Murud-Janjira

Murud-Janjira

Murud-Janjira Fort is situated on an oval-shaped rock off the Arabian Sea coast near the port city of Murud, 165 km south of Mumbai. The word Janjira is not native to India, and may have originated after the Arabic word Jazeera, which means Island. During its heyday, the island fort boasted 572 cannons.

About Murud-Janjira in brief

Summary Murud-JanjiraMurud-Janjira Fort is situated on an oval-shaped rock off the Arabian Sea coast near the port city of Murud, 165 km south of Mumbai. The word Janjira is not native to India, and may have originated after the Arabic word Jazeera, which means Island. During its heyday, the island fort boasted 572 cannons. The main gate of the fort faces Rajapuri on the shore and can be seen only when one is about 40 feet away from it. There is also another fortress, named Ghosalgad, which is located on top of the hill around 32 km east of MurUD-JanJira, that was used as outpost for the rulers of Janj Kira. According to early accounts, the Abyssinian state of Sidis established andor built the fort in early 1100s.

In 1621, the commander of the Little Ambar, Siddi Siddi, successfully defied the Ottoman fleet that arrived in the region to aid the region of Batak and Maritime Southeast Asia in 1539. Later, the state became exceptionally powerful, and in 1639, it became the autonomous state of JanJira. The fort is now in ruins, but it was a full-fledged living fort with all the necessary facilities, e.g. palaces, quarters for officers, mosque, two small 60-foot-deep natural fresh water lakes, etc.