Vasai

Discover Vasai Fort: A small, decagonal fortress with bastions like Bahri Buruz, Kalyan Buruz, Phateh Buruz, Kailas Buruz, and Darya Buruz. * **1414:** Built by Sardar Bhandari Bhendale. * **1530:** Captured by the Sultan of Gujarat. * **1534:** Conquered and reconstructed by the Portuguese over ten years. * **The Fort:** 1 km in length/width. Ramparts are 30m high, 5m wide. Entrances from seaside and landside, plus secret passages. Built to watch the Saashti region. Nearby bridges: Sopar and Gokhrava.**Maratha Siege (1739):** * **1737:** Marathas failed to capture it. * **1739:** Bajirao Peshwa chose Chimajiappa. Attack planned from the swamp side. Rampart broken on the northern side. * **May 2, 1739:** Two-day war began. 800 Portuguese lost their lives. Portuguese surrendered to Chimajiappa.**British Capture (1780):** * **1780:** British plan attack (Chief: Colonel Goddard). Fort chief: Visaji Krishna Lele. * **Oct 23:** Maratha reinforcements (Chimaji Panse, Bhavani Shivram) started for Vasai. Food/treasury shortage on the fort. * **Oct 28:** Goddard started cannon firing. British destroyed Gokhrava and Sopar bridges. * **Dec 10:** After continuous fighting, the British captured the fort.

Fort Highlights: * **Quick Access:** Only a 15-minute walk from the base village. * **Entrance:** Main entrance is on the right side. * **Ramparts:** See the steps to the rampart (30-35 units high), offering a look at the fort's construction. * **Bastions (10 total):** * Nossa Sonora * Doremidea * Rais Mago * St. Gonsolay * Madre the Diy (4th bastion, near a secret passage) * St. John (5th, leads to a neighboring harbor) * Elephant (6th) * St. Pedro (7th) * St. Paul (8th) * St. Sebastian (9th) * St. Sebastian Cavlero (10th) * **On the way to Citadel:** Three churches, a court building, a hospital, a town hall (two arches), a jail, and the temple of Vajreshwari Devi. * **History:** Don't miss the memorial marking Chimajiappa's victory over Vasai. * **Citadel:** Explore the storeroom for ammunition, soldier residences, and palace remnants. A lithograph is also found here. * **Duration:** Allow 2 hours to fully explore the fort.