Suvarnadurg Fort Maharashtra
Maharashtra is famed for its majestic seaforts, and these magnificent buildings are a wonder of engineering. The Suvarnadurg Fort, on an island between Mumbai and Goa in the Arabian Sea, is one of these marvels. This fort is worth visiting and is located off the beach of the Konkan town of Harnai.
Suvarnadurg, or ‘The Golden Fort,’ was conquered by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1660 and was an important strategic point for the Marathas. Along with Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg, this fort was built along the coastline to repel foreign forces, mainly the Dutch.
Suvarnadurg Fort History
The fort of Suvarnadurg was erected during the reign of Emperor Adilshah in the 16th century. Shivaji Maharaj conquered Adilshah the second in 1660, bringing this fort under the Maratha kingdom. After Shivaji Maharaj’s death in 1688, Maharaj Rajaram nominated Sarkhel Kanhoji Aangre as the fort’s administrator.
This fort was under the command and authority of the Aangre family from Kanhoji to Tulaji. This fort was taken over by the Peshwas in 1755 and then by the British in 1818. This fort remained under British control until the American Revolution.
This fort covers an area of around 7 acres. On all four sides, the defense features mighty walls and towers. Solid bulwarks were constructed with 10 to 15-foot walls. The fort’s main entrance is on the east side. Carved on the border of its main entrance is a statue of Lord Maruti is a warrior’s pose with his tail over his head. The gate’s stairwell is engraved with a tortoise, and both sides have two guard chambers. A moss-covered pond, a well with stairs, and a few damaged platforms may be found inside the fort. Two damaged guns may also be located outside the fort. Both black and red stones were used to construct the fort’s exterior walls.
When Visit Suvarnadurg Fort:
Avoid visiting in the heavy rainy season. Weather generally remains clear from November to May.
How to reach Suvarnadurg Fort :
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Suvarnadurg Fort By Road :
Mumbai is 230 kilometers away from Harne. From harne Dapoli (17 km), Anjarle (7 km) & Khed. Fort is 147 km away from Ratnagiri, 187 km from Pune, and 227 km from Kolhapur.
It is approx 30 km away from Dapoli towards the north, near Anjarle. Dapoli is accessible from Pune by three routes: Khandala, Bhor, and Mulshi. Pune and Mumbai are approximately 200 kilometers apart. It is just 5 km from Aade and 3 km from Anjarle. At harnai, we took the boat on sharing basis with one more family.
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Suvarnadurg Fort By Rail :
Khed is the nearest railway station to reach this fort. The khed station is there on the Konkan Railway line. The distance between station & fort is 43 km. You can hire a vehicle outside the station to reach up to the fort. Auto rickshaws, jeeps & private cars are available outside the station.
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Suvarnadurg Fort By Boat :
To reach the fort, one has to take a boat ride from Harne village. You can reach the Suvarnadurg fort only by boat from Harne. There is no regular service of boats to the fort, but boats are available through the local fishermen. Every day, many tourists visit this fort by boat.
Some places in the Suvarnadurg Fort fort we have to look :
- A small wall and a damaged door, 100 meters from the main gate, view the sea after you arrive by boat at Suvarnadurga fort. There are two large bastions, each 30 feet tall, through which you can see some stairs leading to the entryway. The main entryway is still in superb shape and looks stunning. The arch of the entrance is likewise in great shape, as the door hasn’t been much damaged. The door has several figurines etched onto it.
- The fort features a 4-foot tall hidden door in good working order, and as you descend its stairs, you will find a road leading to the sea bastion.
- The fort’s main bastion is 25-30 feet tall. Standing in a line, these 24 bastions resemble a delicately woven necklace.
The Fort entrance is grand. Just on the left had two canons, depicting that the Maratha Navy used the fort during its war conquests. The fort is flanked by three land forts visible from the Harnai bunder: Kanakdurg, Fattehdurg, and Goa durg.
Three algae-filled green pools, remnants of a temple, and a chor darwaja can be found inside the fort. The border peripheral wall is still intact so that you can walk around it, and some of the fort windows provide a spectacular view of the water crashing against the boundary walls.
A few stray goat bones suggest that this fort is also used as a sacrifice site by certain people; nonetheless, the fort is kept clean and sanitary.
It doesn’t really take you more than an hour and a half to tour this fort. The ideal time to visit would be during sunrise since it is not all that hot yet and the beautiful sun rays radiate on the fort walls.If you visit to dapoli you have to
