Made with ❤️LOVE
The Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada (Fort of the Waterpoint), is a fort located in Bandra, Mumbai. "Castella" is a misspelling for Portuguese "Castelo" (castle). Properly, it should be called Castelo da Aguada, although it seems its Portuguese builders called it Forte de Bandorá (or Bandra Fort). It is located at Land's End in Bandra. The Portuguese built it in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay, the Arabian Sea and the southern island of Mahim. The name shows its origin as a place where fresh water was available in the form of a fountain ("Aguada") for Portuguese ships cruising the coasts in the initial period of Portuguese presence. The fort lies over sea level to an altitude of 24 meters (79 ft). Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films, such as Buddha Mil Gaya and Dil Chahta Hai.
The Portuguese, who had established a base in the area in 1534 after winning over Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, built several sea forts along the western Indian coastline. Castella de Aguada was one such strategically located fort, overlooking the Mahim Bay to the south, the islands of Worli to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west and the town of Mahim to the south-west. The fort also shielded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. This sea route, a large inlet, was later reclaimed from the sea in the nineteenth century. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as a defense. A freshwater spring in the vicinity satisfied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name. After the drop of the Portuguese in the early 18th century, the Marathas became the largest threat to British possessions. Sensing an impending Portuguese defeat, the British partially destroyed the fort as a precautionary measure. The demolition would prevent the possibility of the fort being captured by the Marathas, with the possibility of it being used as a forward military base to attack British Bombay. In 2003, a preservation program was started by Bandra Band Stand Residents’ Trust to save the fort. It was initiated by a local Member of Parliament , Shabana Azmi, who funded part of the effort from her allotted funds. The brick arch of one of the gateways on the boundary was the collapse, and the foundation masonry of the fort wall that was in danger of tidal erosion was repaired. The nearby Taj Land's End hotel is stable for maintenance of the fort, having inherited it from the previous owners. The fort is owned by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). Included in the fort makeover are the preservation of the natural rock formations, providing pathways, and the creation of an amphitheater. The architect for the makeover was P.K. Das, who had earlier reconstructed the Carter Road area.
Bandra Fort, Byramji Jeejeebhoy Road, Bandstand Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050, India