Information on Aguada Fort (Goa) - History & Architecture

The monument i.e. Fort Aguada is a seventeenth-century structure located in Goa, India. Specifically the fort is located in the Sinquerim Beach which is near to the Arabian Sea. The fort is one of the most well preserved of the rich Indian history. Its architectural splendor and the historical importance makes it one of the renowned forts of Goa, which has preserved rich historical and cultural significance of the era gone by.

Aguada Fort Architecture

This fort is mainly two storey or tier structure. The upper segment of the store is used as watering station as well as keeping watch on the enemy or intruders during the period of 16th to 17th century. The lower end of the fort was used a berth to safely store of the ships used by the Portuguese rulers. The design of the interior of the fort hold strong resemblance with the Portuguese architecture as most part of the upper section of the fort is made in the form of chambers where various important materials were stored. The upper section of the fort also has a secret space that was used as an emergency exit during the stint of war. One interesting fact about the light house of the fort is that it produces light once in every seven minute. However, the use of the light house was stopped in 1976.

Aguada Fort History

The historical heritage of the fort can be better understood from the fact that it is one of those monument that is still being preserved officially with regard to its each and every part. Originally constructed in the year 1613, the fort is a combined work of the Dutch, Portuguese and the Maratha rulers. The influence of building the fort mainly came from the Europe during the period ranging in between 16th to 17th century. The Old Portuguese structure of the fort is positioned in the south of the Candolim beach within the Mandovi River. In the initial days the main purpose of building the fort was to defend the shipping dock of the Bardez sub district. It also serves as a source of providing fresh water for the shipping domain of the region. From this particular purpose the fort got its final name i.e. Aguada which literally means water. The passing ships in this area often used to acquire fresh water from the fort. The fort is also historically popular for its lighthouse which was built specially in the year 1864. The lighthouse is one of the oldest in the Indian history. The fort also served as a grandstand of more than 79 cannons. Within the fort an amount of 2,376,000 tons of water can be stored at a time. One important fact about the fort is that the amount water it can store at a time is one of the largest in Asia.

Aguada Fort Tourism Importance

The fort was one of the most crucial for the Portuguese rulers owing to which it was designed quite strategically to deal with several emergency situation. Tourists can also get attracted to attain the fort owing to its large size which is one of the biggest in Asia. Furthermore, since the fort served as a prison by the Portuguese for the enemies it can add to the interest of the tourist towards visiting the fort. Moreover, Goa is the hub of global tourism and large number of foreign visitors gather in the city throughout the year. All these factors collectively increases the tourism importance of the fort.