Sindhudurg (Marathi सिंधुदुर्ग) is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India.Sindhudurg (sindhu = sea, durg = fort) was built by the Hiroji Indalkar (Deshmukh) – Shivaji's Master Architect & builder, built several forts in Maharashtra two notable are Sindhudurg fort and Raigad in 1664. Shivaji selected the strategic rocky island locat
ion, then known as 'Kurte' for the fort, himself - to counter foreign forces, and to keep the nearby Siddis of Murud-Janjira in check. One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, Sindhudurg fort has zigzag rampart with 42 bastions. Apart from the huge stones, the building material involved 2000 khandis (72,576 kg) of iron erecting the massive curtain wall and bastions. A notable feature is that the foundation stones were laid down firmly with 5 khandis (181.5 kg) of molten lead. Construction started on 25 November 1664. Built over a period of three years (1664–67), the sea fort is spread over 48 acres (190,000 m2) with a two-mile (3 km) long rampart, and walls that are 30 feet (9.1 m) high and 12 feet (3.7 m) thick. The massive walls were designed to serve as a deterrent to approaching enemies and to the waves and tides of the Arabian Sea. The main entrance is concealed in such a way that no one can pinpoint it from outside. At a time when Samudra Gaman (travelling by sea) was banned by scriptures, this construction on an island represents the revolutionary mindset of its engineer. Sindhudurg town lies in the Sindudurg district to the north of Goa, about 490 km south of Mumbai (Bombay). Sindhudurg can be reached either by train or by bus from Bombay, Goa and Mangalore. The Konkan railway has a railway station at Sindhudurg, but only few trains stop there. Kudal, Kanakvali and Sawantwadi are major railway stations in Sindhudurg district. There are Maharashtra state government (MSRTC) buses running from Mumbai, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Kolhapur and Goa state government buses (Kadamba Transport Corporation) running from Panaji, Madgaon, Vasco and Pernem to Sindhudurg. Nearest airport is Dabholim (Goa) airport, which is located at approx. 90 Km away from Sawantwadi City (major tourist attraction) of Sindhudurg. The Land of Culture and Natural beauty. Sindhudurg is famous for it's natural beauty like Beaches, Backwater, Waterfalls and Pilgrimage centers. The major attraction here is the long and narrow stretch of beaches. On a clear day, you can see the sea-bed through a depth of 20 ft. Then of course, there are the forts, Sindhudurg one of Maharashtra's more popular and important sea forts built in the 17th century and the famous Padmagarh fort. The name of the fort is given to the Sindhudurg district. Tourist from all over the world visit through out the year to see this Maratha glory. Sindhudurg is in the Konkan area of Maharashtra having picturesque stretch of land on the west cost of India, endowed with the beautiful seashore, picturesque Mountains and scenic natural beauty and known for tropical fruits like the world famous Alphonso Mangoes, Cashews, Jamuns etc. Sindhudurg District is the southern part of the greater tract known as the 'Konkan' which is historically famous for its long coast line and safe harbors. Sindhudurg District was earlier a part of the Ratnagiri district . For administrative convenience and industrial and agricultural development Ratnagiri district was divided into Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg with effect from 1st May,1981. Sindhudurg district now comprises of eight tahsils of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Vengurla, Malvan, Devgad, Kankavli, Vaibhavwadi and Dodamarg.The word 'Konkan' is of Indian origin and of considerable antiquity, though the origin of the name has never been sufficiently explained.
