newsletter forts of mumbai

8/13/2019 Newsletter Forts of Mumbai

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OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION MUMBAI

Ideas and Action for a Better India

F O R T S O F MUMBAI

D R L O U I S A R O D R I G U E SA S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R , R A M N A R A I N R U I A C O L L E G E

G R E E N V O Y A G E R SS T U D E N T S C O L L E C T I V E F O R H E R I T A G E A W A R E N E S S , R A M N A R A I N R U I A C O L L E G E

21stJULY 2012

N E W S L E T T E R W R I T T E N B Y

JANKI PANDYA AND MAANSI PARPIANI
http://www.observerindia.com/http://www.observerindia.com/http://www.observerindia.com/http://www.observerindia.com/http://www.observerindia.com/http://www.observerindia.com/


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C O A S T A L F O R T S O F M U M B A I :

H I S T O R Y , H E R I T A G E F O R A L L

I T I S E S S E N T I A L T O M A I N T A I N A B A L A N C E B E T W E E N

H E R I T A G E A N D M O D E R N I T Y , A N D T O E N S U R E T H A T

O N E R E A L M D O E S N O T O B V I A T E O R E L I M I N A T E T H E

O T H E R

Dr Louisa Rodrigues

Observer Research Foundation Mumbai or-

ganised a presentation on the Forts of Mum-

bai by Dr. Louiza Rodrigues, Associate Pro-

fessor, Ramnarain Ruia College. She was

joined by a group of enthusiastic students

called the Green Voyagers, who have con-

ducted much of the research on the forts un-

der her guidance. The group is working to-

wards creating historical and environmental

awareness about the heritage of the city.

The presentation was well-structured and ac-

companied by many photographs. Dr Ro-

drigues provided the background of the re-

search project. She explained that the scope

of the project has been restricted to the con-

fines of the city of Mumbai, i.e the limits of

the islands of Bombay as existed under the

possession of the British. In this context, the

Bombay, Sewri, Mazgaon, Dharavi, Sion,

Mahim, Worli and Bandra forts were dis-

cussed. Uttkarsha Dandavate provided the

historical and geopolitical significance of the


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forts. This was followed by an analysis of the

present environmental and ecological status

and usage patterns of the forts by Nandini

Bhattacharya. Ashwini Maslekar outlined

awareness and conservation strategies.

Dr Rodrigues

set the context

of the talk by

describing the

rich heritage

that the city of

Mumbai pos-

sesses. The his-

toricity of the

city (or rather

the islands of

Bombay) can be

traced back to 1st century BC when the

Kanheri caves were constructed by the

Satvahana dynasty. Today, Mumbai is un-

dergoing a rapid metamorphosis with in-

creasing construction activity, the historical

icons in Mumbai being reduced to mere

landmarks or worse. It is essential to main-

tain a balance between heritage and moder-

nity, and to ensure that one realm does not

obviate or eliminate the other, she empha-

sised.

Control over

the 7 islands of

Bombay was

transferred

from the

Potuguese to

the British

Crown, in mid

17th century.

The English

East India Company was handed control

over the islands, that faced threats from ene-

mies from all sides. The Portuguese, the Ma-

ratha powers, the Siddis of Janjira attempted

to attack Bombay a number of times, Dr Ro-

Dr Rodrigues outlining the significance of the coastal forts ofMumbai


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Bandra Fort

drigues asserted. The Company thus con-

structed the coastal forts on the islands, in

order to strengthen defence and supervise

sea traffic. She described the forts as reposi-

tories of knowledge and treasure-troves of

the history of Mumbai, and expressed her

disappointment at the current dilapidated

state of the forts.


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G E O P O L I T I C A L A N D H I S T O R I C A L S I G N I F I C A N C E

Uttkarsha Dandavate provided the back-

ground of the geopolitical and historical sig-

nificance of the coastal forts of Mumbai. She

explained how despite acquiring the islands

of Bombay from the Portuguese, relations be-

tween the two powers remained tense. Fur-

ther, the Portuguese retained control over the

Salsette island, north of the Bombay islands.

The British felt threatened of their rival pow-

ers, the Portuguese, Marathas and Dutch, and

felt the need to fortify the islands.

The Manor house was the the seat of the gov-

ernment of the Bombay Presidency . It was

here that the town of Bombay took birth. In

order to ensure safety of the heart of the

Companys administration on the city, Bom-

bay fort was erected in order to protect all

important buildings and structures from any

potential enemy attack. The construction be-

gan in 1670 and was completed the following

year. St. George fort was built as an extension

of the existing fortification in 1769, and a por-

tion of the wall continues to exist today.

Uttkarsha went on to point out that in early

19th century with the defeat of the Marathas

and the Siddis and reduced security risk, the

Bombay presidency government decided to

bring the major part of the Bombay fort

down. A portion of it still remains and can be

visited on the 1stSunday of every month, she

added.


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Uttkarsha also elaborated on the significance

of the forts on the eastern coast of Mumbai.

The eastern coast was extremely vulnerable

to attack from

the Siddhis of

Janjira who

had their base

in close prox-

imity, in the

northern

Konkan re-

gion. The

Sewri and

Mazgaon

forts were

thus built along this coast. Sewri fort was

built in 1680. It narrowly escaped complete

destruction at the hands of Siddi Ayub Khan.

Fortunately, the fort was renovated within

the following year owing to its strategic im-

portance. It was also briefly used as a prison.

However, she informed the audience that af-

ter a major prison break, it started being used

as a godown.

Even after in-

dependence,

Sewri fort

continued to

be used as a

godown by

the Bombay

Port Trust

(BPT). The

BPT also for-

warded a re-

quest to the government to demolish the fort

and use the land to develop housing quar-

ters. Fortunately, the fort was protected

from any such misfortune, and in 2008, it was

restored to its previous glory, she asserted.

Uttkarsha explaining the geographical location of the different coastal

forts.


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Mazgaon fort remains only in memory,

Uttkarsha remarked. In its place stand the

Mazgaon garden or the Joseph Batista gar-

den. The fort was infact demolished the year

after it was constructed. Like Sewri fort, it

was constructed to protect the Bombay island

from an attack by the Siddhis. He managed

to destroy the fort in his second attempt. The

British were unable to restore it as expenses

in such a restoration projectwas prohibitive.

In 1884, a watertank and garden were built in

its place. Uttkarsha asserted that apart from

the eastern coast, Mahim creek was another

region that was vulnerable from the point of

view of the islands safety. The creek was

much longer than what it appears presently,

after having gone through a number of rec-

lamations. Dharavi, Sion, Mahim, Worli and

Bandra forts were constructed along the

creek to monitor the security situation.

Dharavi fort was built in 1737. Its architec-

ture was very peculiar and did not even have

a proper entrance. The way to enter the fort

was through a ladder that would take the

soldiers to the rooftop, from where they

would keep watch on the northern boundary.

This special feature of the fort has meant that

the fort has been protected from any direct

encroachment even today. Although the fort

is in ruins, there is no inhabitation within the

fort, she added.

She then went on to discuss Sion fort, that is

situated close to Dharavi fort. As Sion fort

was located on the northern most tip of Bom-

bay, it was made the official boundary of

Bombay Island, as possessed by the Portu-

guese and transferred to the British. At thebase of the fort are the Jawaharlal Nehru

Gardens that were used as a military base for

training the soldiers who guarded Sion fort.


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Uttkarsha pointed out that Mahim fort is the

oldest surviving fort in Mumbai. It was built

in 1140 by Pratap Bimb. Mahim was infact

the capital of Mahikawati which was the

holding of the Bimb dynasty. Since Mahim

was an important trading centre, it made the

region attractive to

fortification by the

naval power. Time

and again the Por-

tuguese fought the

Arabs, the Dutch,

the Portuguese and

the British, all of who tried to acquire the fort.

The British were finally the victors and used

the fort effectively uptil the 19th century, to

monitor the security situation over the

Mahim creek.

The task of overseeing the Mahim creek was

shared by Worli fort, Uttkarsha remarked. It

was demolished early on and a near replica

of the original fort was built. However, as the

base of the fort is broad, it was difficult for

the soldiers to scale it.

Bandra fort was constructed for strategic rea-

sons, Uttkarsha stat-

ed. It was located at

the southern most

tip of Salsette island.

The fort was im-

portant not only to

watch over activity

on the creek but also

because it was the only part of the Salsette

island that was under British possession, the

rest being retained by the Portuguese.

In 1739, the Bandra fort was demolished. In

1750, Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy commissioned for

the fort to be restored to its previous glory.

M/s P K Das and Associates was to renovate

THE TOWN OF BOMBAY TOOK

BIRTH AND GREW WITHIN THE

CONFINES OF THESE BOUNDA-

RY SETTING FORTS.


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it further, under a directive by Archeological

Survey of India (ASI) in 2004. The fort start-

ed being recognised as a popular recreational

space; but has never really been seen as an

important historical site as well, Uttkarsha

stated.

The forts of Bombay have served multiple

purposes over the years, that of watchtowers,

of centres of trade and of godowns. Most im-

portantly, they have served the purpose of

housing the town of Bombay within the

spaces between them. The town of Bombay

took birth and grew within the confines of

these boundary setting forts, asserted

Uttkarsha. Without the forts, it is safe to say

that protecting the city would have been dif-

ficult. They withstood multiple attacks and

managed to survive for centuries. The British

used the forts effectively to establish their

supremacy over the islands. The British lega-

cy for the city continues to survive in many

ways, but the forts have faded from public

memory despite their continued physical

presence.


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F O R T S O F M U M B A I : P R E S E N T P R E D I C A M E N T

Nandini Bhattacharya summed-up the pre-

sent state of the various forts of the city thus.

She asserted that the forts of the city can be

classified into those that are well preserved

(Bandra, Worli, Sewri and Bombay cFort) and

those that have not been well preserved

(Dharavi, Mahim and Sion forts).

Bandra fort is maintained by the Bandra

Bandstand Residents Trust. The fort is well-

maintained and gathers substantial crowds of

young people on a daily basis, she said.

However, the walls of the fort have been de-

faced, Nandini remarked. Also, the fort faces

the sea; but the sea front is not well pre-

served. There is a lot of littering in the area.

Further, the waves lash out at the fort walls,

creating substantial erosion.

Sewri fort was restored in 2008 by the Maha-

rashtra State government under the Mumbai

Forts Project. Nandini informed the audience

that the restoration work significantly altered

the original make of the fort. The walls of the

fort are defaced and there are mounds of

garbage in the fort premises. Fortunately

though, she stated the pink flamingos that

migrate to the mudflats for their breeding

cycle in October/November every year have

made the Sewri fort quite popular with lo-

cals and tourists. The fort presents the per-

fect vantage point to observe and photograph

the birds.


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Control over the Bombay fort was entrusted

to the INS Angre post-independence,

Nandini said. They have done a commenda-

ble job of preserving the ruins, though a lot of

the ruins have been lost. The fort is open for

visitors the 1stSunday of every month.

Worli fort was restored in 2008-2009. Howev-

er this work has been shoddy and layers of

cement have been added onto the fort walls.

What remains of the forts facade today is

just a bad imitation of the previous glory of

the fort, she added. Having said this,

Nandini said that the local fishing communi-

ty have taken it as their duty to preserve the

interiors of the fort. They have built a small

temple within the fort and also run a gym in-

side the premises in an attempt to bring more

people to the fort.

These forts have been relatively well pre-

served. There is limited littering and anti-

social activities. However, they are faced

with natural erosion, resulting into the crum-

bling of fort walls.

Mahim fort was the first fort built on the is-

lands. However it has been heavily en-

croached and shanties have been built within

the fort premises. The encroachers have built

a makeshift structure against which shanties

have been built. There existed a cylindrical

exit from the fort, which is now converted

into a passage flanked by shanties on either

side, she added. 200 families, by a conserva-

tive estimate, live within the fort premises.

Borewells and handpumps within the fort

indicate that the encroachers have settled in

the fort since a substantial period of time.

Similar is the fate of Dharavi fort, Nandini

remarked. Infact the original walls of the fort

extended far beyond the present day ruins. A

major portion of the fort has already been

lost. As a result, there is no proper entrance


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into the fort and one has to enter through the

gaps in the fort walls. Also, it is difficult to

reach the inner sanc-

tum of the fort ow-

ing to the garbage

that is left lying eve-

rywhere in the fort.

The fort is also used

for anti-social activi-

ties like gambling,

drinking and hooli-

ganism. It is used as

a lavatory and for

housing livestock,

she added. Nandini informed the audience

that though Sion fort was restored, it is not

well preserved. This, despite the fact that it

houses the Mumbai office of the ASI. The

lower structure of Sion fort was entirely de-

molished and it

made way for the

Jawaharlal Nehru

Public Garden

and library. The

walls of the up-

per structure are

however in poor

condition, ren-

dering the struc-

ture unsafe for

visitors, especial-

ly in the monsoon. Further, the walls are de-

faced and there are wild bushes and creepers

all along them.

T H E A I M I S T O B R I N G

R E C O G N I T I O N T O T H E

C O A S T A L F O R T S O F

M U M B A I A S T H E S Y M -

B O L S O F T H E P A S T , P R E -

S E N T A N D F U T U R E H E R -

I T A G E O F T H E C I T Y


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Sewri Fort


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A W A R E N E S S A N D C O N S E R V A T I O N S T R A T E G I E S

Ashwini Mashlekar outlined strategies to

promote awareness and conservation of the forts.

She pointed

out that

some forts

like Bandra

and Worli

are better

recognised

and more

frequently

visited as

they are

better

maintained.However, she called for an umbrella awareness

and conservation program by the city and state

governments covering all the forts of the city.

While all forts have their individual

characteristics, needs and showcasing points,

they need to

be packaged

and

promoted as

part of a

common

heritage, she

said. An

impediment

to this would

be that all the

forts come

under thejurisdiction of different authorities like the ASI,

the State Department of Archaeology. There is no

single body or no concerted effort on part of the

Ashwini Maslekar elaborating on their suggestions for the way ahead.


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different stakeholding authorities to undertake a

conservation strategy for the forts. Further,

restoration projects have lost out on maintaining

the historicity of the forts. In many cases, the

design of the forts have been drastically changed

for no valid reason, she added.Further, she stressed on the importance of

running awareness campaigns, harnessing on

social media. A majority of Mumbais population

is not aware of the forts historical significance.

Despite their physical existence, the forts are

overlooked and highly neglected by citizens of

the city, on a daily basis. A more actively

involved citizenry would invariably lead to more

attention being invested in the citys forts, she

added.

Cleanliness is another important node in the

strategy for greater recognition for the forts.

Ashwini explained that the forts are not

frequently visited because they are used as

garbage dumps. A direct consequence of this is

that they become hubs of anti-social activities

instead.

Ashwini also stressed on the potential that

tourism would add to the promotion and

protection of the forts. It is imperative that these

forts become part of city tours and must-visitsites for any tourist coming to the city. Sewri fort,

with the flamingos would be the ideal site of an

eco-tourism initiative, she added. Further,

cultural programs and events may be another

tool of promoting the forts. However, it is must

be noted that any such activity not harm the

structure or authenticity of the forts, Ashwini

stated.

Having said all of the above, she stressed on the

importance of improving connectivity and

accessibility to the forts. Location of the forts or

the entrance to the forts is often ambiguous.

There are no maps available for the same and

enthusiasts have to go out venturing themselves.

In many cases, locals help in guiding the visitors

to the entrance to the fort. They can in fact


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become good tour guides as they are aware of the

area and the different routes to the forts, she

added. By taking up a concerted and well co-

ordinated effort, the city government and

Mumbaikars can bring the forts back to the map

of the city as markers of its heritage. They are

important reminders of the citys resilience and

must be respected. The aim is to bring

recognition to the coastal forts of Mumbai as the

symbols of the past, present and future heritage

of the city, she concluded.


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Q a n d A

The audience unanimously appreciated the

rigorous research undertaken by Dr

Rodrigues and the Green Voyagers. Many

among them requested for maps or guided

tours to the

different

forts. They

expressed

their own

wish to visit

the forts and

learn more

about them.

The

presenters

admitted that accessibility to the forts is

difficult in most cases. Google maps also

does not provide any relief as it gives no

details about how to reach the entrance to the

forts. The team said that they would be more

than willing to takeall those interested on a

tour of the forts.

To a question on government initiatives and

public policy, the presenters emphasised that

acceptance

is the first

step to

corrective

measures.

They felt

that most

governme

nt officials

seem to be

in denial

of the forts need for conservation. Further,

they discerned a lack of political will to take

up the cause of the forts.

The discussion deepened further and the

teaching of history as a subject in India was

The presentars addressing questions raised by the audience


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severely criticised. The lack of awareness and

the allied apathy in matters of cultural

history and heritage was traced to the way

Indians and especially Mumbaikars

understand history. The value of

understanding the significance of ones past

must be taught to young Indians, was the

unanimous call of all those present. It is only

with this fundamental step that Mumbai and

other places in India will truly begin to

recognise and respect their heritage.

e structures, the presenters concluded.

Janki Pandya and Maansi Parpiani are Fellows at Observer Research Foundation Mumbai.

Email:[email protected];[email protected]
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A B O U T

T H E S P E A K E R S

Dr. Louiza Rodrigues is Associate Professor of His-

tory at Ramnarain Ruia College. She recently ac-

quired a doctorate in Environmental History of

Western India from University of Mumbai. Her ar-

eas of interest include genealogy, environment his-

tory, art history and world history. Dr. Rodrigues

has been awarded several research projects over theyears by institutions like K. R. Cama Oriental Insti-

tute, Asiatic Society of Mumbai and University of

Mumbai.

Green Voyagers is a group formed by the students

of Ruia College, working towards creating histori-

cal and environmental awareness about the ne-

glected heritage of the city.


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A B O U T

O R F M U M B A I

Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is a leading non-partisan Indian think-tank that seeks to influ-

ence public policy formulation. It was established in New Delhi in 1990 by R.K. Mishra, a widely re-

spected public figure, who envisaged it as a broad-based intellectual platform pulsating with ideas

needed for Indias nation-building.

In its journey of twenty years, ORF has brought together leading Indian policy makers, academics,

public figures, social activists and business leaders to discuss various issues of national importance.

ORF scholars have made significant contributions toward improving government policies. ORF has

produced a large body of critically acclaimed publications.

Until recently, ORFs activities were based mainly in New Delhi. Beginning 2010, ORF Mumbai has

been established to pursue the Foundations vision in Indias business and financial capital. It has

started

research and advocacy in six broad areas: Education, Public Health, Inclusive Development, UrbanRenewal, Youth Development, and Promotion of Indias Priceless Artistic and Cultural Heritage.

Recent reports published by ORF Mumbai include:

Reforms in Medical Education- to Promote Accessible and Affordable Healthcare for All Making the Sewer a River Again... WhyMumbai Must Reclaim its Mithi Moving People: Why Mumbai Needs a BusRapid Transport System (BRTS) NCHER: AMuch Needed Reform that Fails the Test, a commentary on the National Com-

mission for Higher Education and Research Bill; and

Affordable Housing for Mumbais Poor: Possible!Forthcoming ORF Reports include:

Time is Running Out: Does Mumbai Have Enough Water? Mumbais Secret: Maharashtra Nature Park Masked Identities: Safeguarding Indias Intangible Cultural Heritage

ORF Mumbais mission statement is: Ideas and Action for a Better India. It will champion the cause

of balanced socio-economic development and a better quality of life for all Indians. It will also work

towards strengthening Indias democratic institutions to become more responsible, responsive and

sensitive to common peoples needs and concerns, especially those of most vulnerable sections of so-

ciety. Besides conducting diligent research in its six core areas as above, ORF Mumbai also pursueswide-ranging initiatives like the Maharashtra @ 50 Study Centre, the Forum for India-China Citi-

zens Dialogue, the Centre for the Study of Indias Ancient Knowledge Traditions, and the Gurus of

Science Series.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. For re-publication in whole or in part, please contact:

Observer Research Foundation Mumbai

NKM International House, 5thFloor, Behind LIC Headquarters Yogakshema,

Nariman Point, Mumbai 400020 |Telephone: 022-61313800 | Web: www.observerindia.com

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