Sindhudurg Fort

Sindhudurg Fort is a historical fort that occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, 450 kilometres (280 mi) south of Mumbai. It is a protected monument.

This fort was constructed by Shivaji Maharaj, the chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire. The main objective was to counter the rising influence of foreign colonizers - English, Dutch, French and Portuguese merchants - and to curb the rise of Siddis of Janjira. Construction was supervised by Hirojee Indulkar, in 1664. The fort was built on a small island which was known as the Khurte bet (bet means island in Marathi). Photos: Thura for Mizzima