2. Kolaba Fort
Kolaba Fort (sometimes Kulaba Fort) is an old military fortification in India. It is
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situated in the sea at a distance of 1–2 km from the shores of Alibag, 35 km south of
Mumbai, in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The fort was built by Chatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj in 1652 to keep a check on the activities of the foreign naval powers of
English, Portuguese and the Siddhi of Janjira.
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The average height of the fort walls is 25 feet. It has two main entrances, one on the
sea side and the other towards Alibag. An interesting feature of this fort is that it has
freshwater wells in its premises even though it is a seaside fort. In the monsoons, the
fort can be reached by wading through waist‐deep water at low tide. However, at high
tide, boats must be used to reach it.
The Siddhivinayak temple inside the fort was built by Raghoji Angre in 1759.
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34. Un spoilt
Un hurried
Un touched
Un confined
Un expected
Un conquered
Un paralleled
Un paralleled
Un matched
Un stressed
Un stressed
Un limited
Standing as silent sentinels to history are the 350‐odd forts of Maharashtra. Beaten by
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the sea waves, lashed at by the torrential Deccan rains, or scorched in the blazing sun,
stand imposing ramparts and crumbling walls , the last lingering memories of
Maharashtra's martial times. Nowhere in the country would you encounter such a
profusion of forts. And such variety. Sited on an island, or guarding the seas or among
the Sahyadri hills, whose zig‐zag walls and rounded bastions sit like a scepter and
crown amidst hills turned mauve.
