Castella de Aguada

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This article is about the fort in Bandra, Mumbai. For the fort in Goa, see Fort Aguada.

Castella de Aguada
Vandre Killa
Bandra Fort
Castella de Aguada is located in Mumbai
Castella de Aguada
Location within Mumbai
General information
TypeFort
LocationBandra, Mumbai
Coordinates19°02′30″N 72°49′07″E / 19.041770°N 72.818580°E / 19.041770; 72.818580
Elevation13 m (43 ft)
Completed1640
ClientPortuguese
OwnerGovernment of Maharashtra

Castella de Aguada (corruption of Castelo da Aguada,

Buddha Mil Gaya.[3]

History

The Portuguese, who had established a base in the area in 1534 after defeating Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, built several sea forts along the western Indian coastline. Castella de Aguada was one such strategically located fort, overlooking the Mahim Bay to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, the islands of Worli to the south and the town of Mahim to the south west. The fort also guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. This sea route, a large estuary, was later reclaimed from the sea in the nineteenth century. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence.[4] A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name.[1]

After the decline of the Portuguese in the early 18th century, the Marathas became the largest threat to

British possessions. Sensing an impending Portuguese defeat, the British partially demolished the fort as a precautionary measure. The demolition would obviate the possibility of the fort being captured by the Marathas, with the possibility of it being used as a forward military base to attack British Bombay.[5]

In 1739 the island was invaded by the

Parsi philanthropist. Jeejeeboy then established his residence on the hill where the fort is located, and the cape was renamed Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point.[6]

Conservation

In 2003, a conservation program was started by Bandra Band Stand Residents’ Trust to save the fort. It was spearheaded by a local Member of Parliament (MP), Shabana Azmi, who funded part of the effort from her allotted funds. The brick arch of one of the gateways on the verge of collapse, and the foundation masonry of the fort wall that was in danger of tidal erosion were repaired. The nearby Taj Land's End hotel is responsible for maintenance of the fort, having inherited it from the previous owners.[1]

Entrance to the Castella de Aguada, or Fort of the Waterpoint

The fort is owned by the

Carter Road area.[6]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castella de Aguada.
  1. ^
    Express Group. Archived from the original
    on 24 July 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Revisiting the forgotten forts – Part I- Castella de Aguada: History of the grand ruins in Bandra most Mumbaikars are oblivious to". The Indian Express. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  3. Express Group. Retrieved 29 December 2008.[dead link
    ‍]
  4. ISBN 81-206-0815-1. Retrieved 29 December 2008. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help
    )
  5. Times Group. Archived from the original
    on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  6. ^
    Times Group
    . 4 August 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
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