Sindhudurg
Encyclopedia
Sindhudurg is a fortress which 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, south of Mumbai
.
warrior King Shivaji in 1664. Shivaji selected the strategic rocky island location, then known as 'Kurte' for the fort ,himself - to counter foreign forces, and to keep the nearby Siddi
s of Murud-Janjira
in check.
One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, Sindhudurg fort has zigzag rampart with 42 bastions. Apart from the huge stones, the building material involved 2000 khandis (72,576 kg) of iron erecting the massive curtain wall and bastions. A notable feature is that the foundation stones were laid down firmly with 5 khandis (181.5 kg) of molten lead.
At a time when Samudra Gaman (travelling by sea) was banned by scriptures, this construction on an island represents the revolutionary mindset of its builder.
(Bombay). Sindhudurg can be reached either by train or by bus from Bombay, Goa
and Mangalore
. The Konkan railway
has a railway station at Sindudurg, but only few trains stop there. The other alternative is to get off at next station, Kudal. 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.
(2) There is a coconut tree which has a branch and also gives fruit. (No other coconut tree has a branch.) The tree was struck by lightning a couple of years ago.
(3) There is a hidden passage (that starts in a temple that looks like a water reservoir) that goes under the island for 3 km, under the sea for 12 km, and from there 12 km to a nearby village. The tunnel was used as an escape route for the women if the enemy entered the fort. However, the British partially closed this passage after the fort was abandoned.
(4) The entrance gate is almost invisible, and only regular visitors are likely to find it.
(5) A handprint and a footprint of Shivaji Maharaj is also embedded in one section of the fort. There is also Atmeshwar Mandir, a famous Shivling, and is beautiful place for adhyatmik sadhana (spiritual activities).
(6) There is the only temple of Shivaji Maharaj in the world; the temple was built by Shivaji's son Rajaram. Festivities such as Shivaji Jayanti (birthday of Shivaji), Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Mahashivrathri, Ganesh Chaturthi, are celebrated.
(7) Daily puja (worship)and maintenance is done by mainly two families that were assigned this job since the fort was built; one of them is Shriram Sakpal.
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
, just off the coast of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan
Malvan
Malvan is a town in Sindhudurg District, the southernmost district of Maharashtra. This culturally and historically important town is a Taluka place in Sindhudurg District...
town of Sindhudurg District
Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros . The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban...
in the Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
History
Sindhudurg (sindhu = sea, durg = fort) was built by the great MarathaMaratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
warrior King Shivaji in 1664. Shivaji selected the strategic rocky island location, then known as 'Kurte' for the fort ,himself - to counter foreign forces, and to keep the nearby Siddi
Siddi
The Siddi, Siddhi, or Sheedi , also known as Habshi, are an Indian and Pakistani ethnic group of Afro-Arab and/or Black African descent. The Siddi population is currently estimated to be 20,000–55,000, with Gujarat and Hyderabad in India the main population centre. Siddis are mainly Sufi Muslims,...
s of Murud-Janjira
Murud-Janjira
Murud-Janjira is the local name for a fort situated on an island just off the coastal village of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India...
in check.
One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, Sindhudurg fort has zigzag rampart with 42 bastions. Apart from the huge stones, the building material involved 2000 khandis (72,576 kg) of iron erecting the massive curtain wall and bastions. A notable feature is that the foundation stones were laid down firmly with 5 khandis (181.5 kg) of molten lead.
Structural details
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 (1664-67), the sea fort is spread over 48 acres (194,249.3 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 builder.
Permanent residents
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 scuba-diving and snorkelling to view the coral reef on the outskirts of the island.How to reach Sindhudurg
Sindhudurg town lies in the Sindudurg district to the north of Goa, about 490 km south of MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(Bombay). Sindhudurg can be reached either by train or by bus from Bombay, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
. The Konkan railway
Konkan Railway
The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation...
has a railway station at Sindudurg, but only few trains stop there. The other alternative is to get off at next station, Kudal. There are Maharashtra state government (MSRTC) buses running from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri
Ratnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east...
, Sangli
Sangli
Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...
, Kolhapur and Goa state government buses (Kadamba Transport Corporation) running from Panaji, Madgaon, Vasco
Vasco
The name Vasco, currently used as a Portuguese male name, derives from the medieval Iberian name Velasco, which probably has its origins in the Basque country .Vasco may refer to:People:...
and Pernem
Pernem
Pernem is a northmost administrative region or Taluka in North Goa. It is also the name of the town of Pernem, which is its headquarters. It has a Municipal Council...
to Sindhudurg.
About the families staying in the fort
Soldiers during the reign of Shivaji were known as Mavlas, and the families in the fort are called Mavlas because they are the soldiers' descendants. Their main occupations are farming, fishing and guiding tourists around the fort. Of the 15 families, the two Muslim families have the responsibility of playing the drum (nagara) at the evening prayer time. Shivaji treated all religions equally, and did not allow anyone else to sound the drum, and this practice has been followed through the centuries. The houses are very much the same as when they were built: the occupants can renovate the interiors, but are not allowed to change the exteriors, and they cannot sell their houses. As there are no hospitals, no shops, no facilities, life is difficult on the fort. The only mode of transport is by water, which has its own risks.Attractions at the fort
(1) There are three sweet water reservoirs in the fort ramparts. Even if the water in the nearby villages dries up in summer, these wells always contain water.(2) There is a coconut tree which has a branch and also gives fruit. (No other coconut tree has a branch.) The tree was struck by lightning a couple of years ago.
(3) There is a hidden passage (that starts in a temple that looks like a water reservoir) that goes under the island for 3 km, under the sea for 12 km, and from there 12 km to a nearby village. The tunnel was used as an escape route for the women if the enemy entered the fort. However, the British partially closed this passage after the fort was abandoned.
(4) The entrance gate is almost invisible, and only regular visitors are likely to find it.
(5) A handprint and a footprint of Shivaji Maharaj is also embedded in one section of the fort. There is also Atmeshwar Mandir, a famous Shivling, and is beautiful place for adhyatmik sadhana (spiritual activities).
(6) There is the only temple of Shivaji Maharaj in the world; the temple was built by Shivaji's son Rajaram. Festivities such as Shivaji Jayanti (birthday of Shivaji), Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Mahashivrathri, Ganesh Chaturthi, are celebrated.
(7) Daily puja (worship)and maintenance is done by mainly two families that were assigned this job since the fort was built; one of them is Shriram Sakpal.
See also
| Sindhudurg (SNDD) | ||||
| Next 'Small' station towards Mumbai: Kankavli Kankavli Kankavli is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is an important city due to the city's central location in the Sindhudurg district. All talukas are of an equal distance from Kankavli. There is a temple of Bhalchandra Maharaj. The city is situated in between... |
Konkan Railway Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation... : Railway (India) |
Next 'Small' station from Mumbai: Kudal Kudal Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Kudal is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:... |
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| Distance from Mumbai (CST) = 612 km | ||||
| Next 'Main' station towards Mumbai: Ratnagiri Ratnagiri Ratnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east... |
Konkan Railway Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation... : Railway (India) |
Next 'Main' station from Mumbai: Kudal Kudal Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Kudal is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:... |
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