Fort on Water

Ever imagined a fort right in the middle of the sea, standing strong for centuries? Fort Janjira in Murud, a 40 feet high stone fort situated 3 km away from the coastline, is the only fort along India’s western coast that has remained undefeated even after being attacked by the Marathas, Dutch and English East India Company. Having seen and written about many forts across India, this particular fort seemed extremely fascinating. It left me wondering how such a fort was built and how it managed to stand the test of time for over five centuries.

The fort is situated along the coastal village of Murud in Raigadh district of Maharashtra. It is located about 80 Km south of Mumbai and 52 Km from Alibag. It is said that the name ‘Janjira’ might have originated from the Arabic word ‘Jazeera’ meaning ‘island’. People also split the name as ‘Jal Jeera’ meaning ‘Fort on Water’.

A wooden fort was first built on this island by the Koli or fishermen kings of Konkan, who defended it from all attacks. However in 1490 Mallik Amber, the subedar of Junnar, disguised a warship with 147 Habashi soldiers as a merchant ship and sent it to the fort where it was taken in. The General of the warship gave liquor to the Koli soldiers and defeated the intoxicated army. Mallik Amber then demolished the wooden fort and built a strong rock fort in its place. Later, the fort passed from the hands of the Habashi to the Siddis, and remained unconquered even after attacks by the Portugese, Dutch, English and Marathas, thereby proving to be impregnable. Finally in 1947, the last prince passed his state to the Indian union.

The construction of the fort is fascinating too. The fort spans over 22 acres with its entrance facing the east. The entrance contains inscriptions in Persian and rock carvings on both sides. The entrance is so constructed, that it is invisible to anyone approaching the fort unless one is very close to the walls. To the right of the entrance is a room known as Peer Panchayat where a few graves can be seen. The cannons are located at the watch towers, further away from the entrance. The fort contains 19 towers with each tower housing huge cannons which, astonishingly enough remain cool throughout the day in spite of the scorching sunlight. These cannons were positioned ready towards any attacking enemy ships. Of these, three huge cannons, Kalal Bangadi, Chavri and Landa Kasam are very famous. Another interesting feature of the fort is that it contains two water tanks which hold sweet water in spite of being surrounded by sea on all sides. The fort also contains a three-storied palace, which is the tallest building in the fort. In the west, one comes across a small door below the coast level which was used as an emergency exit. A series of steps takes you to the top of the fort giving a breathtaking view of the entire fort and the surrounding sea. The Kasa fort or Padamdurg fort, constructed by Sambhaji Maharaj (son of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) can be seen from here, but the fort is not accessible to the public as it requires special permission from the Indian Navy.

How to reach

State owned busses are available from Pune, Thane, Borivli, Mumbai central and Dadar to Murud. By train, Roha railway station on Konkan line is the nearest. Murud is connected to all major rail lines through Mumbai. From Roha one can take a taxi to Murud which is about an hour’s journey. For those who would like to drive, Mumbai-Goa Highway 17, which will take around 4 to 5 hours, is the ideal route. From Murud a ferry boad will take tourists to the Fort.

Other places of interest 
Apart from the fort, there are many other places which can be visited on a trip to Murud. Kashid is the closest beach to Murud, which also has facilities for parasailing, water scooters and horse riding. Many more picturesque beaches can be found closer to Alibag as well.

(Published in Star Of Mysore dated July 29, 2010)