ArnalaFort
Arnala Fort
Arnala Fort is built on a small island of the port town of Arnala, located around 8 miles north of Vasai, Maharastra, India[1]. Being an island fort, it is also called Jaldurg or Janjire-Arnala. The Portuguese, who owned this fort[2] rebuilt and gave it the name Ilha das vacas.
History
In 1516, a local chieftain in Gujarat, Sultan Mahmud Begda originally constructed the fort on the island, strategically located at the mouth of the Vaitarna river. In the 1530s, the Portuguese had established their operations in the coastal area headquartered at Fort Bassein and soon gained control of the island. The Portuguese captain of Bassein donated the island to a Portuguese nobleman who tore down the old fort and began construction of 700x700 foot fort. Though fort was never completed by the nobleman, it remained under Portuguese control for 2 centuries, who used it to control shipping and navigation along the northern Konkan coast.During the late 1600s and early 1700s, after a long struggle with the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Confederacy came to dominate present day Maharastra. In 1737 the then Peshwa Baji Rao I sent his brother, Chimaji Appa, to take the Bassein Fort from the Portuguese. After winning the Battle of Vasai, his general, Shankarji Pant, persuaded Chimaji to launch an assault on Fort Arnala, for its strategic importance to the Maratha navy in assaulting Portuguese interests. Their first assault, coordinated with a Maratha naval force commanded by Manaji Agre, was routed by a superior Portuguese naval force. A second assault on the fort on March 28, 1737, caught the Portuguese by surprise and forced them to abandon the fort. The victory was commemorated by a plaque installed on the northern wall of the fort and is still visible today. Marathas then rebuilt the fort, constructing three bastions Bahirav, Bhavani and Bava.The Marathas controlled the fort until 1817 when, during the third British-Maratha war, despite successfully defending the fort, they were forced to surrender the fort to the British due to their superior naval power. The Arnala and Bassien forts were returned to the Marathas by the British in the treaty of Salabai, but the forts again changed hands under the treaty of Pune. Today the fort is in a state of disrepair.
Architecture
There is a large hexagonal fresh water reservoir inside the fort. Inside the fort are the temples of Ambakeshwar, Goddess Bhavani, Lord Shiva, and the tombs of Shahali and Hajjali. The 'paduka' or sacred sandals of Shrinityanand Maharaj are housed in a dome on the eastern face of the fort. The solid stone doorway is adorned with pictures of tigers and elephants. The external ramparts are in a fairly good condition, and a roughly 3-meter-wide path exists along the outer walls.
Arnala Fort
|
Bus Facilities:Mumbai is well
connected by a network of roads to the rest of India by and state highways.
Mumbai has one of the best public bus systems of any major Indian city called
BEST buses. Mumbai has a huge fleet of metered black-and-yellow taxis as well.
Train Facilities:Mumbai is a prominent railway hub of the country. It is the headquarters to two railway zones, central and western. While Central Railways handles services to the east and south, Western Railways has services to the north from Churchgate and Central stations. The main railway station Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) formerly known, as Victoria terminus (VT) is located in the heart of the city. Local and outstation trains ply from here. Other railway stations are Dadar, Churchgate and Kurla. Bookings are to be made in advance to avoid the last minute rush, as trains are the most used mode of transport. The extensive system of suburban electric train network is the most sought after transport means in Mumbai for city travel. Air Facilities:Mumbai can be reached through numerous flights. The international terminal Sahar, renamed as Chatrapati Sivaji International Airportoperates round the clock. Hotel bookings and pre-paid taxis are available at the terminal. The domestic terminal Santa Cruz is about 5km apart and can easily be reached through regular shuttle buses between the two terminals.The domestic airport is well connected and can be used to visit most parts of Western and Southern India. |
Where to Stay
Hotel The Oberoi
Address: Nariman
Point,Mumbai - 400 021, Maharashtra.
Features: Hotel is
considered as one of the most distinguished property in Mumbai with the property
facing the vast arabian sea and the queens necklace. Not only the Hotel Oberoi
offers the business facilities it is also located just minutes from the shopping
attractions of the city. Accommodation at Hotel The Oberoi, Mumbai:Front Desk,
Elevator, Free Newspaper, Free Parking, Bar, Banquet, Restaurant, Safe Deposit
Box, Room Service, Conference Facilities, 24 hour Coffee Shop, Business Centre,
Separate Executive Floor, Executive Lounge, Beauty Parlour, Shopping Arcade,
Swimming Pool, Health & Fitness Centre .Amenities & Services at Hotel The
Oberoi, Mumbai: Air Conditioned, Attached Bath/Toilet, Bathtub / Shower, Cable /
Movies, Direct STD/ISD, Hot & Cold Water, Newspaper, Room Service, Audio/Visual
Equiped, Business Center, Fax Service, Meeting Facilities, Air Conditioned Room,
Baby Care, Banquet, Facilities, Bar, Car Parking, Doctor On Call, Fire
Safeguards, Health Club, Laundry Facilities, Money Changer, Restaurant, Travel
Desk,Billiards, Discotheque, Game Room, Swimming pool.