Shiv Sena’s efforts bear fruit
Bhayandar : There may be some ray of hope for the crumbling walls of historic Ghodbunder Fort near Kashimira which has become one the worst examples of utter neglect and apathy. Following the intervention of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, a joint survey of the fort was carried out on Thursday evening by a team of officials from the District Collectorate and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC).
While District Collector P. Velarasu is said to have given his in-principal nod to allot funds amounting Rs 1 crore, after permission from the Archaeological department, civic chief Suresh Kakani, on behalf of the MBMC, assured to bear the remaining expenses that will be required to revive the glory of the heritage structure and to beautify the vast four acre surrounding premises. Originally named as Cacabe de Tanna, the Ghodbunder Fort was built in 1730 by the Portuguese who had settled in this region in 1530. The territory and fort remained under the rule of Portuguese until 1737. Despite several attempts, the Maratha warriors failed to capture the fortress but eventually besieged the fort and successfully occupied it by defeating Portuguese army in the year 1737.
There is also an ancient church in the vicinity of fort which was founded by the Portuguese. The church which was later transformed into tourist hub by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) now lies in shambles.
“I believe that this fort is a monument of our glorious history and if we want to show this heritage to our new generation. It is our duty to preserve the fort. A well-maintained fort would be the added attraction to tourists and it would be the real memorial,” Sarnaik said.
Thanks to the restoration and preservation work initiated by private contractors appointed by the Archaeological Survey of India, some walls of the fort now sport white patches of plaster.
“The historic place definitely needs beautification and the MBMC is committed towards a face-lift and maintenance without disturbing the ancient structure,” said civic chief Suresh Kakani.
A few years back the civic standing committee had made a budgetary allocation of Rs 25 lakh for
Suresh Golani
