Kolaba Fort

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Kolaba - Hosted By alibagonline

Alibag, Maharashtra, India.

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Kolaba fort near Alibag beach attracts the attention of tourists. Standing on the shores of Alibag, you can see the Kolaba Fort standing in front of it. The fort is located on an island 267 to 927 meters long from north to north and 109 meters wide from east to west. The fort is easily accessible after low tide.

The vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, the tall cypress trees, the tall coconut trees that talk to the sky, the golden sand spread far and wide like a muslin carpet. The rolling waves back against the rocks, and the Kolaba fort standing like a guard with a stiff neck in the sea. This enchanting view can be seen from Alibag Beach. At low tide, the fort can be easily walked through the sand. Or you can take a horse cart to the fort. The fort is located at a distance of about one and a half to two kilometers from the shore.

The History:-

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built this forts to fight the enemy coming by sea. On 19th March 1680, Maharaj started building the fort. After his death, Sambhaji Maharaj completed the construction of Kolaba fort in June 1681. Kolaba fort came to prominence during the reign of Kanhoji Angre. At that time, the fort was the center of maneuvering tactics.

Kanhoji Angre died on 4 July 1729 at Kolaba Fort. In 1770, a terrible fire near Pinjra Buruja destroyed many structures on the fort. Another fire in 1787 destroyed Angry’s palace. On 29 November 1721, a combined British and Portuguese force attacked Alibag with 6,000 troops and 6 warships, but was defeated. First Shivshahi, then Peshwa and finally , the British saw the period ‘Fort Kolaba’. Fort Kolaba became the first maritime capital of Kanhoji Angre, whom the British called ‘Shivaji of the Sea’.

Construction –

One feel proud to see this fort still standing in his mind after enduring the waves. The entrance to the fort faces north east along the coast. Shivaji Maharaj did many experiments in fort architecture, one of which can be seen here. During the construction of this fort, large pieces of stone are simply stacked on top of each other. The crack between the two stones is not filled with lime. Therefore, when the sea waves hit the walls of the fort, the water penetrates into the cracks in the rocks and the impact of the waves decreases. That is why today, hundreds of years later, the wall is still standing, despite the constant waves. The fortifications are still strong today.

Inside the Fort –

Sculptures like peacock, elephant, deer, lotus, sharabh are carved at the entrance of the fort. The second gate of the fort remains as a relic. The fort has 17 bastions. There are four towers at the four ends, five on the west, four on the east, three on the north and one on the south. The bastions have names like Pinjra, Nagarkhani, Ganesh, Surya, Hanumantha, Tofkhani, Darukhani. After entering through the entrance, to the left side, you will see the temple of Goddess Bhavani. In front of it, there is a small temple of Goddess Padmavati and a big temple of Goddess Gulvati.

Ganesh Temple:-

The Siddhi Vinayak Temple built by Raghoji Angre is here. The idol of Lord Ganesha in this temple is made of marble and it is of right arm. A large number of devotees still goes to Sankashti for Ganpati Darshan. To the north is the temple of Maruti and to the south is the temple of Lord Shiva, the peace there is indescribable. Resting for a moment under a white chaffa tree in the temple area makes the mind feel a different kind of peace. There is a rhythm to the sound of the waves hitting the wall. Listening to it is just a pleasure.

On the way back, on the left, you can see the ruins of Angry’s castle. In front of the temple is a freshwater well. The gate at the south end of the fort is called Dhakta Darwaza / Yashwant Darwaza. Ganpati, Garuda, Maruti, Crocodile, Lotus and Velbutti are engraved on this door. Near the door is the dome of Kanhoji and the stone of the gatekeeper deity. On the bank of the fort are the remains of a dock. New ships were built and old ones repaired. There are steps to go to the fort wall. From there, the view of the endless sea is enchanting.

To the north of the fort are two cannons with wheels. There is a Dargah in the fort. This fort can be seen in 2 hours. 3-5 km by sea from Kolaba fort, to the southwest is a 60-foot-high lighthouse. At the time of high tide do not try to go here. Wait for the low tide and visit.

Tourism –

It is a wonderful experience to see the sun set sitting in the sand and to watch the changing shades of sky . The waves come back to the shore and hit the rock. Watching the sea and the red bright sun going to rest in the middle of the sea is memorable experience .

To see the enchanting ceremony of the nature and experience the beautiful evening is the best and blissful moment of the joy.

Many facilities have been provided for tourists on the coast by the local authorities. Horse-drawn carriages, many water boats, various water games are also here. There are also small shops selling coconut water and other food items.

In the evening, as the sun goes down, the boats begin to return to shore. The fishermen start walking back to the house, carrying the nets on their shoulders. It’s a beautiful view to see the fishermen return journey and view of the sun slowly goes down into the sea. view of the sunrise is indescribable as the sunset. Many tourists visit Alibag to experience this and to see the heritage of Kolaba Fort.

How to reach :

To visit Kolaba fort, you need to go to Alibag. Alibag is reachable by road,

Pune – Alibag 150 kms
Mumbai – Alibag 100 kms (Nearest airport)
Public Transport is also available from Mumbai, Pune.

Once you reach Alibag beach, you can reach the fort by walking while low tide. While high tide it is not possible to reach the fort. The timetable is displayed at the beach.

Best time to visit the Fort:-

The fort can be visited all over the year. However, during monsoon time, due to heavy rain it might be difficult to see the fort. Also see the timetable to visit the fort & one should strictly follow the timing displayed at the beach.