Madh Island

Madh Fort
Versova Fort
Location within Mumbai
General information
Type	Fort
Architectural style	Portuguese Colonial
Location	Malad, Mumbai
Coordinates	19°07′56″N 72°47′41″E / 19.132283°N 72.794785°E / 19.132283; 72.794785
Owner	Indian Air Force

Madh Island (Marathi pronunciation: [məɖʱ]) is a group of several quaint fishing villages and farmlands in northern Mumbai.

Geography

The area is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, and Malad Creek on the east. There are s few beaches, such as Erangal Beach, Dana Pani Beach, Silver Beach, and Aksa Beach.

Accessibility

The area is accessible by bus service (#271 to Malad and #269 to Borivali) or an autorickshaw from Malad. There is also a ferry service from Versova. One can reach Madh Island by a ferry service or speed boat from Versova Jetty and cross over in five minutes.

Demographics

The area is a rural area inhabited primarily by

in Madh village as well as by people from other communities.

Madh Fort

Madh Fort is a small

when the Maratha Empire captured it in February 1739.

The British occupied Salsette Island, Thana Fort, Fort Versova, and the island fort of Karanja in 1774.^[2]

It is secluded and difficult to reach, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) from

by ferry boat.

It is situated south of Madh Village. It is around a 2 km walk from Madh Mandir bus stop. The fort was built by the Portuguese, as a watchtower in the 17th century. It offers a strategic view of the coastline and guards the

as it is located close to an Indian Air Force base and permission is needed for accessing it. Madh Fort is not open to the public, and it is surrounded by local fishermen communities.

In popular culture

Some Bollywood films like

, who lives in the area.

Gallery

• 
  From far
• 
  Closeup
• 
  From a turret
• 
  Tower closeup
• 
  Opposite side (from Versova)

See also

• List of forts in Maharashtra
• Portuguese structures in Mumbai

References

1. ^ "Portuguese India History: Baçaim (Bassein, Vasai), Chaul, Bombay. Northern Province (Provincia do Norte, Gujarat, Maharashtra)". Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
2. ISBN 9788131300343
   .