Murud-Janjira Fort
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Janjira: 'A Marvel of Engineering on India's West Coast' - An Unconquerable Fort Murud is a village in the western part of Murud taluk of Raigad district, bordering the Arabian Sea. Rajpuri village is four to five kilometres from Murtu. Murud Janjira is situated on an island in the sea to the west of this village.Strong construction, use of industrial techniques in engineering, beautiful architecture, very tricky location... this fort has all these features and is located on the sea 165 km south of Mumbai. The fort is surrounded by a 40 feet high rampart. Sand, lime, jaggery and molten lead are said to have been used to join the stones together. Although surrounded by sea water on all four sides, fresh water is also available inside the fort. There are two freshwater lakes inside the fort Spread across 22 acres, with 22 defensive positions, Janjira Fort took 22 years to build. Chhatrapati Shivaji, King Sambhaji, Portuguese, French and British tried to capture this fort, but no one could capture Janjira fort. This fort remained impregnable for more than 350 years. Chhatrapati Shivaji built a nearby fort to conquer this fort. But he could not capture Janjira You can hardly make out where the entrance gate of the fort is from a distance. Maybe even finding the entrance is difficult to get there by boat. Because there is no place for you to get off the boat. Just go straight to the entrance steps. This fort had a good structure to prevent the enemy from entering. It relates to its construction and armour protection. At the same time, nature also plays a role in protecting this fort. Even at low tide, the area has water up to 30 feet deep. It also increased the defence of the fort.Not only the engineering methods but also the internal defenses of the fort were impregnably superior. If anyone fails to follow the defense rules of the fort, the only punishment available to them is death. This fort was built by the Siddhis. When establishing their rule in this island, the Siddhis created a very strict system.The Siddhis are believed to have come to India in the seventh century. The ancestors of the Siddhis belonged to the 'Bandu' tribe of East Africa. The Sidhis came to India as slaves with Arab traders. Indian kings started keeping them in their service because of their lean, strong physique, bravery and loyalty. The known history of Janjira dates back to 1490. Construction of the Janjira Fort began during the reign of Ansar Burhan Shah (1508-1553).The Nizam appointed Bram Khan to conquer Janjira.Brahma Khan used trickery instead of force to capture the fort. Most of us are familiar with the story of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. The master of thieves would come to Alibaba's house disguised as an oil merchant. Aren't the other thieves hiding in the big barrels he brought? The same thing happened in Janjira. When Ahmednagar fell in 1636, Siddi Amber was the fort chief of Janjira. After overthrowing the Nizamshahi, he remained loyal to the Bijapur Sultans. At the time of independence, 500 families were living in this fort. Siddhis brought them for farming . After independence, the Scythians handed over the fort to the Government of India and settled in Indore in Madhya Pradesh. But later it became difficult for the residents of the fort to live. So they went to the nearby villages and took shelter. Until 1980, all the citizens here came from the fort to various villages on the mainland. Over time, this fort became a deserted place. Currently, Janjira Fort is under the control of 'Archaeological Survey of India'. A notice is visible in the fort area that no one should enter the fort without permission. The fort has been very popular with tourists for the past few years. Courtesy: BBC
Ramalingam Muthukumarasamy
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India’s Janjira Fort is a sea fort, built by Malik Ambar, who served the Sultan of Ahmednagar and belonged to the famous Nizam Shahi dynasty. This fort is one-of-a-kind and is famed for its majestic fortification. Set on an island in the Arabian Sea, near the coastal town of Murud in Maharashtra, it’s definitely one of the most impressive forts in India. Another interesting fact about this fort is that it has never been conquered by any enemy in its history. It was built at the end of the 17th century, and it’s even more interesting to note that it’s almost entirely intact even today despite being hit by the ravages of wind and tide every now and then. Surprisingly, this majestic fort stands as a testimony to the marvels of ancient engineering. If reports are to go by, the sea fort of Janjira wasn’t conquered by any of the kings who were ruling the neighbouring territories. As per the records, even Shivaji could not conquer it although he tried 13 times. His son, Sambhaji also tried to do so by adopting an unique approach, and dug an underwater tunnel to enter. Alas, he too failed in his attempt! Shivaji’s son then built another fort across the bay, called Kansa. He used most of the earth that was dug to build the said tunnel to build the second fort, which was supposed to serve as the base for future attacks on the sea fort of Janjira. It took 22 years to build that fort on 22 acres of land. The fort is oval in shape, instead of the usual square shape, while the fort wall is around 40 ft high and has around 19 rounded arches or porches, some of which still feature cannons mounted on them, along with the well-known cannon Katlal Bhankari. As you reach this place, you will see the ruins of a mosque, a palace, along with a bath space with water channelled from streams. Then, there is a deep well with cold and sweet water, which is actually a natural wonder in the midst of the saline sea, which still provides water to quench the thirst of the weary visitor. Also, there are the Janjira Caves, whereas Murud is actually a tiny fishing village set atop a small hillock and offers picture-perfect views of the coast. This invincible fort remained unconquered until it became part of Indian territory after Independence from the British in 1947, and stays so till date.
Aizaz kadri
00
A beautiful fort built on a small island in the Arabian sea off Rajapuri village of Murud in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. The fort and the ferry ride is managed by the fishermen folks of the village and opens at 7:30 am everyday except during monsoon when the sea is very rough and water levels high. The boat from Rajapuri jetty which will cost INR 61.00 per person (as of May 2018). The fishermen boat ferries 20 people at a time to the fort and one might have to wait until that number of people are available. Every boat is accompanied by a local guide and they will insist everyone in the boat to hire the guide, which will cost INR 100 per person, negotiable though. The reason being that the tourist are given 45 minutes to roam around and then the boat returns. I will suggest to hire a guide because they will share lot of information and show places, which when alone won't make sense. At the entrance of the fort there are two villagers available who will assist people to get off and on the boat, which isn't easy the boat keeps rocking with the tide. While returning these guys will talk about the service they are doing and will request money, I paid them INR 40.00!! Murud Janjira is the only unconquered fort, which was attacked by Portuguese, East India Company and the Maratha Empire. Ruled by the Siddis who were defeated on land by Marathas and limited to the fort. The fort wall still stands intact with 22 bastions and canons. The third largest canon, Kalak Bangdi, is here which could fire up to 12 miles along with smaller canons. There are several structures in ruins along with kings residence but are in ruins now. There are 3 fresh water tanks that used to supply water to nearly 250-300 families residing inside the fort. It's also rumoured that the fort was build by Africans strategically so that the army could keep a 360 degrees watch of the sea and land for any enemy movements. Shivaji Maharajs son Sambha ji Rao built another fort, Padamdurg or Kasa fort to conquer Janjira however gave up when the Mughal attacked the Marathas. This fort is now occupied by the Navy. This is a must visit fort, roam around the alleys inside imagine the granduer of the time!
Anoop Kumar
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Murud-Janjira Fort is a popular tourist destination. Thousands of tourists visit here every year to experience the history and features of this fort. Boats are available from Rajpuri to reach the fort. Guides are available to see the inside of the fort, who explain the history and features of the fort. Seeing the inside of the fort is an interesting and thrilling experience. Seeing the magnificent walls, strong bastions and secret passages of the fort gives a different satisfaction. The fort offers a wide view of the sea. The sunset and sunrise are very enjoyable in these views. Also, reading and hearing about the history of the fort is a different thing, but experiencing it firsthand is a rare opportunity. Murud-Janjira Fort is an unforgettable chapter in Indian history. The fort has four magnificent gates, including the main gate, the Khindi Darwaza, the Ganesh Darwaza and the Long Darwaza. The main gate is the largest and most impressive gate, while the Khindi Darwaza is a secret gate that opens at the back of the fort. The Ganesh Darwaza is decorated with a Ganesh idol and the Long Darwaza is the longest gate of the fort. The fort has several towers that offer a 360-degree view of the fort. Some of the notable towers are the Bhavani Burj, the Long Burj and the Black Burj. The Bhavani Burj is the tallest tower in the fort, while the Long Burj is the longest tower in the fort. The Black Burj is one of the oldest towers in the fort. The fort has two lakes, a freshwater lake and a brackish lake. The freshwater lake was the main source of drinking water, while the brackish lake was used for fishing. The fort has a palace which was the residence of the Siddi kings. The palace is now in ruins, but its magnificent remains can still be seen. After India gained independence, the Murud-Janjira Fort came under the control of the Indian government. Now the fort is open to tourists as a protected monument. Many tourists visit this fort to experience its glorious history and unique architecture.
Nayan Dalvi
00
Transport - Visited from nearby village Rajpuri. There good parking space available cars. Boat/Ferry ticket - Rs 80/Adult and Rs 40/below 15yr for non-motor slow boat. Speed/Motorised boat also available but it does not goes upto the fort entrance, need to shift to small boat. Friday, 12pm to 2pm ferry boats are not available. People visits this fort from nearby 4-5 villages. So there is long que of boats to disembark the tourists. In our case it took 20 mins to reach up to fort entrance and then half hour waiting to disembark the boat. (Time required to reach the fort depends on speed and direction of wind) If you are visiting during summer, It is advised to carry sufficient water and wear full clothes, use sunscreen, carry umbrella because waiting time can go beyond half hour to 1hr. Drinking Water bottles shop is there on fort. Jan 2023, guide were not available on fort so during waiting time a boat crew given all the information about fort history and in return asked for money as per our wish. During embarkation, there are chances of shoes/sandals getting soaked in water so wear footwear accordingly. Places to visit on fort / Photography points - Boat crew told that 45mins will be given for sightseeing but same boat was not there during returning so that time period doesn't made any sense. You need more than a hour to just walk around full fort. But for photography following places are good - Fort entrance gate, Canon, Side boundary towards village Murud, Lake, Highest peak at centre of fort. It took us 45 mins to visit above mentioned places. Return journey - Same boat is not available for return journey. You need to stand on entrance steps and ask the boat crews if they will go to your place. Here you need to be active otherwise they will not listen you. If you are coming from Alibaug then it will be good if you reach the fort early morning, return before lunch time, have lunch around Murud and during return journey visit other places towards Alibaug.
Shahzad Shaikh
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Murud Janjira Fort the very beautiful example of supremacy of ancient Indian science and architecture. This was the fort surrounded with salty water of sea from all sides.. still having 2 drinking water wells inside, basically it was an Island which was constructed as one of Invincible forts. Currently from an outside condition this fort is almost perfect. But a lot of management can be done for inside architecture and available articles like Cannon. Also one emergency underground exit to nearest mainland was available from inside the fort in the history. Which was closed and blocked by the govt. In 80s. The fort was created in such a way that it was almost impossible to identify its entrance gate for the opposite army. Now Indian Govt. started a project of 130 Cr. here to create one way to connect mainland and Janjira fort. But it connects to the fort from The side of the Arebean sea. (west) which is the biggest mistake of modern engineering as per the opinion of old locality. As in high tide season furious sea way impinges large magnitude force from west (Main Sea). Which will soon affect this project's construction at the neck point at the fort's end. That is why the old main entrance is from the east side (Indian main land) no such impact of wave to gate. Project also should have connected here.But as no it's not happening (Note- This Project related information is only collected from active conversation with one of the old local sailors.) Imp Note- 2-3 Different PVT. Marine companies providing ferry to fout from different locations. Closest is from Rajapuri Two way Ferry ticket 70+10=80rs PP Fort entrance ticket= 25rs PP Guides are banned here. Still local sailors will give you overview information and may ask you a small fee as a help. Like a 100-200 from one group. It's on you that you want to give it or you can also deny it. It's just an extra income for them.
Rohit Patil
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Murud-Janjira is the local name of a famous fort and tourist spot situated on an island just off the coastal town of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India.
attractions: , restaurants: Hotel New Sea Rock - Murud Janjira, Hotel Janjira Veg - Non Veg, Tasty Bites, Janjira Sharbat
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