Mumbai: The Maharashtra government announced road works to help tourists reach the Bharatgad Fort near Masure, associated with the Maratha navy, in Sindhudurg district.
Minister of cultural affairs, Ashish Shelar, who visited the fort on Sunday along with BJP state vice president Atul Kalsekar, district president Prabhakar Sawant, and officials from the archaeology department, said that orders have been issued for construction of road through the District Planning Committee (DPC) as well as the Public Works Department.
In a message on social media, Shelar said that so far, approximately Rs 12 crore has been spent on the conservation of the fort, with work to strengthen the ramparts having been completed. Additionally, the DPC carried out other important work. Trench repairs, well rejuvenation, and some other essential works are still pending.
Shelar said that the physical inspection was conducted to ensure that the pending works are completed on time. “Based on the issues that came to light during this visit, clear instructions have been given to the concerned officials regarding how the remaining works are to be completed and within what timeframe. Given the historical importance of this fort, sanctified by the touch of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, directions were also given to install directional and informational sign boards here,” Shelar said.
According to the Maharashtra gazette, Bharatgad Fort, located on the south shore of the Kalavali creek, on a hill over the village of Masure, covers between five and six acres, with walls between 17 to 18 feet high and five feet thick. The fort has round towers, a small temple, and well about 228 feet deep, cut through solid rock. The gazette says that in 1670, Chhatrapati Shivaji surveyed the hill but finding no water, did not fortify it. Ten years later, a great well was through the rock, and after finding water, the fort was completed in 1701. In 1748, Tulaji Angre, son of Maratha navy admiral, Kanhoji Angre, captured it. The fort was taken by the British in 1818.
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