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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

anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Vasai fort facade.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vasai_fort_facade.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Gladson777

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