Srinath, Rajeev, Amol and Yuvraj visited Sagargad and Korlaigad in July 2009. The presentation contains info about the forts and also the photographs. Hasppy viewing.

1. कोरलाईगड आिण सागरगड
र ई ड स र ड Elevation
275 m (915 ft)
452m (1357ft )
Korlaigadand Sagargad Location Alibaug

2. Dharamtar Creek
Khanderi Fort
Underi Fort
Alibaug Khandale Village
g
Kolaba Fort Sagargad
Agarkot Fort
Korlai Gad
Birla Mandir

3. Sagargad
Sagargad is a beautiful fort very close to Alibag. This hill‐fort, 7kms from
Alibag is an old fort of Shivaji's times at 1357ft from sea‐level. Half‐way
to the fort is Siddheshwar t
t th f t i Siddh h temple and an Ashram. Near temple a river
l d Ah N t l i
flowing by, and most of all a cliff just behind the temple where the river
becomes a waterfall. The best place of the trek....the temple and a
stream which joined a waterfall....The view from the edge of this
waterfall is fantastic. On the fort one finds nine tombs of Satis. The place
is called Sati Plateau. Besides this plateau a thumb like erect land mass
is called Sati Plateau. Besides this plateau a thumb‐like erect land mass
is known as Vanartok, it falls on the mid‐way to Sagargad. The place is
unforgettable. Apart from a ganesh temple, there are a few man made
ponds with water and green sprawling gardens on the flat mountain
ponds ith ater and green spra ling gardens on the flat mo ntain
surface.

10. Place where we
stayed at night

11. Yuvraj, Srinath,
Suhas and Amol

12. Timely breakfast of
bread butter and tea

13. Khandale village. We
have to take a turn here
for Sagargad

14. Wadkhal
Khandale
Village
Siddeshwar
Temple

15. Sagaon
Khandale
Village
Gawali Wada
Dhondana
Dh d Sagargad
Waterfall
Thakurwadi ‐ Katkari Wadi
Sahan

16. Gawali Wadi
Gaothan Wadi
Jitkondhi Wadi
Siddeshwar
Sagargad
Temple
Thakur Wadi
Wanarlingi

18. Amol, Srinath with Altimeter,
Suhas and Yuvraj

21. Ratangad
Siddeshwar Mandir and
Dhondana Waterfall

22. Crab looking for
Avinash

23. Siddeshwar Mandir and
Dhondana Waterfall

24. Amol, Yuvraj,
Srinath, Suhas

25. Rajeev, Yuvraj, Srinath and Suhas

27. Siddeshwar Mandir
Very good palce for night stay

32. Solar Photovoltaic Cells for all the homes

33. Sagargad village
Solar Photovoltaic Cells

35. Sinath, Yuvraj, Amol and Suhas

36. From Siddeshwar
Temple

37. Entrance to
Sagargad

40. Entrance to
Sagargad

41. Srinath, Yuvraj,
Amol and Suhas in
Cloud 9

42. Srinath, Suhas,
Yuvraj and Amol in
Cloud 9

43. Shiv Mandir

44. Shiv Mandir

47. Suhas, Yuvraj, 2 youngsters
from village as guides,
Srinath and Amol
Apposite Wanarlingi

48. Suhas, Yuvraj, 2 youngsters from
village as guides, Srinath and Amol
Apposite Wanarlingi

53. Suhas, Rajeev, Srinath, Amol and Yuvraj

54. Suhas, Rajeev, Srinath, Amol and Yuvraj

55. Suhas, Srinath, Rajeev, Amol and Yuvraj

56. Suhas, Srinath,
Yuvraj, Rajeev
and Amol

57. Wanartok or
Wanarlingi

58. Sagaragad
Wanar lingi

59. Man mdae pond on
Sagargad

63. Rain water tank

66. Fort wall

69. Water tank

70. Suhas and Rajeev
Amol and Yuvraj appreciating
Amol's achievement

71. A Textbook tree

72. Wall of the fort

73. Wall of the fort

74. Sagargad
Wanarlingi or
Wanartok

75. Gawali Wadi

76. Village school (400 sq ft room)

77. In Gawali Wadi to
quench our thirst

78. Srinath waiting

79. Each of us had approx. 2
glasses of lassi

80. Khanderi Fort Underi Fort

81. Korlaigad

82. Korlaigad

83. ALIBAUG
Kundalika river
Korlaigad
Salav Bridge
Salav Bridge
Jetty of Vikram connects Alibaug and Murud
Ispat Steel Plant
Salav Village
MURUD
Phansad Sanctuary in south

87. Korlai Fort (also called El Morro or Castle Curlew)
The fort is
Th f t i 2828 feet long, and its average breadth i eighty-nine f t The enclosing wall i 5' 3"
f tl d it b dth is i ht i feet. Th l i ll is
high and has 305 battlements for guns. It is entered by eleven gates - four are outer and seven are
inner. At the north point, within pistol-shot of main battery is the water cistern named Santa Cruz -
major source of water. The area within the fort walls is divided into three enclosures by two lines of
bastioned f tifi ti
b ti d fortifications. E h of th seven b ti
Each f the bastions b
bears th name of a saint. Th t
the f i t The two westward
t d
bastions are named San Diego (after Didacus of Alcala) and San Francisco (after Francis of Assisi).
The others are Sam Pedro, Sam Ignacio, and Sam Philippe.
The top f the
Th t of th hill is bastioned as well and i and surrounded b a parapet. It h a l
i b ti d ll d is d d d by t has large rain-water
i t
cistern with three mouths, each one-foot wide, and the ruins of the magazine and a church. The
church was built in 1630 for the use of the army and was functional until 1728.
There are th
Th three P t
Portuguese inscriptions. O
i i ti One, over a ddoorway i th centre and hi h t part of th
in the t d highest t f the
fort (see picture), reads as follows:
This castle was commanded to be built by the Viceroy of India D. Felippe Mascarenhas in
November of the year 1646 and Fernao Miranda Henriques being Captain of Chaul, and was
finished in May 1680, Christovao d Ab
fi i h d i M 1680 Ch i t Abreu d' A
Asevade b i C t i of thi f t
d being Captain f this fort.
The inscription is surmounted by a cross with a coat of arms having the Portuguese stars in the
centre and surrounded by seven castles. Other inscriptions over the main entrance and over an
altar in the chapel are worn out and undecipherable. D i th b i f M th rule, some of th
lt i th h l t d d i h bl During the brief Maratha l f the
names of the bastions were changed but now the only indication of their presence is some
dismantled shrines.

88. Korlai Fort (also called El Morro or Castle Curlew)
This fort was built in 1521 by the Portuguese with the permission of the Ahmednagar Sultanate.
y g p g
In 1521, taking advantage of the confusion in the aftermath of the death of the Burhan Nizam
the Portuguese tried to take over the fort. However the sultan retaliated and sent some of his
best men to reclaim the fort. Subsequently a truce was reached in which the Ahmednagar
sultanate occupied the island and no further fortification of the island took place. Only a
sultanate occupied the island and no further fortification of the island took place Only a
wooden cross remained on the island as a sign of its former rulers.
However in 1594, Abranches, a Portuguese captain with 1,500 soldiers and 1,500 natives took
possession of the fort. The besieged soldiers of the Sultanate tried to block their way by putting
possession of the fort The besieged soldiers of the Sultanate tried to block their way by putting
a dead elephant at the main gate and a dead horse at the inner gate. But in the end they had to
surrender. The Portuguese won the fort but not having enough men to stand guard there chose
to destroy it leaving only the central tower and a battery intact.
On the inland side ‐ the only place where it was susceptible to be attacked it was protected by a
ditch and could only be accessed by a drawbridge. The main entrance was guarded by a bronze
lion and the highest tower by a bronze eagle. It housed 7,000 horses and as much men.
lion and the highest tower by a bronze eagle It housed 7 000 horses and as much men
Some parts of it were rebuilt later but now had a garrison of only 50 men. The church within the
fort was used for worship on Sundays and holidays. Korlai fort was also strategically very
important as it guarded the mouth of the bay. Sambhaji the son of Shivaji tried to take it over
important as it guarded the mouth of the bay Sambhaji the son of Shivaji tried to take it over
but failed and had to withdraw his forces on 6th December, 1687.The fort was taken by the
Marathas who held it from 1739‐1818.

89. A movement spreading
across Maharashtra

96. Going to the left
side of the fort

100. Nature in action
A tree bridging a broken wall
Yuvraj astonished.

102. Salav Bridge

103. Light House

109. Horse Stable

112. Way to Jetty

113. Salav Bridge on
Kundalika river
Jetty

114. A Canon

116. As in all trakes, Yuvraj is
ready with food for ALL

119. Flower dried out
A Bud
Flower in full
blossom

122. Light House is ON

123. Going to the other
side of the fort

124. Light House
Our Car
Way from the main
land to Korlaigad

128. A Temple

129. A large rain-water cistern
'Santa Cruze' with 3 mouths
each 1 x 1 ft

130. Yuvraj and Srinath guiding
the car from Light House to
main land

131. 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
g y y
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.