Photo Travelogue :
I love visiting old forts and my blogs has covered quite a bunch from all over the country.
India -
the cradle of civilizations since time immemorial has hundreds ( if not thousands ) of forts, with the state of Maharashtra itself having hundreds within it. My interest lies in learning the history of these magnificient structures as well as experiencing their 'spooky' quotent; because, every historical fort
almost always has a bloody history of sorts. And when its a fort thats as old as the Ghodbunder Fort, one can be rest assured of its spine-chilling story. Bombay has a rich history that goes back to Portugese occupancy and then the British, in between the native Marathas fighting them both tooth and nail, so these forts has seen maximum battles and deaths from attacks and captures in a repeat mode. These forts were of importance as they stood in strategic locations and were of great importance both from administration and defence, as well as trade point of view. The Ghodbunder Fort served both these purposes. At present, although, it is currently in ruins and lay abandoned, one can't help but recall what glory it must've witnessed and upheld in its past.
I had made a mental note to visit all the forts surrounding Bombay - there are quite a many, so, Ghodbunder Fort was definately on that itinerary. One has to go via the 20 kms long Ghodbunder Road to reach Ghodbunder Fort. It lies somewhere in between from both Borivali ( western line ) side or Thane ( central line ). As soon as one reaches the famous Fountain Hotel Circle ( all buses stop at this point ), taking the opposite straight road to the ghodbunder village it is a 3km or so walk. I asked couple of locals the directions and it was quite a straight road - only at the end it becomes circular with two split roads reaching the same spot. The place is on top of a small hill so the climb was inevitable. I was surpised to see so many houses clustered so close to each other throughout the entire length of that hill road on both the sides. Its amazing to see what remote corners people lived and thrived. I spotted some monkeys too jumping from one roof to the other. The view of the Ulhas river or Vasai Creek kept me company till I reached the fort. At first, I was bit dissapointed as I saw those construction ladders all over the place at the entrance - its going under renovation. Nonetheless, I went in and slowly my mind changed from disappointment to excitement as I reached the interiors of the Fort. The entry is free. Its a comparatively small fort and can be covered within 1-2 hours. It has couple of courtyards ( small and big ), with certain enclosed sections with high walls. Locals playing cricket in one such sections was bit disappointing again - I hope its restricted. However, I was glad the fort walls were not defaced with graffiti. There were just few other tourists too so it was quite enjoyable - not too noisy. I hate it when tourists create a nuisance in histortical spots. A flag stood tall at the cylindrical bastion and I loved the views from it. My experience was lovely and I had a great time exploring all corners. Here's my entire experience at the fort. Enjoy :-)
view from the entrance...
these walls were crumbling at one point...it has been restored by the ASI...
landscaped garden...newly made...
stone steps going up...gives that typical 'ancient' feel...
hidden secret narrow stairways...for quick escape...
the enclosers where horses were kept in the past for trade by the portugese and arabs...
the central courtyard...I was alone for a while in this particular area and had quite an eerie feeling of being continuously watched. Oddly enough, it was quite 'cold' as well in this spot compared to other parts of the fort that were scorching hot, adding to the discomfort of being 'watched' and engulfed by those dwellers of the past whose souls still roam this place. While capturing and protecting this fort throughout history, many people have died. Their spirits to this date, are stuck and roam these grounds and have been witnessed many times particularly at nights by visitors as well as locals. The place had a strange smell too ( of horses? ) that lingered on even when I reached home and was preparing this post the next morning.
Quite weird!
the cylindrical bastion of the fort... it gives great 360 degree views from the circular top of the entire coastal surroundings - of the Arabian Sea, the Vasai creek to the looming heights of the forested hills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park at a distance and the highway...
the great maratha 'saffron' flag flying high at 105 feet...
fort ruins before it was renovated...quite spooky...( pics from archives )
Since this place has been taken over by the Archeological Survey of India and is being restored under the 'adopt a monument', scheme, the place has changed a lot and the difference is quite evident. The looks might have changed with beautification, proper maintainence and re-structures, but will it change its history -
nops!
The Ghodbunder Fort Ghodbunder Fort is a fort located in Ghodbunder Village, Thane, Maharashtra, India, on the hill just south of the Ulhas River. It was built by the Portuguese and then occupied by the Marathas, before being used as the East India Company's district headquarters ( wiki ).
Address : Ghodbander Village, Ghodbunder, Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra 401107
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