Coastal fort circuit between Mumbai-Raigad

A mini coastal fort circuit from the Gateway of India and the Raigad Fort is being worked out.

The journey into the Arabian Sea would start from the Gateway of India, cover the twin forts of Kandheri and Underi, the impregnable Murud-Janjira fort, Padmadurg and culminating in the majestic Raigad fort.

"It would be a two-day trip and its a unique fort circuit," said Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a president-nominated Rajya Sabha MP, who is the chairman of Raigad Development Authority (RDA).

Sambhajiraje, who belongs to the Kolhapur royal family and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, said that the tourist infrastructure around these forts is also being developed.

The Raigad fort is important as legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was coronated here and laid the foundation of the Hindavi Swaraj.

Khanderi fort is named after Kanhoji Angre, the legendary Maratha admiral. This fort also has a lighthouse. Khanderi, along with its sister fort Underi (Jaidurg) formed the major fortification along the Maharashtra coast. In 1679, Khanderi was occupied by the forces of Shivaji under the leadership of Maynak Bhandari, who oversaw the building of the fortifying walls. Subsequently, the fort was built to keep a check on the Siddis at Murud-Janjira fort and was the site of many battles between Shivaji's forces and the navy of Siddi.

The Murud-Janjira fort, which is on an island, was under control of the Siddhis - and could never be conquered by anyone else. A special attraction of this fort is 3 gigantic cannons named Kalal Bangadi, Chavri and Landa Kasam. These cannons were said to be feared for their shooting range. Once the island fort boasted having 572 cannons.

The Padmadurg fort was built by Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This fort can also be viewed from Janjira.

In Maharashtra's coastal Konkan belt, the Raigad fort is a major attraction. Spread in over 1,300 acres, it is the biggest fort complex in India, in terms of area and has one of the most unique topography. The fort rises about 820 metres above the sea level and goes up to nearly 1,356 metres. The fort comes under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).