Fort Vasai (Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Baçaím) is a ruined fort of the town of
Vasai (Bassein)
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district ...
,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, India. The structure was formally christened as the Fort of St. Sebastian in the Indo-Portuguese era. The fort is a monument of national importance and is protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
.
The fort and the town are accessible via the
Naigaon Railway Station
Naigaon is a railway station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network.
Neighbourhood station to Naigaon in the south is Bhayandar. Platforms 2 & 4 operate Trains towards Churchgate side whereas Platforms 1 & 3 operate Tra ...
which itself is in the city of
Vasai-Virar
Vasai-Virar is an agglomeration of four previously governed municipal councils i.e. Vasai, Virar, Nala Sopara, and Navghar-Manikpur and a few villages on the west as well as the east of the congested city area. It lies in the Konkan division of M ...
, and lies to the immediate north of the city of Mumbai. The
Naigaon Railway Station
Naigaon is a railway station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network.
Neighbourhood station to Naigaon in the south is Bhayandar. Platforms 2 & 4 operate Trains towards Churchgate side whereas Platforms 1 & 3 operate Tra ...
is on the
Western Railway line (formerly the
Bombay-Baroda railway) in the direction of the
Virar railway station
Virar (Marathi pronunciation: iɾaːɾ station code: VR) is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Virar is a terminus station.
It is around one and a half hours away by train from . Virar is a very cr ...
.
History
Pre-Portuguese Era
The
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
merchant
Cosma Indicopleustes is known to have visited the areas around
Vasai
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district w ...
in the 6th century and the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
traveller
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
later on June or July 640. According to historian
José Gerson da Cunha
José Gerson da Cunha (2 February 1844 – 3 August 1900) was a Goan physician who achieved international renown as an orientalist, historian, linguist and numismatist.
Early life and medical career
José Gerson da Cunha was born in Arpora, ...
, during this time,
Vasai
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district w ...
and its surrounding areas appeared to have been ruled by the
Chalukya dynasty
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynast ...
of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
.
Until the 11th century, several
Arabian
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
geographers had mentioned references to towns nearby
Vasai
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district w ...
, like
Thane
Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven talukas ...
and
Nala Sopara
Nala Sopara or Nallasopara (Pronunciation: aːla sopaɾa formerly known as Sopara or Supara, is a town within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The town lies in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, India and is governed by Vasai-Virar Municipal ...
, but no references had been made to
Vasai
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district w ...
.
Vasai
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district w ...
was later ruled by the
Silhara dynasty
The Shilahara Kingdom ( IAST: Śilāhāra; also Sinhara, Shailahara, Shrilara, and Silara) was a royal dynasty that established itself in northern and southern Konkan in 8th century CE, present-day Mumbai and Southern Maharashtra (Kolhapur) d ...
of
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
and eventually passed to the
Seuna dynasty. It was head of district under the Seuna (1184-1318). Later being conquered by the
Gujarat Sultanate
The Gujarat Sultanate (or the Sultanate of Guzerat), was a Medieval Indian kingdom established in the early 15th century in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. The dynasty was founded by Sultan Zafar Khan Muza ...
, a few years later
Barbosa (1514) described it under the name Baxay (pronounced Basai) as a town with a good seaport belonging to the
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
of
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
.
Portuguese Era
The
Portuguese Armadas
The Portuguese Indian Armadas ( pt, Armadas da Índia) were the fleets of ships funded by the Crown of Portugal, and dispatched on an annual basis from Portugal to India. The principal destination was Goa, and previously Cochin. These armadas ...
first reached the west coast of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
after the
discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
of the
Cape route
The European-Asian sea route, commonly known as the sea route to India or the Cape Route, is a shipping route from the European coast of the Atlantic Ocean to Asia's coast of the Indian Ocean passing by the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas ...
by
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
, he landed at
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
in 1498. For several years after their arrival, they had been consolidating their power in north and south
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
, in and around the present-day Bombay and Goa. They had established their capital at
Velha Goa
Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa.
The ...
captured from the
Adil Shahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's T ...
dynasty of
Bijapur
Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural ...
in 1510. According to historian
Manuel de Faria e Sousa
Manuel de Faria e Sousa (; es, Faria y Sousa; 18 March 1590 – 3 June 1649) was a Portuguese historian and poet. He frequently wrote in Spanish.
He was born of an ancient Portuguese noble family, probably at Pombeiro, studied in Braga for s ...
, the coast of
Bassein (Vasai) was first visited by them in 1509, when
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida (), also known as the Great Dom Francisco (c. 1450 – 1 March 1510), was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against ...
on his way to
Dio captured a ship off
Bombay Harbour
Mumbai Harbour (also English language, English; Bombay Harbour or Front Bay, Marathi language, Marathi''Mumba'ī bandar''), is a natural deep-water harbour in the southern portion of the Ulhas River estuary. The narrower, northern part of the es ...
, with 24 citizens of
Sultan of Guzerat aboard it.
Treaty of Vasai (1534)
The
Treaty of Vasai (1534) was signed by
Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat and the
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kno ...
on 23 December 1534, while on board the
galleon
Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch War ...
''São Mateus''. Based on the terms of the agreement, the
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
gained control of the city of
Vasai (Bassein)
Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district ...
, as well as its territories, islands, and seas. The Bombay islands under Portuguese control include
Colaba
Colaba (; or ISO: Kolābā) is a part of the city of Mumbai, India. It is one of the four peninsulas of Mumbai while the other three are Worli, Bandra and Malabar Hill. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Kolbhat ...
,
Old Woman's Island
The Old Woman's Island, also known as ''Little Colaba'' is one of the seven islands composing the city of Mumbai, India, and part of the historic Old Mumbai.
The Colaba Causeway
Colaba Causeway, officially known as Shahid Bhagat Singh Road ...
,
Mumbai (Bombay)
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
,
Mazagaon
Mazagaon, also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon (Portuguese rule Mazagão), and pronounced by the Catholics as 'Mazgon' or 'Maz-a-gon' and the Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav, is one of the seven islands of Mumbai.
References
;Notes
{{reflist
;Sou ...
,
Worli
Worli (ISO: ''Varaḷī'', əɾ(ə)ɭiː is a locality in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is one of the four peninsulas of Mumbai while the other being Colaba, Bandra and Malabar Hill. The sea connects it with Bandra
via the Band ...
,
Matunga
Matunga (Marathi pronunciation: aːʈuŋɡaː is a locality in the heart of Mumbai City towards downtown Mumbai. It is serviced by the Matunga Road station on the Western line, Matunga station on the Central Line and King's Circle station on ...
,
Mahim
Mahim (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɦiːm(Marathi language, Marathi: माहिम) is a neighbourhood in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Mahim Junction railway station on the Western Railway zone, Western Railway and Harbou ...
.
Salsette
Salsette Island is an island in Konkan division of the state of Maharashtra on India's west coast. Administratively known as Greater Mumbai, the city district of Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban District, Mira Bhayander and a portion of Thane lie withi ...
,
Diu,
Trombay
Trombay is an eastern suburb in Bombay (Mumbai), India.
History
Trombay was called Neat's Tongue because of its shape. Once, it was an island nearly 5 km East of Mumbai and was about 8 km in length and 8 km in width. The island ...
&
Chaul
Chaul is a historic town located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Korlai Fort is located nearby.
History
The town was famous for cotton manufactured goods in the 15th and 16th century, According to Varthema, Chaul was prod ...
were other territories controlled and settled by the Portuguese.
At the time, the cession of
Mumbai (Bombay)
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
was of minor importance, but retroactively it gained a place on the world map when the place passed from the Portuguese to the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in 1661, as part of the
dowry of Catherine Braganza
Catherine of Braganza ( pt, Catarina de Bragança; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to King Charles II, which lasted from 21 May 1662 until his death on 6 February 1685. She ...
. It became a major trade centre, the treaty's most important long-term result.
Vasai (Bassein) became the northern territory's headquarters after the
16th-century treaty with the
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah, born Bahadur Khan was a sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom in India from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He ascended to throne after competing with ...
. In the
Portuguese era, the fort was styled as the Northern Court (''Corte da Norte''), second only to the Portuguese viceroy of the East in the city of
Velha Goa
Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa.
The ...
. For over 150 years, the Portuguese presence made the surrounding area a vibrant and opulent city. The Bassein and its surroundings were the largest Portuguese territory, including places such as
Chaul
Chaul is a historic town located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Korlai Fort is located nearby.
History
The town was famous for cotton manufactured goods in the 15th and 16th century, According to Varthema, Chaul was prod ...
-
Revdanda
Revdanda is a village near Alibaug, Raigad District, Maharashtra. It's the site of the medieval 'Chaul harbor'.
Directions
India. It is connected through a coastal highway (Sagari Mahamarg) away from Alibag, away from Mumbai, 37km away fro ...
, Caranja, the Bombay Archipelago, Bandra Island, Juhu Island,
Salsette Island
Salsette Island is an island in Konkan division of the state of Maharashtra on India's west coast. Administratively known as Greater Mumbai, the city district of Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban District, Mira Bhayander and a portion of Thane lie withi ...
including the city of
Thane
Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven talukas ...
, Dharavi Island, the Bassein archipelago,
Daman,
Diu
The community known as the "Bombay East Indians" were called ''
Norteiros'' (Northern men) after the Court of the North, based in the fort.
Maratha Era
In the 18th century, the Bassein Fort was taken over by the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
under
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...
Baji Rao's brother
Chimaji Appa
Chimaji Balaji Bhat was born in a Chitpavan caste family in 1707 and died in 1740, commonly referred to as Appa or Bhau, was the son of Balaji Vishwanath, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Baji Rao I, Bajirao Peshwa of Maratha E ...
and fell in 1739 after the
Battle of Vasai. The fort was taken by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
in 1774 and returned to Maratha in 1783 under the
Treaty of Salbai
The Treaty of Salbai was signed on 17 May 1782, by representatives of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War it was signed between Warren
Hastings and Mah ...
. The
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
in 1818 attacked and again took over the territory from the Marathas. The fort also played a strategic role in the
First Anglo-Maratha War
The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha Wars fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The wa ...
.
British Era
Treaty of Vasai (1802)
The
Treaty of Vasai (1802) was a
pact
A pact, from Latin ''pactum'' ("something agreed upon"), is a formal agreement between two or more parties. In international relations, pacts are usually between two or more sovereign states. In domestic politics, pacts are usually between two or ...
signed on 31 December 1802 between the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
and
Baji Rao II
Shrimant Peshwa Baji Rao II (10 January 1775 – 28 January 1851) was the 13th and the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him ...
, the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...
of
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
after the
Battle of Pune. The treaty was a decisive step in the dissolution of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
.
Present
The fort is a major tourist attraction in the region .
The ramparts overlook what is alternatively called the
Vasai Creek
Vasai Creek, previously Bassein Creek, is an estuary and one of the two main distributaries of the Ulhas River, in Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The Ulhas splits at the northeast corner of Salsette island into its two main distributarie ...
and the Bhayandar Creek and are almost complete, though overgrown by vegetation. Several watch-towers still stand, with safe staircases leading up. The Buildings inside the fort are in ruins, although there are enough standing walls to give a good idea of the floor plans of these structures. Some have well-preserved
facades. In particular, many of the arches have weathered the years remarkably well. They are usually decorated with carved stones, some weathered beyond recognition, others still displaying sharp chisel marks.
Three chapels inside the fort are still recognisable. They have
facades typical of 17th-century Churches. The southernmost of these has a well-preserved barrel-vaulted ceiling. Besides all the structures, tourists often also observe the nature that has taken over much of the fort. Butterflies, birds, plants and reptiles can all be observed.
The fort is also a popular shooting location for
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
movies and songs. The
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
hit ″
Kambakkht Ishq
''Kambakkht Ishq'' () is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language
romantic comedy film directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film is based on the 2002 Tamil film '' Pammal K. Sambandam'' which in turn was based on the 1999 movi ...
″ from
Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
''Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film produced by Ram Gopal Varma, and directed by Rajat Mukherjee. It stars Fardeen Khan, Urmila Matondkar and Sonali Kulkarni. The soundtrack was composed by Sandeep C ...
,
Poster Lagwa Do from
Luka Chuppi
''Luka Chuppi'' () is a 2019 Indian Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films. Set in Mathura, it is about a television reporter who cohabits with his headstrong intern a ...
are Bollywood songs short at the fort. Movies such as
Josh
Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to:
People A–J
* "Josh", an early pseudonym of S ...
, starring
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
, and
Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega
''Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Eeshwar Nivas and produced by Ram Gopal Varma and Nitin Manmohan. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Fardeen Khan, Sonali Bendre, Twinkle Khanna, ...
have a number of scenes from the fort. Other films shot here include
Khamoshi and
Ram Gopal Verma's Aag.
The fort was also one of the shooting locations for the international hit song '
Hymn for the Weekend
"Hymn for the Weekend" is a single by the British rock band Coldplay from their seventh studio album ''A Head Full of Dreams'' (2015), featuring uncredited vocals from American singer Beyoncé. It was written by the band's members (Guy Berryma ...
' by British band
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
. The fort showcased at the start and in between is the Vasai Fort. The video features
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n actress
Sonam Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (; born 9 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award, and from 2012 to 2016, she appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list based on her income and ...
. The video has over 960 million views on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
as of July 2018, becoming the second most-viewed music video for
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
(after "
Something Just like This
"Something Just Like This" is a song by American electronic music duo The Chainsmokers and British rock band Coldplay. It was released on February 22, 2017, as the second single from The Chainsmokers debut album, '' Memories...Do Not Open'', and ...
").
The
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
has started restoration work of the fort, although the quality of the work has been severely criticised by "conservation activists".
Accessibility
To visit the Vasai Fort, take a Western Railways train bound to Virar from Churchgate in Mumbai and alight at the Vasai Road Railway Station. If you are departing from the Central Railway or Central Railway Harbour Line, then you have to switch to the Western Railway line at either Dadar, Bandra or Andheri. Another railway line connects the Central and the Western Railways lines from Vasai Road Railway Station to Diva, a stop just beyond Thane city on the Central Railway line, and long-distance passenger trains travelling this route also carry commuters between the two lines. There is a railway station named Kopar between Diva and Dombivli. Passengers travelling from Thane or Kalyan can alight at Kopar and walk up the staircase and to Platform No. 3 where they can catch the Diva to Vasai train. The Vasai Road station is only an hour by train from Kopar station. Currently, there are 5 trains daily which goes to Vasai Road from Dombivli, Diva and Panvel and 5 trains from Vasai Road to Diva and Panvel. There is a State Road Transport Bus Terminus & Station adjacent and to the immediate west of the Vasai Road Railway Station in Manickpur-Navghar. The destination for buses going to the Vasai Fort is "Killa Bunder" or "Fort Jetty/Quay". There are buses every half-hour. Ticket cost ₹ 15 per person and you can alight at the last stop and walk around. Auto rickshaws are also available, which can be hired from the western entrance to the railway station but cost more per head and are regarded as unsafe in that they are usually congested. Auto rickshaws are also available, which can be hired from the main road outside the station but it is ₹ 40 per person.
Gallery
Some fauna and flora inside the fort:
File:Baobab Tree at Vasai Fort.jpg, Baobab tree at the seaside entrance
File:A grasshopper at the fort.jpg, Katydid Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grasshopp ...
File:Baby Caterpillers feeding on leaves at the fort.jpg, Baby caterpillars feeding on leaves
File:Wild Flowers.jpg, Some wildflowers
File:Spider having lunch.jpg, Spider from the family Araneidae
Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name ...
feasting on a butterfly
File:Beatutiful grasshopper.jpg, Katydid Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grasshopp ...
File:Eurasian Hoopoe at the Bassein Fort.jpg, African Hoopoe
File:Unidentified Agamidae at Bassein fort.ext.jpg, Agamid Lizard
See also
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Military history of Bassein
The military history of Bassein encompasses the period from 1526, when the Portuguese established their first factory at Bassein, until 1818, when Bassein lost its strategic importance following the defeat of the Marathas by the British.
Basse ...
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Treaty of Bassein (1534)
The Treaty of Baçaim was signed by Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat and the Kingdom of Portugal on 23 December 1534 while on board the galleon ''São Mateus''. Based on the terms of the agreement, the Portuguese Empire gained control of the city of Ba ...
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Treaty of Bassein (1802)
The Treaty of Bassein (or Treaty of Vasai) was a pact signed on 31 December 1802 between the British East India Company and Baji Rao II, the Maratha Peshwa of Poona in India after the Battle of Poona. The treaty was a decisive step in the diss ...
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Portuguese India
The State of India ( pt, Estado da Índia), also referred as the Portuguese State of India (''Estado Português da Índia'', EPI) or simply Portuguese India (), was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of a se ...
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Chimaji Appa
Chimaji Balaji Bhat was born in a Chitpavan caste family in 1707 and died in 1740, commonly referred to as Appa or Bhau, was the son of Balaji Vishwanath, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Baji Rao I, Bajirao Peshwa of Maratha E ...
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Battles involving the Maratha Empire
The Maratha Conquests were a series of conquests in the Indian subcontinent which led to the building of the Maratha Empire. These conquests were started by Shivaji in 1659, from the victory at the Battle of Pratapgad against Bijapur. The exp ...
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List of Maratha dynasties and states
This is a list of Maratha dynasties and Maratha princely states.
Historical Maratha dynasties with original clans spread globally
† - States annexed by the British East India Company
Maratha Princely States
The Marathas ruled much of ...
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List of people involved in the Maratha Empire
This is a listing of people who were involved in the formation and growth of Maratha Empire.
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian power that existed from 1647 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered a territory of over 2. ...
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Marathi People
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
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Maratha Army
The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in India.
17th century
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, raised a small yet effective l ...
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Maratha Navy
The Maratha Navy was the naval wing of the armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from around mid-17th century to mid-18th century in India.
Formative years
Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar noted:
In medieval India, the Muslim rul ...
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Maratha titles
The following list includes a brief about the titles of nobility or orders of chivalry used by the Marathas of India and by the Marathis/ Konkanis in general.
Titles used by the Maratha Royals
The titles used by royalty, aristocracy and nobili ...
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Military history of India
The predecessors to the contemporary Army of India were many: the sepoy regiments, native cavalry, irregular horse and Indian sapper and miner companies raised by the three British presidencies. The Army of India was raised under the British ...
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List of forts in Maharashtra
This is list of forts in Maharashtra a state of India
# Achala Fort (Nashik)
# Agashi Fort
# Ahmednagar Fort
# Ahivant Fort
# Ajinkyatara
# Akola Fort
# Akluj Fort
# Alang Fort
# Ambolgad
# Anjaneri
# Anjanvel Fort
# Ankai Fort
# Antur For ...
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List of forts in India
This is a partial list of forts in India.
Andhra Pradesh
Coastal Region
# Anvika Fort
# Addanki Fort - Prakasam district
# Bellamkonda Fort - Guntur district
# Bobbili Fort – Vizianagaram district
# Dharanikota Fort – Guntur district
# ...
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List of Jesuit sites
This list includes past and present buildings, facilities and institutions associated with the Society of Jesus. In each country, sites are listed in chronological order of start of Jesuit association.
Nearly all these sites have bee ...
References
External links
History of VasaiMumbai Customs - History
Bibliography
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{{Coord, 19, 19, 49, N, 72, 48, 54, E, type:landmark, display=title
History of Portugal
Maratha Navy
History of Vasai
16th-century forts in India
Portuguese forts in India
Portuguese structures in Mumbai
1530s establishments in Portuguese India
1534 in Portugal
Gujarat Sultanate
Forts in Palghar district
Treaties of the Kingdom of Portugal
Tourist attractions in Palghar district
Baroque architecture in India
1534 establishments in the Portuguese Empire
1534 treaties