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Bassein Fort 1
Bassein Fort
The Fort's Facade
Bassein Fort entrance
Vasai or Bassein Fort is a large fort in Vasai village, in the Vasai
taluka (county) of the District of Thane, Konkan Division, Maharashtra
State, Republic of India. The name "Bassein" is the English version of
the Portuguese "Ba€aim" (with the "€" spoken as "s" and with the "m"
silent), itself a version of an apparently native name that may have a
connection to the Vasa Konkani tribals of the North Konkan region,
extending from Mumbai into "South Gujarat." The Marathi name of
the place is Vasai.
The complete form of the Portuguese name is "Fortaleza de S•o
Sebasti•o de Ba€aim" or the Fort of St. Sebastian of Vasai. The Vasai
fort is a monument of national importance and is protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India.[1]
The fort and the village are accessible most easily through the Vasai
Road Railway Station, which itself is in Manikpur-Navghar, a part of
the newly raised City of Vasai-Virar (See "Vasai-Virar Municipal
Corporation"), and lies to the immediate north of the cities of Mumbai
and Mira Road-Bhayander. The "Vasai Road" Railway Station is on
the Western Railway line (formerly the Bombay, Baroda & Central
India Railways) in the direction of Virar Railway Station.[2]
History
Portuguese mariners exploring the north Konkan Coast, discovered the
Arab Sultanate of Khambat or Cambay, building or renovating or
expanding the fort in the early 1400s and attacked it in a failed effort to
seize it. Later, after more systematic efforts, the Sultanate of Cambay
ceded the fort to Portugal by the Treaty of Saint Matthew signed on the
Portuguese brig Sao Matteus anchored in the Bhayander Creek or
Vasai Harbor.
Under Portugal, the fort was the Northern Court or "Corte da Norte," second only to the City of Goa, functioning as
the headquarters of the Captain of the North. For 150 odd years, the presence of the Portuguese made the
surrounding area a vibrant and opulent city.[3]
As such it was the capital of Portuguese possessions on the coast north
of Goa, over places such as Chaul-Revdanda, Karanja Island, the Bombay Archipelago, Bandra Island, Juhu Island,
Salsette Island including the City of Thane, Dharavi Island, the Vasai archipelago itself, Daman, Diu, and other
Portuguese holdings extending up the coasts to Pakistan, Oman, the UAE, Iran, and other parts of the Persian Gulf.
The ethnic community locally known in the Bombay region as the "East Indians" (sic) were called "Norteiro"
(Northernmen) after the Court of the North functioning out of the fort.
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Bassein Fort 2
Statue of the Maratha general Chimaji Appa at
the Fort.
One of the few standing structures
In the 18th century, the fort was taken over by the Maratha army under
Peshwa Baji Rao's brother Chimaji Appa, and fell in 1739 after a
three-year-long campaign. (See-Battle of Vasai) The British shortly
attacked and took over the territory from the Marathas as the price for
supporting one faction of the Marathas against another.
Present
The ramparts overlook what is alternatively called the Vasai Creek and
the Bhayander Creek and are almost complete, though overgrown by
vegetation. Several watch-towers still stand, with safe staircases
leading up. The Portuguese 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 fa€ades. In
particular, many of the arches have weathered the years remarkably
well. They are usually decorated with carved stones, some weatheredbeyond recognition, others still displaying sharp chisel marks.
Three chapels inside the fort are still recognisable. They have fa€ades
typical of 17th-century Portuguese churches. The southernmost of
these has a well preserved barrel-vaulted ceiling.
The fort is often used for shooting Bollywood film scenes. The films
shot here include Josh, Khamoshi, and Ram Gopal Verma's Aag.
Besides all the structures one should not miss observing the nature that
has taken over much of the fort. It is a great place to observe
butterflies, birds, plants and reptiles.The Archaeological Survey of India has started restoration work of the
fort, although the quality of the work has been severely criticized by
"conservation activists". It is said that the fort has a bad reputation for
illegal activities and that during the week days its not advisable for
tourists or women to visit it.[citation needed ]
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Bassein Fort 3
Bassein fort main entrance with
embellishments
Accessibility
One needs to take a Western Railways train bound to Virar from Churchgate and
get off at Vasai Road. If someone is coming from the Central Railway or Central
Railway Harbour Line then they 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. A new
railway station named Kopar has started which is between Diva and Dombivli.
Passengers travelling from Thane or Kalyan can alight at Kopar and go top by
staircase and at Platform No.3 they can catch the Diva to Vasai train. Vasai Road
station is only one 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 costs you Rs. 7.00 and you can get off 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 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 would cost you around Rs.20.00 per head.[4]
Gallery
The Flora and Fauna inside the fort premises.
A beautiful Katydid Grasshopper Baby caterpillars feeding on
leaves
Some beautiful
wild flowers
Spider in family Nephilidae
feasting on a butterfly
The beautiful resident of the fort
again
African Hoopoe Agamid lizard A Baobab tree at
seaside entrance.
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Bassein Fort 4
References
[1] Monument #110, Mumbai Circle, ASI: http:/ / asi. nic. in/ asi_monu_alphalist_maharashtra_mumbai. asp
[2] Western Railway Mumbai Suburban Route Map: http:/ / www. wr. indianrailways. gov. in/ view_section. jsp?lang=0& id=0,6
[3] Maharashtra Tourism: Vasai Fort - http:/ / www. maharashtratourism. gov. in/ MTDC/ HTML/ MaharashtraTourism/ TouristDelight/ Forts/
Forts. aspx?strpage=VasaiFort. html
[4] Time To Travel: Vasai Fort - http:/ / www. timetotravel. co. in/ 2010/ 01/ vasai-fort. html
Coordinates: 19‚19€49•N 72‚48€54•E (http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack.
php?pagename=Bassein_Fort& params=19_19_49_N_72_48_54_E_type:landmark)
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Article Sources and Contributors 5
Article Sources and ContributorsBassein Fort Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=581986276 Contributors: 2fargon, AbigailAbernathy, Anannyadeb, AshLin, Banda Walker, Belasd, Biker Biker, Caim, Can't
sleep, clown will eat me, Charles Matthews, Chris the speller, Colonies Chris, CommonsDelinker, CorreiaPM, Damitr, Fconaway, Gladson777, Hackuguys, Idleguy, Indon, JonRichfield,
Khazar2, Koavf, Krun, Leandrod, Machoflex7, Maninair9, Manxruler, Mattisse, Michael Hardy, Mild Bill Hiccup, Naturelovervidya, Nichalp, Nizil Shah, P.K.Niyogi, Peroxwhy2gen, Philippe,
Ricky81682, Rjwilmsi, Samedivaz, Santetjan, Shyamsunder, Sidsahu, Sisodia, Smma59, Sunandlopes, Suyogaerospace, TheRingess, Traveler100, Utcursch, Vijaybarve, Yogithebest, 62
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