Information on Sion Hillock Fort (Mumbai, Maharashtra) - History & Architecture

Sion Hillock Fort is a unique hillock fortress in Mumbai. This for is of Grade I status by the Archeological Survey of India. It is built by the European colonialist and has vast importance in the history of Mumbai. It is a 345 years old stone structure laid on the hilltop of Parel Island, near Sion Railway Station, capital city of Mumbai in the Maharashtra State of India.

Sion Hillock Fort Architecture

Sion Hillock Fort is built as a defensive watch tower. Compared to the other nearby forts built by the European colonialist, this fort is smaller in size. The building materials used here are the granite stone and the laterite stones. These are bonded with fine mortars. The main structures are built of granite stones and the inner structures are mostly found with the laterite stones. It has got a very strong rampart. It has few bastions on its major sides and is in cylindrical shape. On the top of its ramparts there are medium sized cannons fixed in the all four directions. The ramparts outer beneath has a steep slopes acting as a natural defense. Inside there are many complexes found here in an intact ways. These are totally built in the European style. These were the medium and small rooms constructed for various purposes to serve the forts needs and its residents. All of these complexes have a very fine stone roof which looks like a concrete structure. It has nice ventilation with doors and windows. Strong pathways are found here with stone block steps and slabs. It does have an easy stone step pathway to reach its top from the base of its foot hills. Altogether its small but built very sufficiently to meet the needs of an outpost watch tower. This watch tower is the highest place of this fortress.

Sion Hillock Fort History

Sion Hillock Fort stood as the territory marking in between the Portugal and the British areas in this Mumbai Islands in the colonial Era. The Portugal base was at Salsette Island and the British with Parel Island. Even their water territory was divided and kept in those days. The Sion tower played an important role to protect its territories. These forts were the result of internal conflicts among the European colonialist in the 17th century AD. This fort was designed and constructed by the renounced Mumbai Governor Gerard Aungier of the British East India Company. He started its construction in the year 1669 AD and completed and took force in 1677 AD. Gerard Aungier is known to build the Mumbai city by constructing its major European structures in the Island and the mainland of Bombay in his official time in India. Present Mumbai occupies his built structures as government offices and heritage hotels. This fort was the centre of activities happened in the European trades. After India's independence, the local metro rail station is named after this fort as Sion Station. In 2009 this fort was funded for its restoration works and many patch works were done on this fortress. The state Archeological department functions at its foot hills. There is a pleasant garden towards the entrance of this fort.

Sion Hillock Fort Tourism Significance

Sion Hillock Fort is a heritage site and a protected monument worth to see in the Mumbai City. A view from this fort can get an idea of the colonial interest to build these forts as watch towers, since there are many other forts and important land marks surrounded by this fort. The Thane creek and its salt basin have a shining glaze when looked out from this fort.