Murud-Janjira is a well-known sea fort. This fort is known to stay unconquered in any fight until it was handed over to the Indian region after autonomy from the Britisher.

District/Region

Raigad, Maharashtra, India.

History

Located at the mouth of Rajapuri rivulet is the strengthened island of Janjira fort. This invigorated Island has played a crucial role throughout the entire existence of the Arabian Sea Trade.

Raja Ramrao Patil, the chief of the fishermen community set up his local community first on this island to shield his people from trespassers. He is accepted to be the person who constructed this fort. The legend says the Sultan of Ahmadnagar Sultanate sent Piram Khan to attack this fort as Raja Ramrao Patil wouldn't comply with the orders from the Sultan. Piram Khan came here as a trader with his soldiers in the barrels and captured the fort.

The incomparable Maratha fighters of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj endeavoured to climb the 12 meter high dividers of the fort, yet couldn't succeed. Many other foreign indigenous, as well as foreign rulers, made endeavours to capture this sea fort but failed. Not even the European naval force could overcome this post.

This fort is known particularly for Siddis. They are called Habshi in everyday language. Originally from Africa, Siddis had moved to India as fighters, slaves and dealers in medieval times. They built their empire from scratch and later were in charge of a significant piece of the coastline of Maharashtra. To limit their activities in the sea, Maratha rulers thought of the construction of sea forts like Padmadurga, Khanderi, Underi, etc. Siddhi's lived in their capital at Janjira for quite a long time. It was their focal point of force.

The fort today has numerous structural fragments including the remains of royal houses. There are two huge sweet water lakes on this island. The fairly thick walls rising directly from the sea make this militarily strong. There is only one entrance to the fort to approach.

Geography

The sea fort of Murud Janjira is surrounded by the Arabian sea on all its sides.

Weather/Climate

The prominent weather in the region is rainfall, the Konkan belt experiences High Rainfall (ranges around 2500 mm to 4500 mm), and the climate remains Humid and warm. The temperature reaches up to 30 degrees Celsius during this season.

Summers are hot and humid, and the temperature touches 40 degrees Celsius.

Winters have a comparatively milder climate (around 28 degrees Celsius), and the weather remains Cool and Dry

Things to do

There are many things that one can see on this fort. The remains of the Royal Palace of Siddi Surulkhan includes a five-storey building, Three giant cannons (Kalal Bangdi, Chiavari and Landa Kasam), and more than 35 other cannons. An Arabic inscription on a marble plaque reads 'yohar' which means '1111 H. (A.D. 1694)', two freshwater storage tanks, Chor Darwaza, etc. The Padmadurg fort near Janjira was built by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Tourists can take a special ferry ride to this fort.

Nearest tourist place

The nearest tourist places are:

• Padmadurg Fort (5 KM)
• Datta Temple (6.2 KM)
• Khokari Tombs (1.7 KM)
•  Janjira Beach (0.7 KM)
• Murud Beach (5 KM)
•  Khar Amboli Dam (5.7 KM)
•  Siddhi Palace Murud-Janjira (5.7 KM)

How to travel to tourist place by Rail, Air, Road (train ,flight, bus ) with distance and required time

Nearest Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport(156 KM)

Nearest Railway station: Roha Railway Station (40.3 KM).

You can travel from Mumbai via ferry from the Gateway of India to Rajapuri.

Special food speciality and hotel

Located on the coastal belt of Maharashtra, this place serves the best seafood.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

There are various accommodation facilities like bed and breakfast, Home stay, Cottages, etc.

A Rural Hospital around 5.2 KM away is available.

Murud Police Station (5.4 KM) is the nearest police station to this fort.

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

● The best months to visit this sea fort are from October to March as the climate remains comfortable for sightseeing. This fort is closed during monsoon rains due to safety reasons.

●The fort is open from 7:00 A.M. to 6:30 P.M.

●In order to reach this fort, one has to take a ferry ride from Murud coast to the fort. The ferry ride tickets vary from 50 to 300 INR depending on the size of the boat, while entry to the fort is free.

● To see the entire fort you will need approximately 1-2 hours.

Language spoken in area

English, Hindi, Marathi.