- Type
- Fortress
- Location
- Maharashtra, India
- Coordinates
- 18.2998°, 72.9642°
History
According to tradition, Koli fishermen kept a wooden fort on a rocky island at the mouth of the bay near Murud in the 15th century. Commanders of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate seized it, and in the 16th century a stone fortress replaced it. It was held by the Siddis – descendants of settlers from East Africa – who founded their own small state of Janjira and later allied themselves with the Mughals. Europeans and Marathas besieged it in vain; Shivaji and his son Sambhaji attacked it repeatedly in the second half of the 17th century. The state of Janjira lasted until 1948, when it joined independent India.
What to see
The fortress is reached by sailing boats from the jetty at Rajapuri. The main gate is tucked between bastions so that it cannot be seen from the shore until a boat comes close. Tall walls are reinforced by many rounded bastions carrying cannon, among them the huge Kalal Bangadi. Inside are the ruins of a palace and a mosque and freshwater tanks.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q301996
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