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]
| Jaigad Fort | |
|---|---|
जयगड किल्ला | |
| Part of the Maratha Empire | |
| Jaigad, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra | |
 Western Wall of the Jaigad Fort | |
  Jaigad Fort | |
| Coordinates | 17°18′03″N 73°13′17″E / 17.3007°N 73.2215°E |
| Type | Coastal Fortification |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Bijapur Konkan Pirates Sangameshwar  Maratha Confederacy (1713-1818) United Kingdom
 India (1947-)[1] |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Protected Ruins |
| Site history | |
| Built by | Presumed to be Sultan of Bijapur, strengthened by Kanhoji Angre |
History
editJaigad 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
edit- ^ Naravane, M. S. (1998). The Maritime and Coastal Forts of India. Pg. 71: APH Publishing. pp. 196 pages. ISBN 8170249104.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Naravane, M. S. (1998). The Maritime and Coastal Forts of India. Pg. 70: APH Publishing. pp. 196 pages. ISBN 8170249104.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "India travelogue entry about Ganpatipule and Jaigad Fort". Retrieved 15 January 2007.
- ^ "List of the protected monuments of Mumbai Circle district-wise" (PDF). Archived from the original on 6 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "The Gazetteers Department - RATNAGIRI". Cultural.maharashtra.gov.in. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
See also
edit