Murud is a village 50 km from Alibag. Janjira fort is situated near Murud. Built on an island and surrounded by the sea, hence the name Janjira. Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Raje, Kanhoji Angre tried to conquer this fort but it remained invincible.

The History :-

The word “Janjira” is derived from the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word jazira. Jazira is an island. The fort was named Janjira because it was built on an island. The island was formerly Medhekot. Rajapuri near Murud was inhabited by fishermen people at that time. These people were constantly harassed by robbers. A sheepfold was erected on the island to ward off such robbers. Medhekot means a large wooden rampart built on top of each other. Fishermen people were safe in this Medhekot. His chief was Ram Patil. At that time Nizam was dictatorial. Ram Patil was not satisfied with the security of Medhekot, later he refused to obey the orders of the Nizam. So the Nizam sent his Thanedar Piram Khan to capture the janjira. Piram Khan attacked them with his men and captured the island

Later, Burhan khan was appointed in place of Piram khan. He obtained permission from the Nizam to build a strong fort there. The present building is built by this Burhan khan. Later, in 1617, Siddi Amber obtained an independent charter from the emperor and obtained the Jahagiri. He is considered to be the founder of Janjira Sansthan.

The Siddhi of Janjira, originally from Abyssinia, was a brave and tough sailor. He fought valiantly. Janjira remained unconquered  for 330 years from 1617 to 1947.

When Siddhi Muhammad Khan was the last Siddhi after 20 Siddhi rulers, and 330 years after the establishment of that kingdom, on April 3, 1948, the state was merged into the Indian Union.

 About the Fort :-

The entrance to Janjira is facing east. Once the boat reaches the entrance of the fort, there is a subdivision inside this entrance. The ramparts of Janjira are elevated. It has another door towards the sea. There are nineteen such towers. The distance between the two towers is more than 90 feet. There are various steps to go up to the ramparts. The ramparts have arches. Cannons are placed facing the arch. It is mentioned that there are 514 Cannons on Janjira. A special attraction of this fort are 3 gigantic cannons named Kalalbangdi, Chavri and Landa Kasam. These cannons were said to be feared for their shooting range. Another gate to the west is sea-facing, called ‘Darya Darwaza’.

A wide area is visible from the ramparts of Janjira. One can see Padmadurg and Samrajgad there. It is also a sight to be hold from the ramparts of the ocean Tourists come to Murud in large numbers to experience this. Murud village has many hotels as well as domestic cottages for the convenience of tourists. To visit the fort and experience the beach, you must visit Murud.

How to reach the fort:

To the west of Raigad district is the Arabian Sea. Adjacent to this sea is a Murud Taluka. Next to Murud are the coastal villages of  Danda and Rajpuri. Rajpuri is at a distance of four to five kilo meters from Murud. To the west of this Rajpuri village is Murud-Janjira on an island in the sea.  Boats are available to reach this fort from Rajpuri. Tourists come to Alibag also visiting to Janjira Fort. With the Arabian Sea on all the four sides, this mighty fort has stood for centuries and is a symbol of the brave Marathas of the region.

The uniqueness of this fort is that no one knows exactly where the entrance is from the shore. The local fishermen take tourists to the fort by boat.

• Alibag Murud Distance: 50 km,
•  Pune-Murud distance 150 km (via Tamhini)
•  Mumbai-Murud distance 150 km

What is the best time to visit the Fort

The fort is open for tourism from October to May-June. June to September it is closed for tourism due to climate change.

There is no accommodation in Janjira fort. But many hotels and accommodations are available in Murud Village.

There is no food available in the fort, so if you take food and drinking water with you, you will not have any problem wandering around the fort. But tourists need to be careful about cleaning and care should be taken to ensure that empty bags, bottles or any other type of waste are not allowed in the area. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep the premises clean. Everyone should keep this in mind while visiting the fort.

Nearby Attractions :-

• Padmadurg Fort ( same place )
• Kuda Mandad Caves ( 21 km)
• Murud Beach ( 5 km)
• Kashid Beach ( 21 km )