Jaigad Fort

17°18′03″N 73°13′17″E / 17.3007°N 73.2215°E / 17.3007; 73.2215TypeCoastal FortificationSite informationControlled by Bijapur
 Konkan Pirates
 Sangameshwar
 Maratha (1713-1818)
 United Kingdom

• East India Company (1818-1857)
• India (1857-1947)

 India (1947-)^[1]Open to
the publicYesConditionProtected RuinsSite historyBuilt byPresumed to be Sultan of Bijapur, strengthened by Kanhoji Angre

Jaigad Fort(Marathi: जयगड किल्ला, Jayagaḍa killā) (Also transliterated as Zyghur in old British records.^[2]) is a coastal fortification that is located at the tip of a peninsula in Jaigad, Ratnagiri District at a distance of 14 km from the temple town of Ganpatipule, in the state of Maharashtra, India. Nestled on a cliff, it overlooks a bay formed where the Shastri river enters the Arabian Sea.^[3] It has a commanding view of the bay, the nearby power plant and the open sea. A jetty port Angrey, and a lighthouse is located nearby. Although in ruins, most of the fort's outer wall and ramparts still stand. A deep moat surrounds the fort side not facing the cliff edge. In the middle of the 13 acre fort lies the palace of Kanhoji Angre, a Ganpati temple and wells to store water. It is a protected monument.^[4]

History

Jaigad fort is said to have been built by Bijapur Kings in the 16th century. Later it passed into the hands of Naiks of Sangameshwar. He had 7-8 villages and 600 troops under his command. He defeated combined forces of Bijapur and Portuguese in 1583 and 1585. In 1713, Jaigad was one of the ten forts which was ceded by Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa to Kanhoji Angre. In June 1818 this fort was captured by British without any struggle.^[5]

References

See also