On Shivaji Jayanti, we revisit five forts near Mumbai city and beyond that celebrate the genius of the legendary 17th-century Maratha ruler
Raigad Fort
With over 300 forts to his name, Shivaji Bhosle I, popularly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-80), built forts across the length and breadth of the Maratha kingdom, ensuring his empire was under vigilance at all times. Dr Sachin Vidyadhar Joshi, researcher with the Department of Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, and a member of the Fort Conservation Committee, Maharashtra Government explains: “Shivaji Maharaj built, restored and acquired four types of forts—hill forts, sea forts, land forts and coastal forts. Each of these were strategically planned for their geographical or political significance. He wanted to expand the Hindavi Swarajya as far as possible, and keeping them protected from attacks was of prime importance.” Today, these architectural marvels stand tall to tell stories of that golden era. On his birth anniversary, we look at some of these iconic structures.
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Umberkhind fort
Durgadi fort, Kalyan West
Santosh Hasurkar, founder of Durgveer, an organisation that helps in the conservation of neglected forts says, “We’ve all heard of INS Shivaji; Durgadi Fort might have had a small role to play in this. Chhatrapati Shivaji is often called the Father of the Indian Navy and it was at Durgadi that he set up the dock for Hindavi Swarajya’s first Naval Base.” This is also where he manufactured ships for his naval operations. Today, the fort is partially restored, and there is an archway and a temple of Goddess Durga that is open to tourists. There is also a mosque on the premises built during Aurangzeb’s reign before it was conquered by the Marathas. The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is currently working on building a naval museum near the fort that will showcase the naval history, from the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji and its progression through various rulers.
Umberkhind fort, Khopoli
The Umberkhind mountain pass on the Sahyadris is known for its trekking path that offers landscape views of the range and waterfalls from River Amba during the monsoon. The fort, however, is most remembered for a guerilla battle that took place in the year 1661 between Kartalab Khan and the Marathas. While Khan lost close to 500 men, the casualties of the Marathas were less than one-tenth of that. Hasurkar explains, “The warfare technique was in fact the reason why Shivaji Maharaj chose this fort. He knew that the Maratha army would be outnumbered if they fought on flat land. Hence, the Maratha troops designed the battle within the mountains that ensured that Khan’s army was landlocked and had limited space to escape. They even used the dense forest in the region to hide.” Later, during the Vietnam war, the Vietnamese army studied this warfare to fight the Americans.
Raigad Fort, Raigad
Shivaji Maharaj made this fort his capital because of its massive expanse, steep slopes that allowed safety, and its location, which kept him close to the mainland and sea. Vaibhav Purandare, author of Shivaji: India’s Great Warrior King says, “Think of this as a modern-day township—there were over 300 houses, mansions, staff quarters, a market area, offices and more. The fort also had a water reservoir, pathways, temples and a garden.” Inside the palace, each chamber had a private restroom. The fort rises 4,449 feet above sea level in the Sahyadri mountains and takes four minutes to reach via the ropeway.
Vijaydurg Fort, Sindhudurg
This sea fort built by Shivaji Maharaj is connected to land by a narrow road and is known to be one of the oldest forts in the district. Joshi says, “Vijaydurg withstood all attacks for 93 years. It stands on a hill on the south of the Vaghotana river and is triple fortified, making it inaccessible from the seaside. It was also well planned for defence and offence—the rival armies’ ships could not enter the shallow creek or spot Maratha naval movement.” There are 17 towers on the topmost fortification used to store ammunition; the other 10 two-storied towers were used for observation, making it virtually unconquerable.
Khanderi Fort, Thal
This sea fort is on Kanhoji Angre island near Thal, close to Alibaug. “Shivaji Maharaj selected this island to keep a check on the British trade route to Mumbai. After a lot of resistance from the British, Khanderi was finally occupied by the Marathas under the leadership of Mayank Bhandari who was then responsible for fortifying the walls and building the fort,” says Hasurkar. Unfortunately, the fort was ceded to Britain in 1818. They later built a 22-ft high lighthouse there which can be seen from 13 km away. Today, the fort houses a few old metal canons, the tomb of a local saint named Daud Pir, and a musical stone that emits metallic notes when struck.
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