Fort Aguada is a well-preserved seventeenth-century

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, along with a lighthouse, standing in

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

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 ...

, on Sinquerim Beach, overlooking the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. It is an ASI protected Monument of National Importance in Goa.

Origins and history

The fort was originally constructed in 1612 to guard against the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

at that time. This old Portuguese fort stands on the beach south of

Candolim Candolim is a census town in North Goa and is located in the Bardez taluka in the state of Goa, India. It is situated just south of Calangute Beach and North of Sinquerim. History During the late 16th century, Candolim became the first vill ...

, at the shore of the

Mandovi River The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins wi ...

. It was initially tasked with defense of shipping and the nearby

Bardez ''Bardez'' ( kok, Bardes; pt, Bardes; IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It was a ''concelho'' in the Portuguese State of India before 1961. Etymology The name is credited to the Saraswat Br ...

sub-district. A freshwater spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name: Aguada, meaning

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

y in the

language. Crews of passing ships would often visit to replenish their freshwater stores. The Aguada Fort Lighthouse erected in 1864 is the oldest of its kind in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Built in 1612, it was once the grandstand of 79

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s. It has the capacity of storing 2,376,000

gallon The gallon is a unit of volume in imperial units and United States customary units. Three different versions are in current use: *the imperial gallon (imp gal), defined as , which is or was used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Austr ...

s of water, one of the biggest freshwater storage of the time in whole of

. This fort is divided in two segments: the upper part acted as fort and watering station, while the lower part served as a safe berth for Portuguese

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s. Whereas the upper part has a moat, underground

water storage Water storage is a broad term referring to storage of both potable water for consumption, and non potable water for use in agriculture. In both developing countries and some developed countries found in tropical climates, there is a need to store p ...

chamber,

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

room, lighthouse, and bastions, it also has a secret escape passage to use during time of war and emergency. The lighthouse at the initial stage is used to emit light once in 7 minutes. Fort Aguada was the most prized and crucial fort of

. The fort is so large that it envelops the entire peninsula at the southwestern tip of

. Built on the mouth of

, it was strategically located and was the chief defense of Portuguese against the

. During the Salazar Administration, Fort Aguada was repurposed for use as a prison primarily, some claim, for Salazar's political opponents.

Aguada lighthouse

The Aguada lighthouse was built in 1864 on a hill located on the west to the fort. It is one of the oldest in Asia. It is located between

Mormugao Mormugao is a seaport city situated in the eponymous Mormugao taluka (municipality) of the South district, in the Goa state, India. It has a deep natural harbour and remains Goa's chief port. Towards the end of the Indo-Portuguese era in 191 ...

peninsula and Calangute beach. It was replaced by a new lighthouse in 1976 after serving for about a century. There was a large bell on the lighthouse which was found in the ruins of Saint Augustus monastery in Old Goa.

Aguada Central Jail

Aguada Central Jail is a part of the fort and which was the largest prison in Goa till 2015. The 17th-century Portuguese-era structure has been renovated by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation along with the Goa Heritage Action Group and Goa's freedom fighters and opened for tourists as a Freedom Struggle Museum to showcase Goa's freedom struggle and be a true tribute to the heroic deeds and glorious sacrifices of all those who took part in Goa's Liberation and who fought against the British rule for the freedom of India and were jailed there. It was inaugurated on December 19, 2021 by PM

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament fro ...

. The redevelopment cost approximately Rs 22 crore under the Centre's Swadesh Darshan Scheme. This museum has two particular cells dedicated to liberation fighters T B Cunha and Ram Manohar Lohia, where they were imprisoned under the Portuguese regime.

Taj Fort Aguada Resort

Taj Fort Aguada Resort Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, formerly Fort Aguada Beach Resort, is built on the crescent of the beach at Sinquerim, in Goa, India. The hotel is part of the chain hotels of Taj Group of Hotels. The ''Exotica'' is the "most plush" of the Taj ...

formerly Fort Aguada Beach Resort is part of Taj Hotel Group. The hotel opened in 1974 at the site of the historic Portuguese Fort Aguada.

Gallery

File:Aguada Fort , Goa, India.JPG, File:Fort Aguada, Goa.jpg, File:Fort Aguada Goa.JPG, Fort Aguada lighthouse File:FortAquada1.jpg, Information Plaque File:FortAquada2.jpg, File:FortAquada5.jpg, File:FortAquada4.jpg, File:Fort Aguada Light House .jpg, File:Fort Aguada Light House 1.jpg File:Fortification wall of Auguda Fortress 1 ( Lower ).jpg, Fortification wall of Aguada Fortress (Lower) File:Fortification wall of Auguda Fortress 4 ( Lower ).jpg, Fortification wall of Aguada Fortress (Lower) File:Auguda Fortress 2 ( Upper ).jpg, Aguada Fortress (Upper) File:Auguda Fortress 5 ( Upper ).jpg, Aguada Fortress (Upper) File:Auguda Fortress 7 ( Upper ).jpg, Aguada Fortress (Upper) File:Auguda Fortress 8 ( Upper ).jpg, Aguada Fortress (Upper) File:Auguda Fortress 10 ( Upper ).jpg, Aguada Fortress (Upper) File:Agoda Goa RajakumarDhaamodharan.jpg, Agoda Goa RajakumarDhaamodharan File:Aguada Fort - Sinquerim Beach - Goa - 0001.jpg, Part of Aguada Fort, Sinquerim Beach, Goa

References

External links

Fort Aguada
- spherical panorama 360°. {{Forts in India, state=collapsed Aguada Portuguese forts in India Lighthouses in India Colonial Goa 17th-century forts in India 1612 establishments in India 1610s establishments in Portuguese India Buildings and structures completed in 1612 Tourist attractions in North Goa district Buildings and structures in North Goa district