Khanderi fort is built on an island in front of Mumbai. Thal is a village located at a distance of 4-5 km from Alibag. This is an island located at a distance of 3 km from the shores of Thal. Shivaji Maharaj built this fort on this island in year 1679  by sending Maynak Bhandari.

The History:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ordered Maynak Bhandari to build a fort on Khanderi Island in front of Mumbai. After receiving the order of the Maharaja,  Maynak Bhandari started fortifying the hill on Khanderi Island and started the construction of the fort. But when the British officials of the East India Company got the news, they tried hard to obstruct the work. When Maynaks was asked to stop the construction, “I am a servant of Shivaraya. Who are you to give orders?”  Mayanak replied to British.

In 1679, there were many small and big fights with the British on the shores of Thal. An attempt was made to break this plan by sending an English armour. Meanwhile, Siddhi built Underi fort and started harassing the Marathas.

For the help of Maynak Bhandari, the armour of Daulatkhan came. Maratha armaours notice the faults of British Army. The large ships of the English depended on the direction of the wind. The small boats in the Marathi armour had a good idea of ​​the tides, winds and rocks in the sea, so the Marathi armour gave a good fight to the English attack. And when the fort was built, the British had to accept the armour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

In 1775, Khanderi was under the control of the British.  1787, Raghoji Angre took the fort.  In 1814, control of Khanderi passed to Bajirao Peshwa II. Again in 1817, Khanderi came under the control of the British.

About the Fort :-

The fort can be reached by local boat from the Thal beach. It is not very famous but it was important as it was on the island in front of Mumbai. The fort has collapsed. But the ramparts are still intact. There is a hill on the island and the fort was built on this hill with Taveli ramparts. The Fort was renamed as “Kanhoji Angre Island” in 1998. The fort usually has 21 bastions, big and small. Looking at all these bastions, it can be seen that this construction is done by interlocking method of stones. Some guns can also be seen on the fort. The fort also has 1,2 wells. There is also a water supply. There are 3 to 4 temples in the fort.

Vetal Temple:

The Vetal temple on this island is famous. where a huge stone is worshipped as Vetala or the spirit. The folklore tells that the stone grows in size every year. There is a festival each year during Holi when pilgrims gather here for worship. The fishermen put their Boats in the sea for fishing only after performing pooja there.

The Light House :

The island is 20 to 25 feet above sea level. The area around the island is rocky. A lighthouse was erected here to prevent the boat from crashing into the rock. The 17 meter high Octagonal Masonry Lighthouse Tower was built in 1866. The lighthouse is located on the highest rock to the south of the fort. Lighthouse was taken over by Mumbai Port Trust on October 11, 2007. And now they take care of it. The lighthouse is powered by solar energy. It has a capacity of 25 nm for white sector and 22 nm for red sector. This lighthouse has been here to guide the boats ever since.

“Metallic” rock:

After coming to the front from the right side of the jetty, there is an amazing rock. When hit by another rock, the rock makes a metal sound. This rock is unique.

How to reach :

Thal is a village located at a distance of 4 to 5 km from Alibag. After visiting the beach, local fishermen take tourists to the fort by boat. The fort can be reached by looking at the weather conditions. Another historic fort, Underi, has to be diverted by sea.

• Thal – Alibag : 4 km
• Pune – Alibag : 145 km
• Mumbai – Alibag : 100 km

Nearby Attractions –

• Mandawa Jetty  (15 km)
• Karmarkar Museum  (16 km)
• Alibag Beach  ( 5 km)
• Kihim Beach (10 km)