Sindhudurg Fort was chosen as the venue to celebrate Navy Day this year. In keeping with this preparations have begun at the fort premises.
Preparations for Navy Day celebration
Bharatiya Navy celebrates Navy Day on December 4 annually to acknowledge the role of and commemorate the achievements of the Bharatiya Navy in the 1971 war. Navy Day celebrations are aimed at fostering greater outreach, renewing maritime consciousness amongst our citizens and reaffirming the assurance of national security.
This December 4 Navy Day celebrations will be held at the iconic Sindhudurg Fort in the presence of President Srimati Droupadi Murmu and PM Shri Narendra Modi. 70 fighter ships will participate in the celebrations.
As per reports, preparations for Navy Day celebrations began with a team visiting the site on September 1 to inspect it. It must be pointed out that only the fortification walls/rampart fall under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) while the premises are owned by several private owners.
The team decided where to set up the helipad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue, and other arrangements related to the event. They have sought permission from the locals for the same. A magnificent bronze of Maharaj will be erected close to the fortification wall. The helipad will be constructed close by.
Reports suggest the celebrations would begin on December 1 and go on till December 4. On the first two days, the Navy would hold displays and shows for the public. On the third day, important guests would grace the celebrations and on the final day, the President and PM will participate in the Navy Day celebrations.
It is hoped that the event will bring the glorious history of Sindhudurg before the world. Also, the event is a perfect opportunity to restore the structure to its former glory by undertaking repairs wherever required. The occasion and the repair works will help long-term tourism to the Sindhudurg District and Malvan area. It is expected to provide tourists with an exhilarating experience in the near future too. Additionally, the increased tourism will help the region and its people economically as well.
Sindhudurg Fort
The excursions of his jagir by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj made it amply clear that the Islamic rulers had neglected the ghat region and they hadn’t bothered to strengthen the outposts nor maintained sufficient troops on the hill forts for their defence. Maharaj exploited this negligence on the part of the Mahomedan powers and therefore the first task he undertook was making these hill forts and the region and people surrounding them his own.
The first fort he acquired was Torna using his political acumen and diplomacy. Raje realised very early that forts were the best form of offence and defence. He began executing his plans of Swarajya by acquiring forts in the vicinity of Poona after Torna and Rajgad came under his control. He acquired, built, re-built and rehauled forts at strategic locations. He ensured their proper maintenance and upkeep throughout his reign. He had 370 forts under his command at the time of his death.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was one of the few emperors to possess a naval fleet. The inability to capture the Abyssinian stronghold of Janjira due to the naval strength of Janjira chiefs pre-empted Raje to raise a strong navy that would penetrate the Abyssinian defences. He invested 10 lakhs in raising a naval fleet which comprised ships of various kinds and sizes. His naval crew consisted of fishermen, pirates, lascars and other sea-faring tribes.
Although the Raje gained control of the west coast he couldn’t bring the actual fort of Janjira under his command as Siddis sought the protection of Mughals. Raje gave up the thought of undertaking hostilities with the Mughal-Siddi alliance and instead decided to build his own Janjira, a sea fort so strong that it would keep not just the Siddis but also the local Sawantwadi chieftain as well as the neighbouring Portuguese in check. This fort came to be known as Sindhudurg.
Sindhudurg Beach is known for its crescent shape and protruding rocks in the sea, making it a unique geological feature. Sindhudurg Killa, built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is located on a moderate-sized rock near the Malvan coast. It served as the coastal capital of the Maratha Empire and a crucial naval base during Shivaji Maharaj’s time. The rampart walls rising from the sea are remarkable in their height and width. The entrance gate is situated in the northeast direction, and though it was once full of buildings, it now mostly consists of empty shells and a few small temples.
The main temple within Sindhudurg Killa is considered Raje’s cenotaph, where his image is worshipped, and his hands and footprints are preserved with reverence in small domes. It also has water tanks for drinking water. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj recognized the importance of naval power in the Arabian Sea and coastal security, leading to the construction of Sindhudurg around 1665. Additionally, he fortified a smaller island with Padmagad Fort to protect the main fort and built Rajkot and Sarjekot forts on the mainland opposite the town.
Within the fort, there are three notable temples: Jari Mari Temple, Mata Bhavani Temple, and Shri Shiv Rajeshwar Temple, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is worshipped as a deity. The Shri Shiv Rajeshwar Temple is a popular tourist attraction. Lastly, there is a beach on the North-Western part of the fort, and a domical structure houses the footprint and hand impression of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
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