Sindhudurga Fort 🚩

Suvarnadurg Fort 

Suvarnadurg fort is a fort located near Dapoli in Ratnagiri district. This fort is one of the major sea forts in Maharashtra. This naval fort is located on a small island in the Arabian Sea near Harnai in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Suvarnadurg means “Golden Fort” as it was one of the important coastal forts of Maratha empire. Suvarnadurg fort was built by Sultan Adilshah. He was the Sultan of Bijapur in the state of Karnataka. The fort also includes another small land fort called the Kanakadurga at the base of the headland of Harnai port on the coast.

Fort is surrounded by the sea on its 3 sides and currently home to wild animals.  You can have a magnificent view of Kanakdurga fort jutting out into the Arabian Sea. Suvarnadurg fort is now densely occupied by the thorny trees & bushes. The Mahadarwaja of this fort is not visible until you reach very close to the fort.

Suvarnadurg fort was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1660 by defeating Ali Adil Shah. This fort was ruled by Maratha rulers, Peshwe rulers & British in order to provide a solid defence to their empires. In 1755, William James carried out attack on this fort. This attack had seriously damaged the fort. This was a very strong fort in the past but now all parts are in ruins. Kanhoji Angre majorly had the control of this fort for a long time. Kanhoji was the Admiral of the Maratha Navy. The entire west coast from Mumbai to Vengurla (Except Janjira Fort) was in the control of Kanhoji Angre.

Walls are made up of solid rock and the ramparts are constructed by using huge square blocks.  The Suvarnadurg fort has many bastions and two Darwajas.  There is also a hidden main gate which opens towards the east side.  It has on its threshold a carved figure of a tortoise and on the side wall, that of Maruti (Hanuman). There were some buildings, water tanks and a place for ordinance inside the Suvarnadurg fort. However, the mortar was not used in the construction of walls.

Local people often prevent visitors exploring the Suvarnadurg from inside. The land fort and the sea fort were connected by a tunnel in the past but this is now defunct. This fort is indeed one of the worth seeing forts in Maharashtra. Suvarnadurg fort is about 8 acres big with stonewall bastions. The sea-gate depicts carved figures of a tiger, eagle, elephants and 15 old guns have also been there in the fort. You can reach to the sea fort by taking boats from the Harnai port on the headland. There is a famous light-house on the half  acre land. This fort is now a protected monument.  This is a nice place to explore near Dapoli. If you are in Dapoli then try to visit this fort.You can visit the fort all year round. But avoid visiting this fort during high tides & heavy rainy season. Weather generally remains clear during the months of November to May.

          To reach the fort, one has to take a boat ride from Harne village. You can reach the Suvarnadurg fort only by boats from Harne. Currently, there is no regular boat service to the fort but boats are available through the local fishermen. Every day, many tourists visit this fort by boats.

Suvarnadurg is a fort that is located between Mumbai and Goaon a small island in the Arabian Sea, near Harnai in Konkan, along the West Coast of India, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The fort also includes another small land fort called the Kanakadurga at the base of headland of Harnai port on the coast. Building of the fort is credited to Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha Empire, in 1660. Subsequently, Shivaji, other Peshwas and the Angres further fortified the forts for defence purposes.

The literal meaning of Suvanadurga is "Golden Fort" as it was considered as the pride or the "feather in the golden cap of Marathas". Built for the Maratha Navy for defence purposes, the fort also had a ship-building facility. The basic objective of establishing the fort was to counter enemy attacks, mainly by the colonialists of Europe and also by the local chieftains.

In the past, the land fort and the sea fort were connected by a tunnel, but this is now defunct. The present approach to the sea fort is only by boats from the Harnai port on the headland. It is a protected monument.

The fort was captured by Chatrapati Shivaji in 1660 by defeating Ali Adil Shah II (1656–1672). Kanhoji Angre (1667–1729), popularly known as "Samudratla Shivaji" (Shivaji of the sea) was the Admiral of the Maratha Navy; in 1696, Kanhoji's naval fleet was stationed here. However, the fort was formally handed over to Kanhoji in 1713 by Shahu Raja.

Kanhoji Angre who was also known as Angria was appointed in 1698 as Admiral of the Maratha Naval Fleet by the Peshwas. He had complete control over the west coast, from Bombay to Vingural, except for the fort of Janjira, which remained with the Siddis (for 200 years). Angre was considered to be a mercenary who attacked defenceless towns and also traders. He even attacked the East Indian Company’s ship in 1702 and refused to release the six British captives. He severed his relations with the Peshwas in 1704 and was called "the Rebel Independent of the Raja Shivaji". In spite of warning by the British that he should not attack or capture British ships, he captured their ships in 1707. He had a free run of the west coast from Surat to Dabol and captured all private vessels. When Shivaji’s grandson was imprisoned, Kanhoji got his opportunity to stake his claim for independence. In 1713, he had captured Peshwa’s general Bhairu, which forced the Peshwa general Balaji Rao (Commander-in-Chief of the Maratha forces) to come to an agreement with him. For maintaining "fealty" with the Sataras (Chatrapati Shivaji's family stronghold), he was granted 26 forts and its dependent villages, which included Suvarnadurg. In subsequent years, these forts became strongholds for piracy. Kanhoji held complete control over a coast line stretching over a coast length of 240 miles (390 km) and 40 miles (64 km) width extending from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Vingurla to the south. He later entered into an agreement with the British, which went against him as the British flouted all terms with him. Humiliated by this treatment by the British he decided to attack them. He entered into an alliance with the Raja of Satara, equipped his vessels and manned them by the best crew consisting of Dutchmen. He also employed a Jamaican pirate as his chief gunner. Many European pirate forces had also joined his army after the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713–14 (comprising a series of individual peace treaties among several European states including England, France and Spain, among others). With this force, he terrorized the East India Company.

Kanhoji relentlessly carried on his fight against the British and in 1721 joined hands with the Portuguese; when 33 British soldiers were killed, 21 wounded and many ammunition and field guns were seized by the Marathas. In 1722, when Kanhoji was to attack the English factory at Karwar, in spite of the British sending their ships 'Victoria' and the 'Revenge' to attack Kanhoji's forces, he was not cowed down; even though his Dutch Commander was killed and his 16 ships were captured. However, he died on 4 June 1729, an unvanquished hero for 31 years against all foreign attacks. It is said that "Had he been in England, like Drake, he would have been knighted and lionised as a national hero, but in India he died merely as an independent ruler who never permitted any foreign ruler to filch even a part of his precious little dominion”.

He had two legitimate and two illegitimate sons, and Sambaji his legitimate son was given control of Suvarnadurg. Following the death of one of the brothers in 1734, there were intense fights and acts of piracy continued. In spite of attacks by the British in 1732, Sambaji was back in Suvarnadurg unharmed. However, by 1749, Tulaji, the step brother of Sambaji, had become very powerful and his ships sailed unharmed, even much bolder than what his father Kanhoji had achieved. This situation forced the Peshwas to join hands with the British to suppress Tulaji. In 1755, they jointly attacked Tulaji’s stronghold of Suvarnadurg and took control of the fort within 48 hours. Suvarnadurg was then given to the Peshwas that was considered a humiliating surrender by the Peshwas to the British.

Subsequent to Kanhoji's demise, Tulaji Angre took charge of Suvarnadurg and it became the seat of his power. However, he fell foul of the Peshwas. He was considered arrogant. In the war with Tulaji, Peshwas were supported by the British. The joint siege of the fort lasted from 25 March to 2 April 1755. On 12 April 1755, Commodore James captured the fort and formally handed it over to the Peshwas. However, this support proved detrimental to the Peshwas, as the British extracted, as a reward, control over the Bankot fort but only allowed the Peshwas to have control over the Suvarnadurg. In 1802, Bajirav Peshwa under attack by the Holkars was trying to take refuge in this fort but had to flee to Vasai as he was chased to the fort by the Holkars. In 1818, Captain William of the British armyattacked the fort and took full control of it on 4 December 1818. Soon thereafter the other forts also came under British control. The fort was thus under the control of the Peshwas till 1818. The fort has witnessed a scene of "triumph and tragedy, of the display of heroic courage and abject cowardice." 

The Angrias are also credited with not only strengthening the fort but also establishing the ship building yard at Suvanadurg and creating a large fleet of warships to secure the west coast, the Konkan coast, from attack from the British, French, Dutch and Portuguese colonialists. It is also inferred that the small forts (Guva, Kanakadurga, Bankot fort, Fattegad fort and Gova fort) were primarily built by Kanhoji Angre to defend Suvarnadurg from any enemy attack from the land route.[3]
Suvarnadurg fort is located on a rocky island in the Arabian Sea on the west coast. It is spread over an area of 8 acres (3.2 ha) and is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the main land.As is common in other similar forts, it is encircled by a dry moat. It tapers towards the southern direction from where the Kanakadurga fort is clearly visible. The walls have been mostly cut out of the rock exposures on the island. However, some part of the fort walls are built with large stone blocks of 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) square. It has two entrances or gates, known as the 'Mahadarwaja' (big gate) also called the postern wall (above the high tide level) on the east and 'Chor Darwaja' on the west; the former gate faces the land and the latter faces the sea. The fort comes into sight only at very close quarters. The fort can be approached only during the low tide condition when it is also easier to walk in the precincts of the fort. The present entry from the main east gate is blocked by thorny bushes but can be accessed from a narrow entry, locally known as the devdis. At the main entry, carvings of a Hanuman carved on the wall and a carved turtle on one of the leading steps are seen. The sea-gate depicts carved figures of a tiger, eagle and elephants. The fort is fortified with many bastions, which also have small built-in rooms. The central part of the fort has two granaries and a decrepit building. From the Chor Darwaja, steps lead to the fort. Locations of old palaces in the fort area are inferred from the large number of foundation plinths seen in the fort area. A stone building in the fort precincts has been identified as an ammunition magazine. Fifteen old guns have also been located in the fort.

There are several potable water sources (tanks, ponds and wells) in the fort; however, these dry up in the summer months. There is step well, which has plenty of water.

Anjarle is one of the finest places in Konkan. It is just 20 km from Dapoli. It is famous for the ‘Kadyawarcha Ganpati’ (Ganesh temple situated on a cliff). This ancient and magnificent Ganesh temple was originally constructed using wooden pillars in around 1150. Later it was renovated during 1768 to 1780. Earlier people used to cross Anjarle creek (Jog River) in a boat and then climb the hill using steps that go through the Anjarle village. Recently a bridge has been constructed and you can take your car right up to the entrance of the temple.

The Ganesh idol is right-sided (its trunk curved towards the right, ("Ujwya Sondecha Ganpati") which is very rare. Kadyawarcha Ganpati is also considered as the live deity (a jagrut daiwat) who responds to distress calls of common people (nawsala pavnara Ganpati). The temple has a stone staircase on the right hand side to reach to the top of the temple (Kalas). You can get a magnificent view of the thick plantation of coconut trees, betel nut trees, Suvarnadurg Fort, blue sea and surrounding hills from the top. There is a pond in front of the temple where you can feed big fish and turtles. Beside the Ganesh temple there is a small but beautiful temple of Lord Shiva.

Anjarle also has a clean, unspoiled beach with white sand and surrounded by palms and trees. This Palm Beach is an ideal place to visit on a long weekend. Anjarle is a nice little, green village having all basic facilities. However, as there are no beach resorts or hotels at Anjarle, one must find rented house to stay. Local people are extremely friendly and helpful. Some of them also provide rented accommodation in their homes and serve delicious home-made food at a very low price.