Information on Janjira Fort (Raigad, Maharashtra) - History & Architecture

Janjira Fort is an Island fortress. It is a giant fort of this region having vast historical and cultural influences. It is located near Alibaug in Raigad District of Maharashtra State in India. It is an important fort that carries immense historical magnitude and more of all, depicts the glorious past of the era gone by.

Janjira Fort Architecture

Janjira Fort is an island fortress built in a traditional Indian style. It occupies the entire soil of this island forming an irregular circle shape. The main walls are built along the water fronts. These walls are built over a 19 bastions in cylindrical shape projected out wards these walls. These bastions hold the walls very strongly in the saline water front. This fort has to be accessed by boats only from the nearby Jetty. It has a huge gateway with steps sloping towards the water areas. The main gate is not seen from a distance and it is seen only when come near to it. Its walls are placed with many firing spots. This fort is built by a non Hindu Clans and they have uniquely carved the Ashoka Chakra on all of its entrance doors. There is European and Indian made cannons fixed on these ramparts. Its walls have very good stone art of strong animals like the Elephants, bulls, tigers and lions beautifully carved on the major walls of this structure. This depicts the power of this fort. The inner areas are built with many complexes. It has a maximum of three stories on the main complexes and two storied are found on the other structures. These are lined up in a row and in scattered forms. It has very spacious open areas. The very significant part of this fort is it had got a large fresh water pond. This is built in a circular shape and looks charming inside this fort complex. A few major structures have stone made slabs as it roof and few minor structures are left open and believed to be covered with canopy's. There are many false doors and windows found here. This may be a design in its making of these complexes; these are looking good with those false markings. There are many pillared floors and large halls found on the entrance area. A few pillars are of monolith structure and few are made by stone blocks.

Janjira Fort History

Janjira Fort is also known as the Murud-Janjira Fort locally. These are the word formation from the Konkani and Arabic words, which means the Island Forts. This fort was built around 1490 AD by the Siddhi's. They are the slave decedents of Africans in India. These peoples came along with the Portugal explorer ships of the Vasco Da Gama and settled here permanently. These peoples are seen across the western sea coasts. These siddhis are now a minority community in India. In the 15th and 16th centuries they were mostly lived as the local tribes and conquered many land areas in their territory. This fortification is also built to safe guard there interest in the western coast line areas. They were considered to have a strong physic and unable to beat by any singly men of Indian or foreign origin. This fort also was unable to capture by the Mughals and Marathas for a longer period of time, due to their skilled and strong army presence. This fort had made history of not come in to any foreign or an internal occupation ever since its make. After independence only the government took over this fort from princely state of Maharatas.

Janjira Fort Tourism Importance

Janjira Fort is a unique island fort must to see if in Mumbai. This is a protected monument and a heritage site in Maharashtra. This is in good condition and eco friendly place worth seeing. It is an important tourist attraction as the fort has immense to share and portrays of the history that has influenced the history of India. Even though it is given least importance, but if its historical importance is to be discussed, it has lot to show even today. It is worth a visit and one can witness the marvel and the historical beauty that is hidden amid the walls of the fort that was once dreamt by someone and stands even today, to bring the glory that slipped with the time.