Sindhudurg Fort is a famous fort situated near Malvan Jetty in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, India. This fort was built by the Maratha King, Shivaji, himself under his supervision and guidance. In fact, this fort was the naval headquarter during the ruler-ship of Marathas. This fort is situated on an islet, Kurte Island and is almost half a km away from the Sindhudurg District’s Malvan Jetty town in the Konkan area of Maharashtra near south of Mumbai and is surrounded by the great Arabian Sea. Sindhudurg Fort is almost at a distance of 130 km from Goa.

The fort is also a must to visit place during some festival celebrations like Shivaji Jayanti, Mahashivratri Ram Navami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmashtami.

History

The Sindhudurg Fort has got historical importance since it was the main Maratha headquarter to prepare for wars, battles and also to provide security to Maratha people. This fort was built by Shivaji himself. Sindhudurg basically means Fort of Sea since Sindhudurg is a word made from two Hindi words “Sindhu” means Sea and ‘’Durg’’ means Fort. It is said that this name was used since the entire fort was surrounded by Arabian Sea and was located at a small islet.

Architecture of Fort

The Sindhudurg Fort took three years to get completed and almost 100 architects from Portugal were involved in the construction. They were invited from Goa and a strong man power of 3000 joined these to deploy the construction of the fort. The construction was made on the orders of Shivaji, the great Maratha Warrior. It is said that total of 70,000 kg of iron was used to construct this fort since a mixture of mortar with molten iron was used to strengthen the fort. Total of 52 bastions guard the walls of the fort.
The fort is spread over an area of 48 acres with fortified walls, 12 ft thick and 29 ft high, stretch for 2 miles. The main entrance gate of the fort is Dilli Darwaja and it is such constructed that it is visible only from near view else it will look like a normal wall of the fort. There are also handprints as well as footprints of Shivaji which have been embedded within the fort on a slab.

Attractions within the Fort

Sindhudurg Fort itself is the main attraction. Along with the architectural rich fort, there are temples also to visit there which are a big attraction for tourists. These temples are dedicated to Goddess Bhavani, God Hanuman and Jarimari. Along with the holy shrines, there is also a popular temple which is devoted to Shivaji.

Apart from fort building and temples, there are 3 sweet water wells and few tanks which are also available in the fort premises. Underwater sports are also available fortourists here. The fort also possesses a coconut tree for which people around the world make a visit here since this is the world’s only coconut tree that has branches and provides fruits. Another fort attraction is an underground tunnel which is supposed to be used by the ladies in case of enemy attack in ancient times. This tunnel, however, was closed partially by the British East India Company. This tunnel, as per legends, goes almost 12 km beneath the Arabian Sea.

How to Reach

By Road

Sindhudurg district’s bus stand which is well connected to all major cities in India via government operated buses. From there, direct buses are available to reach Malvan Jetty.

By Rail

The closest railway station to Malvan Jetty is the Sawantwadi Railway Station which is at a distance of 20 km from Malvan Jetty. From there, auto-rickshaws and buses are easily available to reach to the Malvan Jetty from where ferry is required to be taken to reach the fort.

By Air

The nearest airport for Sindhudurg Fort is the Dabolim airport which is at a distance of 135 km from the Malvan Jetty. A taxi or bus is easily available from there to reach the Malvan Jetty. From Malvan Jetty, one needs to take a ferry.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Sindhudurg Fort is between months October to March. It can be visited on other months of the year but since the fort is situated at a separate islet, the summers are extremely hot and during rainy season using a ferry can sometimes get risky.

Visitor Information

Visiting Hours

You can visit the fort everyday during day time from 10 am to 5:30 pm.

Entry Charges

The entry fee for Indian tourists is 50 per person while for tourists from outside India, it is 200 per person.