MightyHikers: Murud-Janjira Fort (Murud)

MightyHikers

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj & Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ki jai.....

LOCATION: 142 kms from Mumbai, 164 kms from Pune, 54 kms from Alibag.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: September to March.

Murud-Janjira Fort

The Janjira fort is situated on a small island in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Maharashtra. The waves of the sea crashing against the thick ramparts of this structure are a sight to behold. The sea surrounding the fort served as an impregnable moat which made this structure a formidable bastion against any invader.

The fort is located on the busy maritime trade route connecting Broach, Daman, Diu and Mangalore. This fort commanded the naval traffic of the trading routes connecting Africa, Persia and Europe with the Indian subcontinent. The Janjira Fort attracted traders from far and near and became a halting station on these commercial routes. In the 1500s, the luxury trade at the fort involved ivory, gold, silk, horses and slaves.

Fort Information:

Location Details : Murud-Janjira Fort

Base Village : Murud (Sea Fort)

Nearest Railway Station : Roha

Fort Height : (Sea Fort)

Difficulty : Easy

History:

Itbarrao Koli was the Patil of Janjira Island and a chief of the Kolis who built this island in the 15th century for Kolis to live on peacefully away from pirates. The origin the old Wooden Garrison can be traced down to the fifteenth century when some local fishermen of Rajapuri constructed a small wooden fort on a huge rock to protect themselves and their families from the pirates.

However, the Nizam Shahi Sultan of Ahmadnagar Sultanate wanted to capture this wooden garrison purely for strategic reasons, and when his general Piram Khan captured it, Malik Ambar—his spokesperson who was also an Abyssinian regent of Siddi origin—decided to construct a solid rock fortress in place of the original wooden structure. This fort was originally called Jazeera Mahroob Jazeera.

In early 1100 AD, the Abyssinian Sidis established the Janjira and Jafarabad state.

In 1539, According to accounts written by the Portuguese admiral Fernão Mendes Pinto, the Ottoman fleet that first arrived in Aceh (prior to the Ottoman expedition to Aceh led by Kurtoğlu Hızır Reis), included 200 Malabar sailors from Janjira to aid the region of Batak and Maritime Southeast Asia.

Later, in 1621, the Siddis of Janjira became exceptionally powerful as an autonomous state to the point that the commander of Janjira, Siddi Ambar the Little, successfully defied his overlord Malik Ambar's attempt to replace him. Siddi Ambar the Little is accordingly considered the first Nawab of Janjira state.

The island fortress was under control of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur Sultanate until the reign of Ibrahim II when the Janjira fort was lost to the Siddis. Major historical figures from Murud-Janjira include men such as Sidi Hilal, Yahya Saleh and Sidi Yaqub.

In early 1100 AD, the Abyssinian Sidis established the Janjira and Jafarabad state.

In the late 1600's, during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Sidi Yaqut received a subsidy of 400,000 rupees. He also owned large ships which weighed 300–400 tons. According to records, these ships were unsuitable for fighting on the open sea against European warships, but their size allowed for transporting soldiers for amphibious operations.

Despite repeated attempts by the Portuguese, the British and the Maratha to subdue the island fortress, all of these efforts failed to displace the island's Siddi rulers. The Siddis were themselves allied with the Mughal Empire.

One example of such a failed attack was the account of the 10,000 soldiers who were sent by the Maratha Peshwa Moropant Trimbak Pingle, and who were roundly repulsed by the Janjira army in 1676. During this Maratha assault, the Marathas, led by chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, attempted to scale the 12-meter-high (39 ft) granite walls but failed in their attempts. Chatrapati Shivaji maharaj's son Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj even attempted to tunnel his way into the fort and was very close to capturing the fort. His attempt was thwarted when a Mughal army attacked the Maratha capital city, forcing Sambhaji to withdraw his forces from the siege and return to the Maratha capital.

He built another sea fort in 1676, known as Padmadurg or Kasa fort, to challenge Janjira. It is located northwest of Janjira. Padmadurg took 22 years to build and is constructed on 22 acres of land.

In the year 1736, the Siddis of Murud-Janjira set out in a battle with the forces of the Peshwa Baji Rao.

On 19 April 1736, the Maratha warriors Nanaji Surve and Chimaji Appa attacked the gathering forces in the encampments of the Siddis near Rewas. Chimaji Appa advised Siddi Sat to run from battle field otherwise Nanajirao will have no mercy on him but Siddi Sat captured Nanajirao Surve and took him to Sagargad fort. Nanajirao rescued himself and beheaded Siddi Sat along with his entire family and his army. Nanajirao Surve was rewarded with village name Kusgao

When the confrontation ended, 1,500 Siddis, including their leader Siddi Sat, had been killed. Peace was brokered in September 1736, but the Siddis were confined to only Janjira, Gowalkot, and Anjanvel, with their power greatly reduced. However, Janjira remained unconquered until it became part of Indian territory after independence from the British in 1947.

How to reach Murud-Janjira Fort:

By Road: Base Village for Murud-Janjira Fort is Murud.

Best route for folks from Mumbai and Pune would be from come to Roha or Alibag bus stop from there you get bus to Murud.

Gateway of India to Murud-Janjira (via Ferry and Train/Bus):

Ferry to Mandwa: Take a ferry from the Gateway of India to Mandwa Jetty.

Bus or Train to Roha: From Mandwa, you can take a bus to Alibaug and then another bus to Roha, or you can take a bus to Panvel and then a train to Roha.

Taxi to Murud Ferry Point: From Roha, take a taxi to Murud Ferry Point.

Ferry to Janjira Fort: Take a ferry from Murud Ferry Point to Janjira Fort.

By Train: Roha station which is around 40 kms.

By Air: Mumbai airport which is around 149 kms.

Reference Link:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murud-Janjira

2. https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2797821

# Forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj & Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ki jai.....

1. https://mightyhikers.blogspot.com/2025/07/kothaligad-peth-fort-karjat.html (Budget Trip: 250 (Public transport).

2. https://mightyhikers.blogspot.com/2025/07/dhak-bahiri-fort-kamshet.html

3. https://mightyhikers.blogspot.com/2025/07/sarasgad-fort-pali.html

(Budget Trip: 400 (Public transport).