Suvarnadurg
Suvarnadurg | |
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Events | Battles for the fort in 1755 and 1818 |
Suvarnadurg (
The literal meaning of Suvanadurga in the Marathi language is "Golden Fort" as it was considered as the pride or the "feather in the golden cap of Marathas". Built by Adilshah Navy for defence purposes, the fort also had a shipbuilding facility. The basic objective of establishing the fort was to counter enemy attacks, mainly by the colonialists of Europe and also by the local chieftains.[4]
In the past, the land fort and the sea fort were connected by a tunnel, but this is now defunct. The present approach to the sea fort is only by boats from the Harnai port on the headland. It is a protected monument.[5] The fort also includes another small land fort called the Kanakadurga at the base of headland of Harnai port on the coast. Building of the fort is credited to
Geography
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2018) |
The fort is on an island in the
- Climate
The general climate on the west coast, which is where the Suvarnadurg is located, could be categorised as hot and humid. The temperatures vary from a maximum of 38 °C (100 °F) in summer to a low of 24 °C (75 °F) in winter. South West Monsoon controls the precipitation on the west coast, which lasts from June to September, and rainfall is in the range of 140–170 centimetres (55–67 in).[9]
History
The fort was captured by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1660 by defeating Ali Adil Shah II (1656–1672). Kanhoji Angre (1667–1729), popularly known as "Samudratla Shivaji" (Shivaji of the sea) was the[10] Admiral of the Maratha Navy; in 1696, Kanhoji's naval fleet was stationed here. However, the fort was formally handed over to Kanhoji in 1713 by Shahu Raja.[6][4]
For maintaining "fealty" with the
Kanhoji relentlessly carried on his fight against the British and in 1721 joined hands with the Portuguese; when 33 British soldiers were killed, 21 wounded and many ammunition and field guns were seized by the Marathas. In 1722, when Kanhoji was to attack the English factory at Karwar, in spite of the British sending their ships 'Victoria' and the 'Revenge' to attack Kanhoji's forces, he was not cowed down; even though his Dutch Commander was killed and his 16 ships were captured. However, he died on 4 June 1729, an unvanquished hero for 31 years against all foreign attacks.
He had two legitimate and two illegitimate sons, and Sambaji his legitimate son was given control of Suvarnadurg. Following the death of one of the brothers in 1734, there were intense fights and acts of piracy continued. In spite of attacks by the British in 1732, Sambaji was back in Suvarnadurg unharmed. However, by 1749, Tulaji, the stepbrother of Sambaji, had become very powerful and his ships sailed unharmed, even much bolder than what his father Kanhoji had achieved. This situation forced the Peshwas to join hands with the British to suppress Tulaji. In 1755, they jointly attacked Tulaji's stronghold of Suvarnadurg and took control of the fort within 48 hours. Suvarnadurg was then given to the Peshwas that was considered a humiliating surrender by the Peshwas to the British.[4][15]
Subsequent to Kanhoji's demise, Tulaji Angre took charge of Suvarnadurg and it became the seat of his power. However, he fell foul of the Peshwas. He was considered arrogant. In the war with Tulaji, Peshwas were supported by the British. The joint siege of the fort lasted from 25 March to 2 April 1755. On 12 April 1755,
The Angrias are also credited with not only strengthening the fort but also establishing the shipbuilding yard at Suvanadurg and creating a large fleet of warships to secure the west coast, the
Structures
Suvarnadurg fort is located on a rocky island in the Arabian Sea on the west coast. It is spread over an area of 8 acres (3.2 ha) and is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the main land.[4] As is common in other similar forts, it is encircled by a dry moat. It tapers towards the southern direction from where the Kanakadurga fort is clearly visible. The walls have been mostly cut out of the rock exposures on the island. However, some part of the fort walls are built with large stone blocks of 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) square. It has two entrances or gates, known as the 'Mahadarwaja' (big gate) also called the postern wall (above the high tide level) on the east and 'Chor Darwaja' on the west; the former gate faces the land and the latter faces the sea. The fort comes into sight only at very close quarters.
The fort can be approached only during the low tide condition when it is also easier to walk in the precincts of the fort. The present entry from the main east gate is blocked by thorny bushes but can be accessed from a narrow entry, locally known as the devdis. At the main entry, carvings of a Hanuman carved on the wall and a carved turtle on one of the leading steps are seen. The sea-gate depicts carved figures of a tiger, eagle and elephants. The fort is fortified with many bastions, which also have small built-in rooms. The central part of the fort has two granaries and a decrepit building. From the Chor Darwaja, steps lead to the fort. Locations of old palaces in the fort area are inferred from the large number of foundation plinths seen in the fort area. A stone building in the fort precincts has been identified as an ammunition magazine. Fifteen old guns have also been located in the fort.[6][4][17]
There are several potable water sources (tanks, ponds and wells) in the fort; however, these dry up in the summer months. There is
- Kanakadurga fort
Kanakdurga fort (headland fort) projects into the sea, adjoins the Harnai port and is spread over an area of 0.25 hectares (0.62 acres). It is approached through a flight of steps. This fort is now in ruins, except for a few water tanks, two dilapidated bastions (one at each end), a lighthouse on elevated ground, and also a residence for the caretaker. It was also once a military camp. The fort has nine water ponds with abundant water supply, of which eight are separated by stone walls and the ninth pond is a little away to the west.[6][4][7]
Visitor information
Mumbai is at a distance of 230 kilometres (140 mi) from Harnai. Harnai, located in a rocky bay, has an all-weather road that connects to Dapoli and Khed. The road distances to other nearby forts and towns are: Bankot-Anjarle-Harnai: 23 kilometres (14 mi); Dapoli-Harnai: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi); and Anjarle-Harnai: 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). The only approach to the fort is by boats, from Harnai. Boats have to be arranged through the local fishermen.
It is a port of call for coastal steamers and thrives on fishing as a major marketing centre.
References
- ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
- ^ Walter Hamilton (M.R.A.S.) (1820). A geographical, statistical, and historical description of Hindostan, and the adjacent counties, Volume 2. J. Murray. p. 378.
- ^ admin. "History of Suvarnadurg, Harnai | Taluka Dapoli". Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Harnai". Maharashtra Gazetter Department. Archived from the original on 14 January 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ "List of the protected monuments of Mumbai Circle district-wise" (PDF). Archived from the original on 6 June 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "Suvarnadurg Fort". Government of Maharashtra. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d admin. "Kanakdurg, Harnai | Taluka Dapoli". Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ admin. "Goa fort, Harnai | Taluka Dapoli". Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ Naravane p.16
- ^ LT GEN K. J., SINGH. "As NDA cadet, I was witness to Vice Admiral Awati's kindness". ThePrint.In. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ISBN 9788175101203.
- ISBN 9780007395545.
- .
- ^ Saletore, Rajaram Narayan (1978). Indian Pirates: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ^ Saletore pp.109, 111
- ^ Naravane p.4
- )