Sindhudurg

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Sindhudurg fortress

Sindhudurg(Marathi सिंधुदुर्ग) is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just of the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.

[edit] History

Sindhudurg (Sindhu = sea, Durg = fort) was built by the great Maratha warrior leader Shivaji in 1664. Shivaji selected the strategic rocky island location, 'Kurte' for the fort himself, to counter foreign forces, and to keep the nearby Siddis of Murud-Janjira in check. Shivaji himself was one of the 6000 skilled construction workers on this massive maritime fort project.

[edit] Structural details

Over 4000 mounds of iron were used in the casting and foundation stones were firmly laid down in lead.The construction was started on November 25,1664. Built over a period of three years, the sea fort is spread over 48 acres with a two-mile long rampart ,and walls that are 30 feet high and 12 feet thick. The massive walls were designed to serve as a deterrent to approaching enemies and to the waves and tides of the Arabian Sea.The main entrance is concealed in such a way that no one can pinpoint it from outside.

At a time when Samudragaman (travelling by sea) was banned by scriptures,this construction on an island represents the revolutionary mind of its builder.