A visit to the historical Sion Fort

A slice of the city that misses the eye

Built atop a conical hillock between 1669 and 1677 by the British Governor of Bombay, Gerard Aungier, Sion Fort marked the northeast boundary of the British, ruling the Bombay Island.

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Sion (Sheev) is derived from the Marathi word Shinva, meaning boundary or an entrance to a city or village, and the fort aptly served its purpose as a lookout post for the British. It marked the boundary between the British-held Parel island, and the nearby Salsette island.

Though, currently in ruin, with broken steps and grafitti chalked out on its dilapidated walls, the Sion Fort marked the passage point between the two islands in its glory days.

The gates would close in the night and open again every morning. According to some reports, the fort had a small watchtower, and old paintings of the fort suggest the presence of a fortification, with cannons and soldiers on guard. The fort offers a great chance to understand the history of the seven islands that were joined together to make the original Bombay island.

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