon, Vasco and Pernem to Sindhudurg.
Nearest airport is Dabolim Airportin Goa, which is located at approx. 90 km away from
Sawantwadi City (major tourist attraction) of Sindhudurg.
Padmadurg
Padmadurg, also known
as Kasa fort, is one of five
historical sea forts built by
Shivaji Maharaj in 1676 C.E.
and located in Raigad
district Maharashtra, India. It
was built by Marathas to
challenge another
seaport Janjira which was
controlled by Siddis.
History[edit]
Padmadurg is one of the sea forts built by Maratha Kings in 1676 in order to control the activities
in Arabian sea.It is located in the northwest direction of the Janjira fort at a distance of about
10 km.[1]
The sea fort of Padmadurg is not as big as Janjira but still the fort can be visited and enjoyed.
Visiting the fort requires taking permission from the Customs/Navy. The fort was not only a part
of Sindhudurg's defenses but was also Shivaji Maharaj's main ship construction yard. This fort
can also be viewed from Janjira. There was a belt of land from Dandi seashore to Padmadurga
but it got blown away under the water in 2004.
This fort can be accessed by boats. Boats are mainly available from Murud-Koliwada.
Restoration[edit]
The fort is included in the protected monuments list of Archaeological Survey of India, but as on
2011, the fort and the area is in neglected state and ASI is unable take restoration work for want
of resources.[1] During cleanup activities in 2012, ASI authorities found around 250 cannonballs
of historical value.[2] When Shivaji Maharaj decided to take on the Siddis of Janjira, his admiral,
Daulat Khan, built this fort on an island next to Janjira. The rock, on which the fort was built,
was called Kasa and the fort was named Padmadurg. The fort has six bastions.
The fort lay between the Sindhudurga and the coast, and featured a dry dock - a narrow tongue of
water between two rock walls. It is also said that there was an underground way to sindhudurga
fort.
There are no direct boat fares to the fort as a result of which the visitors have to hire a personal
boat.
Maharaj had said about it that,"By constructing Padmadurga he set up another Rajpuri to
overshadow the Rajpuri of the Siddis'."

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