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A FORTRESS OUT AT SEAThe historical Janjira Fort. In the middle of the sea.

Photographs: Mahesh Patwardhan

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The Janjira fort is situated near the coastalvillage of Murud, in the Raigad district ofMaharashtra, India.

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Murud, a sleepy fishingtown, lies about 165km

south of Mumbai.

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The fortress of Janjirawas built by the Siddiswho were descendants of

sailor-traders from theHorn of Africa.

It became the capital ofthe Siddis of Janjira.

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It is famous for beingthe only fort along

India's western coastthat remainedundefeated despiteMaratha, Dutch andEnglish East India

Company attacks.

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Although constructedon an island, the

towering walls seem toemerge from the sea.

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With a height of over90ft above the sea and20 ft strong foundation,it took 22 years to buildthe fort.

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The only way to reachJanjira is by local boatfrom Rajpuri Port,

about 5km south ofMurud.

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Janjira fort wasoriginally constructed

in the 12th century bySiddis, businessmenturned rulers fromAbyssinia, near Africa.

While that puts the ageof the fort at over 900years old, most recordssay that the fort in itscurrent form was builtover 300 years back bySiddi Johar.

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The fort, built centuries ago, is almostentirely intact even today, despite theravages of wind and tide, a testimony to the

marvels of ancient engineering.

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Inside the fort is a deepwell with cold andsweet water - a wonderof nature in the midst ofthe saline sea.

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Inside the fort walls, the ruins of a mosque, apalace and bath with water channeled fromstreams, tell of ancient times when royals

occupied the quarters.

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There are several towersand turrets in theJanjira Fort, which are

used for keeping gunsand cannons.

This fort had a total of500 canons once but now

only a few of them exist.

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These cannons werelargely responsible forrepelling oncomingenemies from the sea.

Kalal Bangadi,Chavari and LandaKasam are some otherwell known guns thatare found inside thefort.

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Among the manycannons mounted in thefort, the most famouscannon is the 'KatlalBhankari'.

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This is the only fort inthe 700+ km coastlineof Maharashtra whichremained unconquered.

Attacked by thePortuguese, the British,the Marathas, the fortremained unconquored.

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Although it is famous as a fort that wasnever conquered, it could well give in to theravages of nature in the years to come.

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How many years before its walls slowly turnto rubble and its interior back into forest?

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Photographs: Mahesh Patwardhan